Addiction rehabilitation is a process that is frequently hampered by obstacles. The primary objective of any addiction treatment procedure is to be sober and entirely abstain from the substance. However, some actions, events, and situations may cause a recovered addict to return to the harsh arms of addiction.
Medication is one significant hazard to a person’s hard-won sobriety. Over-the-counter drugs might send a person in recovery spiraling down the drain. You have a higher chance of avoiding relapse if you understand what causes it.
Maintaining Sobriety
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) believe that anyone who is addicted can live an entirely new life without the effects of alcohol and other drugs. When a person gets utterly reliant on a substance, staying away from it becomes problematic. That is why NA and AA emphasize the need to abstain from the substance to sustain sobriety.
Some people may find it simple to stay sober, while others may struggle. All of their efforts may be undone by a single hit or drink. Other items at home, like over-the-counter drugs, might disrupt addiction treatment.
Detoxification’s Role in Addiction Recovery
Detoxification is a critical component of your rehabilitation. Although time-consuming and strenuous, it removes chemical remnants from your system. The procedure allows your body to re-balance and recover; as someone who takes their recovery seriously, relapsing due to something as easy as OTC drugs would be terrible.
It would be preferable if you knew that some drugs should be avoided during rehabilitation. Being aware of these factors as a recovering addict can help you avoid damaging your recovery efforts.
Avoiding Medications During Recovery
Certain drugs should be entirely avoided while you continue your rehabilitation process. To be safe, we recommend you conduct your homework and visit a physician beforehand. According to Haven House Recovery, here are a few examples:
1. Prescription Medicine
When you see your doctor, you must disclose your addiction rehabilitation. It will allow your doctor to add this critical information to your medical records and prescribe appropriate drugs. Your doctor may also consult with your counselor or a specialist at the treatment institution.
There are prescription antidepressants and mood stabilizers that may help you control your mood while in recovery, but here are several to avoid:
- Relaxants for the muscles
- Sedatives
- Pain killers
- Stimulants
- Antidiarrheals
2. Colds and Allergies
You might be shocked, but certain antihistamines and decongestants can interfere with your recovery. That’s because some of these drugs can change your mood or sedate you, which can lead you down to a relapse. Your doctor will advise you on other options. Here are some cold and allergy drugs to stay away from:
- Loratadine
- Cetirizine
- Pseudoephedrine HCL with Fexofenadine HCL
- Phenylpropanolamine-Hydrocodone
- Pseudoephedrine
- Pseudoephedrine-Codeine
3. Sedatives
It is also critical to avoid sedatives for someone in addiction recovery, whether from drugs or alcohol. These medicines interact with the body’s central nervous system, increasing the chance of drug dependence and misuse. If you stop taking them suddenly, you may develop withdrawal symptoms.
Avoid the following sedative-hypnotics:
- Acetaminophen/Dichloralphenazone
- Methaqualone
- Carisoprodol
- Ethchlorvynol
- Zaleplon
- Meprobamate
4. Medications for Pain
Pain medication is critical for reducing pain intensity and making it bearable. Any pain reliever medicine poses a substantial risk to recovering addicts. Relapse and overdose are both potential fatalities in addiction rehabilitation. Opium is commonly included in psychoactive drugs and narcotics. However, failing to manage the discomfort will lead to a recurrence.
Physicians continue to struggle with prescribing pain medicines. Although they aim to assist a patient manage their pain, they do not recommend opioids or opium. Your doctor will have to decide if you need it for pain relief.
Here are some muscle relaxants and pain medications to avoid:
- Fentanyl
- Pethidine
- Opium
- Oxycodone/paracetamol
- Carisoprodol
- Hydrocodone
5. Stimulants
When you use stimulants, you risk becoming addicted physically and psychologically. These drugs will also impair your ability to study, see, hear, solve problems, and digest information quickly.
Here are several stimulants that you should avoid:
- Methylphenidate
- Phenmetrazine
- Phentermine
- Sibutramine
- Pemoline
6. Over-the-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter medicines are the easiest to avoid in recovery. OTC medications for ailments such as stomach flu, cough, allergies, and colds are safe for the general population but not for addicts in recovery. OTC medications include components that may impede your growth. Chemical substances with the same effects as addictive drugs may exist.
Your brain may be unable to discriminate between drugs and pharmaceuticals, resulting in persistent substance cravings. As a recovering addict, you should avoid the following OTC drugs:
- Dextromethorphan/Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine
- HCL diphenhydramine
- Pseudoephed-DM-Acetaminophen
- Intranasal oxymetazoline (nasal spray)
- Pseudoephedrine
Please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. Before using any OTC drug, we urge that you contact your doctor and the rehab facility’s personnel.
Key Takeaway
Recovery is a continual process laden with difficulties. It’s too easy to slip and slide back when coping with regular stress or among pals who take drugs or drink alcohol. Avoiding drugs that may interfere with your rehabilitation is one of these problems. Even if your doctor gives you medicine for a true purpose, the chemical makeup of the prescription might cause you to relapse.
Your recovery objective should be to live a healthy, clean life, and you must work hard and avoid everything that may lead you to relapse, including using certain drugs. But a successful recovery ultimately depends on you. Your body is still learning to operate without your substance of choice, and you are also mending from emotional issues. Call a professional for further guidance on treating your addiction.
