Prescription For Danger

One out of ten people will develop some type of substance addiction in their life, that's according to a doctor at Memorial Health.  If not taken correctly, prescription pills can be dangerous, even deadly.

You may remember last month actor Heath Ledger was found dead inside his New York apartment. An investigation found the 28-year-old died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications.

NEWS 3'S Tristan Tully spoke with one doctor about prescriptions and why some people feel the need to over do it.

Every day, millions of people across the country take some sort of prescription pill.  Unfortunately, some take more than what is prescribed to them and can become addicted.  Psychiatrist William Ellien with Memorial Health tells us a lot of it has to do with your family, "We are under genetic influences when it comes to tolerance.  In fact - addiction, as a disease, one of the most important characteristics for the development of addiction, appears to be the propensity or the ease with which tolerance can develop."

Doctor Ellien says people need to understand that just because they don't feel the medicine kicking in right away doesn't mean it's not working, and that they shouldn't take more pills, "Most of the time when medicine is taken by mouth, it may be 90-120 minutes, up to two hours before it begins to work, so if I am expecting it to work in 15 or 20 minutes, I may follow up with several other pills only then to have a peak effect sometime later that could be very dangerous."

Dangerous as in deadly, especially when you mix the wrong types of medications at the wrong times, "In high doses they might start suppressing the part of the brain that tells us to breathe.  And that can create special danger, especially if we are also falling asleep."

Many times, because a pill is prescribed to someone, they may feel that they don't have a problem with addiction, "It is legal, so that a lot of the stigma that may be associated with illicit drugs is not a barrier in the instance of prescribed medicines with addictive properties."

But that doesn't mean it's any less dangerous.  If you or someone you know may have a problem with prescription pills, you can contact "Direct One," an assessment office at Memorial Health.

    

That number is 912-350-3023.