A few years ago, I was struggling with depression and related bouts of anxiety. I had been seeing a therapist for a few months when it became apparent to both of us that therapy alone was not helping me. I needed medication to rebalance my brain. My doctor prescribed me Lexapro for my depression and also gave me a one-time prescription for Xanax. The Xanax was supposed to relieve my anxiety until the Lexapro kicked in, which would take about a month.
I was very careful about using the Xanax and would only take a half dose if I felt a bad anxiety attack coming on. At the end of the month, I still had several Xanax left and when a friend of mine asked to borrow a few, I gave them to her. She also had anxiety issues, had been on Xanax before, and was seeking to have her prescription renewed so giving her a few pills didn’t seem like a big deal. A few months later, when I was having a particularly bad panic attack one day, I called her up and she returned the favor. Apparently, my friend and I are not alone in borrowing and lending out our prescription drugs.
November’s issue of
Glamour magazine features an article about this very topic. The article states that nearly 30% of young women, ages 18-44, admit to having borrowed prescription drugs from a friend or acquaintance. What are the most common drugs being exchanged? Mood enhancing stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin and anti-anxiety meds such as Klonopin and, yes, Xanax. Most of the women who borrow these drugs do so to deal with a specific situation such as giving a big presentation at work or studying for exams. So, we know now that this behavior is pretty common, but is it safe?
Not really. The article pointed out that prescription drugs all have serious possible side effects that are listed on the bottle. If you are borrowing drugs from a friend, you never get to see this information. In addition, some drugs are fine to take on their own, but are dangerous or even deadly in combination with other medications. For example, Xanax in combination with certain sleeping pills can have a very dangerous sedative affect and mixing Adderall with a decongestant like Sudafed can cause a serious spike in blood pressure. If you don’t get a prescription from a doctor, you never have the opportunity to find out about these possible drug interactions.
I knew about both of these risks and never would have thought about lending or borrowing a new drug with my friend. However, our doctors had prescribed Xanax to both of us at different points and I guess that made me feel that what I was doing was safe. The article made me second-guess that. People are prescribed different doses based upon body weight and chemistry. If you take a drug in a higher dose than you’re used to, it can be just as dangerous as taking an unfamiliar drug.
I’m not on medication anymore, but if I ever am again, I will be keeping it to myself.
Have you ever borrowed drugs from a friend or lent them out? Were you aware of the risks? Will you continue to do so?
Comments (39)
I was with an ex boyfriend and I had really severe cramps he loaned me his prescription tylenol and we went in public, i acted like a drug addict, from then on I have learned not to use anyones prescription meds
As a nurse, I refuse to give out meds because I don't feel comfortable being responsible for what happens if someone takes meds not meant for them. I have taken someone elses prescription antihistimanes though. Like Claritin. I won't take drugs I'm not familiar with. If I know how it works maybe, but sometimes you can't be sure what the effects will be.
I borrowed some strong painkillers from a friend.
I didn't know if there were risks, but I only took one.
Dumb? Probably.
my dad and i are prescribed to the exact same muscle relaxant. except his is a higher dosage. it makes him way too drowsy so he's borrowed mine. other than that, i don't lend out my drugs.
Used aderol to help me study. Really did help me focus and kept me awake. I heard there were little risks. I must say they really did help though.
I let my mom borrow my hydrocodone pills when she first started to have severe back pains (which we later found out was lung cancer metastasizing in her back). They helped her sleep, and her pain was much more manageable for a while.
My mom made the decision to use them (I had them after my breast reduction surgery). She was a 53 year old adult and she and I had no problem with it.
Now...my brother had friends who offered to sell my extras for me because apparently hydrocodone is a commodity these days. But I refused that. Even if it could make me extra money, it might be traced back to me and I could get in serious trouble.
i would if i understood the pills' pharmacology.
Yes as long as you crush them up and snort them.
Your questions are getting about as intelligent as the ones on Datingish.
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - HAHAHA!!!
@SaClaudy@xanga - I swear I feel like I am back in kindergarten sometimes!
I just have to reply to this! This hits very close to home for me. I am in the medical field, so I know the apparent dangers in sharing prescription meds. No it is not safe. I though have to admit that I am guilty. There have been some months where my headache meds run out a couple days before the end of the month and I run to my friend that has the same disease as I do, and borrow a couple off of her to float me until I get mine renewed. It's not ethical, but it is sometimes neccessary. I don't see what the problem is as long as it is a prescription that is prescribed to you and it's in the same dosage. We all know how doctors are about refilling scripts before the full 31 days is up in between. Which c'mon, I never know when a migraine is going to hit (just like your anxiety attacks) and some months require more of the medication then what is given. Other months I have extra because I didn't have as many migraines (oh how I love those months!) It is absolutely NOT okay to bum prescription drugs off of your friends to "get high" or for recreational purposes. So yeah, that's what I think when It comes to that.
