12 Drugs That Are Dangerous If Consumption Is Stopped Suddenly

timesofummah.com – 12 Drugs That Are Dangerous If Consumption Is Stopped Suddenly. When undergoing treatment for certain conditions, many people want to stop taking it when they feel better. “Doc, is it okay to stop taking medication?” Maybe that’s what you asked the doctor during control. The answer turns out to be complex.

In fact, some drugs can be dangerous if they are stopped suddenly. Not only can it make the condition worse, but you can also experience dangerous side effects. With some medications such as antidepressants, stopping them suddenly is riskier the longer the drug is used.

Some drugs need to be reduced gradually, and this can only be done through a doctor’s plan. The doctor may slowly lower the dose over a period of time.

Read on for a list of drugs that can be dangerous if taken abruptly.

1. Baclofen

Belonging to the group of muscle relaxants, baclofen is used to treat muscle spasms in people with spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis (MS). Withdrawal from this drug can occur from injectable or oral dosage forms.

Withdrawal symptoms can include fever, weakness, nausea and worsening muscle spasms. Withdrawal symptoms from injectable dosage forms tend to be more severe, can cause hallucinations, delirium, and seizures. If left unchecked, it can even cause death, as explained on the GoodRx Health page.

If you are prescribed baclofen, oral or injection, do not stop the medication suddenly.

2. Clonidine

Clonidine is a drug for high blood pressure, although it is not the first choice. It is also used off-label for other conditions, such as nicotine dependence, opioid withdrawal, or tic disorders.

Stopping it suddenly can cause a spike in stress hormones, especially norepinephrine (noradrenaline). This can lead to a situation of very high blood pressure known as the “rebound hypertension” effect. Before stopping clonidine, talk to your doctor about how to safely lower your dose.

3. Propranolol and other blood pressure medications

Propranolol treats many heart conditions, including high blood pressure, chest pain, and atrial fibrillation. These drugs may also protect the heart after a heart attack. Other approved uses for propranolol not related to the heart include tremor, specific tumors of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma), and migraine prevention. Sometimes this medication is also used off-label for performance anxiety.

Propranolol belongs to the class of beta-blocker drugs. Stopping beta-blockers can cause withdrawal symptoms, including higher blood pressure, chest pain, anxiety, fast heartbeat, and heart attack.

Stopping blood pressure medication suddenly can be dangerous because it can cause your blood pressure to rise rapidly. The drugs in question include amlodipine, losartan, and spironolactone.

4. Opioid pain medications

Codeine, morphine, and hydrocodone are opioids that doctors prescribe to treat pain. If someone has been taking it for months in substantial doses, when stopping it, that person will experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those seen in people who use heroin, as described on the Reader’s Digest page.

Restlessness, anxiety, diarrhea, and general pain are just a few of the withdrawal symptoms that you may experience when you stop using opioids suddenly.

If you are being prescribed an opioid for the first time, ask about alternatives. Opioids are just one of many pain medications that doctors often avoid.

5. Prednisone and other corticosteroid drugs

Prednisone is a corticosteroid drug that can treat many medical conditions, including allergies, certain skin conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers, and kidney conditions.

If you have been using this medicine for more than a week, you may experience withdrawal side effects if you stop it suddenly. This can cause the adrenal glands to stop working. The adrenal glands produce many hormones that help the body function normally.

Stopping prednisone can cause symptoms such as weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

6. Venlafaxine

Venlafaxine is in the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class of drugs, which is used to treat depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

Venlafaxine has a shorter half-life than many antidepressants, meaning it leaves the body quickly. Because of this, stopping venlafaxine suddenly can shock the body and cause withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, nightmares, headache, and a tingling sensation in the skin (paresthesias).

The doctor may recommend that the dose be decreased slowly. According to studies, the dose was reduced by 75 mg weekly until the drug was discontinued. Occasionally, the dose may need to be decreased over several months to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

7. Gabapentine

Gabapentin is approved to treat seizures and nerve pain. It is also used off-label to treat withdrawal symptoms in alcohol use disorders. Again, this drug should not be stopped suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as 12 hours after stopping it.

Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms occur more frequently in people who are taking high doses of this drug or in people who take it for a long time. Symptoms to watch out for include difficulty sleeping, agitation, anxiety and restlessness, fatigue, sensitivity to light, headache, sweating, dizziness, nausea, irritability, irregular heartbeat and pain.

In people who are taking gabapentin for seizures, stopping it may cause the seizures to return or get worse.

8. Paroxetine

Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of drugs to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and social anxiety disorder.

Like venlafaxine, paroxetine has a short half-life. It is one of the SSRIs most likely to cause withdrawal symptoms.

If stopped suddenly, nausea, headache, dizziness and vertigo, flu-like symptoms, anxiety, confusion, irritability, and sleep disturbances (such as excessive dreaming or insomnia) may occur.

9. Topiramate

Topiramate has been approved to treat epilepsy and help prevent migraines. Additionally, topiramate is one of two medications in Qysmia (phentermine and topiramate) used to help with weight loss. Additionally, topiramate is also used off-label to treat alcohol use disorders.

Withdrawal symptoms can appear when use is stopped suddenly. The biggest risk is that the seizures can get worse.

10. Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are used for symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks. This medication is also used off-label for a variety of medical conditions including insomnia and alcohol use disorder.

If use is stopped suddenly, withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, may occur. Seizures can occur immediately after the drug is stopped, or they can occur several days later.

Other benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms can include headache, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping and nightmares, irritability or agitation, tremors, muscle pain and stiffness, confusion, delirium, and hallucinations.

Withdrawal is more likely if you are taking high doses of benzodiazepines, or if you have been taking them for a long time.

11. Eye drops for glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by a buildup of fluid in the front of the eye, which can damage the eye’s optic nerve which is necessary for vision.

Eye drops from a doctor can help reduce pressure in the eye. However, some people get tired of instilling drops in the eye and the eye pressure will return to normal. If the pressure from the fluid buildup continues, it can further damage the eye’s optic nerve and potentially lead to future blindness.

12. Treatment for thyroid

People with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) need medication to regulate their thyroid hormone production, which helps control metabolism.

According to Reader’s Digest, people with hyperthyroidism who stop taking their medication can trigger “thyroid storm,” a life-threatening condition accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, fever, fainting, and if left untreated, coma.

That’s the type of drug that can be dangerous if its use is stopped suddenly. Stopping it can cause withdrawal symptoms that make you feel worse than when you started the medication. Always talk to your doctor first before stopping taking any prescription medication, whether those mentioned above or any prescription medication.

Withdrawal symptoms are often more severe if you have been taking higher doses of medication for a long time. Blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and opioid medications are just a few examples of medications that need to be tapered off rather than abruptly discontinued. Talk to your doctor for a plan for slow, safe discontinuation if possible, to avoid adverse or even potentially harmful effects.