Dangers of painkiller abuse

More and more people are using painkillers as a solution to quickly relieve symptoms of headaches, muscle pain, insomnia, etc. However, drug abuse is silently causing serious health consequences.

Using the painkiller panacetamol has become a habit for many people.

Using drugs becomes a... habit

For nearly 3 years now, painkillers have become an "inseparable item" for Ms. Pham Thi Duyen in Tuan Viet commune (Kim Thanh). Since 2023, when she went to the doctor, the doctor said that she had back pain. Every few days, her back pain would recur, from dull to severe pain. This forced her to seek painkillers as a reflex. She went to the doctor several times, the doctor prescribed medicine, but as soon as the prescription ran out, everything was back to normal.

At first, she only took the medication a few times a month. But as time went on, the frequency increased, and the regular painkillers no longer worked, so she had to ask a health worker to come to her house to give her pain-relieving injections.

“I can’t stand it without taking medicine. There are days when the weather changes and my back aches so much that I can’t walk normally. But after just one injection of painkiller, I feel light and can walk easily. Just like that, painkillers become my “lifesaver” whenever back pain strikes and it also becomes a habit,” Ms. Duyen said.

As an office worker who sits at a computer for many hours every day, Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh in An Thuong commune ( Hai Duong city) often suffers from neck, shoulder, and nape pain, especially on days when the weather changes. To continue working, she chooses the fastest way: taking painkillers.

Ms. Khanh said: "There was a day when my shoulder was aching, I took two paracetamol pills and it felt much better, and I could work right away. Even though I know that abusing drugs can affect my health, I couldn't work without taking them, and I couldn't take time off work."

Instead of going to medical facilities to find out and treat the cause of the disease, many people choose to use painkillers as a temporary solution. This is a worrying situation that is common in the community. The abuse of painkillers can temporarily relieve symptoms, but does not solve the root cause of the disease. More dangerously, prolonged use of drugs can cause many complications such as stomach ulcers, liver and kidney damage, headaches due to drug abuse, and even lead to drug dependence.

Health hazard

People can easily find over-the-counter pain relievers at pharmacies.

Taking medicine and injecting it helps Ms. Duyen overcome the immediate pain, but the effects of the medicine do not last as long as before. Recently, introduced by a friend, she sought out massage therapy and acupuncture on her back. The frequency of her back pain has gradually decreased, but she still regularly uses painkillers. Although doctors have warned her about the risk of liver damage and headaches due to drug abuse, Ms. Duyen has not been able to break this habit.

According to Dr. Nguyen Khai Hoan, Head of the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, Hai Duong General Hospital, every year, the hospital receives cases of patients with serious liver and kidney damage due to improper abuse of painkillers. Among them, many patients come to the hospital in a state of acute kidney failure, requiring dialysis or kidney transplant to maintain life. Regular and continuous use of common painkillers such as paracetamol also leads to acute liver failure.

“We have encountered many patients who have taken painkillers for a long time without being examined. Some have even reused previously prescribed painkillers. Some people have taken up to 6-8 paracetamol tablets a day for weeks to relieve headaches and back pain. As a result, liver enzymes have increased, and in some cases, liver and kidney damage has not recovered, forcing them to undergo liver transplants and dialysis,” Dr. Hoan added.

In Vietnam, buying painkillers without a prescription is easy. This is also one of the many reasons why painkillers have become a familiar choice for many people when experiencing symptoms of headaches, neck pain, muscle pain, back pain, etc. However, using drugs arbitrarily, without a doctor's prescription, is leading to serious health consequences.

The habit of buying drugs without a prescription, using them based on “experience” or on the advice of acquaintances is causing many people to fall into a vicious cycle where the more they take the drugs, the longer the pain lasts and the harder it is to control. Many severe cases have to be transferred to intravenous infusion at the hospital because the oral drugs are no longer effective. The abuse of painkillers is common, especially among office workers, the elderly and middle-aged women. Many people consider taking drugs as a habit whenever they have pain, instead of finding out the cause or going to a specialist.

Medical experts warn that painkillers are not a “miracle drug” and should never be used as a long-term solution. Patients need to follow their doctor’s instructions, not increase the dose on their own, and not use continuously for more than 5-7 days without professional advice. Being subjective with seemingly harmless drugs can cost you your health, even your life.

To use painkillers safely, patients must strictly follow the instructions of their doctors. When treating a disease, it is necessary to find out the cause of the disease instead of arbitrarily taking painkillers, and not to abuse the drug for a long time.

PV

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nguy-hai-khi-lam-dung-thuoc-giam-dau-414338.html