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but put yourself in some of our shoes. It was a very interesting article to myself and was very relevant to what I go through on a regular basis. Props to healthkicker!
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - so you saying you don't crush your pills and snort them...LOL
I think it's okay depending on what drug it is. For ex. Pain pills yes, antibiotics no.
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - I've seen someone try to free base vicodin, no lie. ha ha
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - The question wasn't whether or not this is good for you, it was about whether or not people do it in spite of the risks. Since 30% of young women nationwide do, I'm guessing many healthkicker readers have also borrowed or lent pills. This seems to be relevant to our generation. As much as it scares me that people lend pills, it frightens me even more that we live in "a pill can fix everything culture." Yes, there are legitimate reasons to be on medication and some people do need medicine everyday to function normally, but when I was on it, my goal was to rebalance my brain and then learn other coping strategies so that I could get off the meds as soon as I possibly could. Do you think our society is just over-medicated in general?
You NEVER have the opportunity to learn the side effects? The last time I checked it is easy to go to the manufacturers website and look up the side effects and interactions. You can get a PDF of the pamphlet that comes with the medication most of the time. Moreover, they have it written in easy to understand terms on the website. Why would you take something without knowing what it may interact with, if you are allergic etc unless you are looking for a buzz? If you are in that much pain (ansious etc), go see a doctor.
I have shared pain pills, anti anxiety drugs etc to people who were taking the same thing at the same dosage that I take. I wouldn't share antibiotics because I take them all like I am supposed to take them.
don't do it unless you know what you're taking.
No, I've never borrowed or lent prescription drugs. I just don't want to take any chances.
I've sold the precursors in natural derived plant oils to many a pharmaceutical- I've freely given these out so yes, I've shared my drugs. I've traded same dose for same dose medication with family if one or the other of us happens to run out-or had to turn down stuff that can't be correctly dosed as i'm prescribed. I'm keenly aware that even aspirin can be lethal. I know that with antibiotics that the regimen of doses and duration of prescription are in place becauseimproperly timed/durational dosages are often harm in letting the drug lose it's effectiveness. I'y least is a crime, but also very problematically negligent.
if one has a headache and "tylenol wont touch it" but they feel opiates will...while they may be right, using a sledgehammer to sink a finish nail to hang a picture is somewhat ridiculous
All you have to do to find the side effects and drug interactions is look online on the drug manufacturer's website. This still does not make the drug safe, but at least if you are going to do it anyway, you know what consequences you can expect. If anything serious goes wrong when you share prescription drugs, both people involved can potentially be arrested because this is just as against the law as using cocaine or heroin. On the other hand, if it's an absolute life or death situation, sharing drugs is still illegal. Someone got in huge trouble a few years ago for sharing their asthma rescue inhaler with a friend who had a severe asthma attack and didn't have his rescue inhaler with him. They were the exact same dose of the same medication but he still got huge fines. I don't think that's right in an extreme situation.
Hmm I once made the mistake of borrowing one of my Mother's presriction pain meds, turns out I'm allergic to codiene, so even though I only took like, a third of the pill I was keeled over Sick to my stomach for the rest of the day.... and still in pain.
. I have watched one two many things go Wrong with people taking other people's med's, one guy I knew almost killed himself and his pregnant girlfriend behind the wheel when he took a stronger dose of oxycontin then he was prepared for. My point being, some pills are regulated by doctors for a reason, you don't Really know how your body will react to them. It is kind of the same way taking Any other drug has the potential to end badly. If one feels the need for a prescription medication then it would pay to get it prescribed To you and for Your body.
Plus lending prescription pills falls under the same catagory as selling them, which is illegal drug trade. Anybody that knows me will say I'm generally easy going when it comes to drugs, and the drug trade, however I do not agree with using a prescription that is not your own.
It's not smart to borrow anyone's prescription drugs; plus, if you did end up in the hospital the person you're borrowing from can get into trouble because it is ILLEGAL to use someone else's prescription meds.
@lindsaya - Absolutely it is yes. But I cannot cast any stones since even though I eat extremely healthy raw organic foods I also take steroids because I am a powerlifter.
@MattsMami@xanga - Well like I just said I cannot cast any stones because I take steroids sometimes since I am a powerlifter.