Is it wrong to take prescription drugs?

Question

I have a prescription that should have been used up months ago but am still just taking them whenever I feel that I want one.
Do prescriptions ever expire? Is it wrong for me to be using it this way, I'm not abusing the drugs but I am using it some days to just mellow out or relax.

Answer 1

I know most people will tell you to follow the directions on the label, but as long as your not harming yourself (abusing the medication) and it is helping your condition, theres nothing wrong with it. I have a anxiety disorder. I used to take the medication daily but now I just take it when my anxiety starts acting up, or only for emergencys and it has made my life all the better. It takes a long time for medication to expire. After a long period of time they might not be as effective, but they still work. Its not like it turns into a poison pill after a few months.

Answer 2

Some medications do expire (or get less effective as time goes on).

Most painkillers/muscle relaxers last quite a while though - as long as they are kept in the bottle.

I usually have a few left over when I have dental work done that I keep in case I need something more powerful than an aspirin (though I usually avoid taking anything at all, with the exception of a daily multivitamin and a calcium pill). I've got a lot of friends that are addicted to pharmaceuticals, and will grind up and freaking snort the pills (yes, I have let them know they are idiots).

A little herb now and again is good for relaxing, and should definitely be legal. (Much better than alcohol, by a long shot).

Answer 3

Hopefully, you're just pulling our chain on this one.

However, just in case you're serious, the answer is - yes, you're taking the medication incorrectly. The instructions are on the label of the medication and you need to take the medication the way your physician prescribed it. You should only take medications prescribed to you and should not take meds prescribed to other people (in some cases it is illegal to do so). Medications do expire (the date it expires is also on the label).

If you're just taking a medication to "mellow out or relax", then you are abusing that medication. A medication that "relaxes" you are never prescribed to take whenever you feel like it. If you need an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication, they are only truly effective when taken regularly so that the blood level of the drug can be maintained. You need to be monitored by a physician as well.

If you still have symptoms that need to be managed, go back to your physician and discuss the situation with him or her. If you are taking someone else's prescription, stop now - see your physician if you have a medical condition that needs to be treated.

If you just want to get high or chemically "mellow out", I would recommend that you stop taking chemicals for that and try yoga and meditation, but that's your call.

Answer 4

Yes, prescriptions do expire. And self-prescribing is a very bad idea and dangerous. If you need to relax, try a cup of chicken soup and your favorite movie. If that doesn't work for you and you can't do without the prescription drugs, you've got a serious problem and need professional help.

Answer 5

I believe sometimes so prescriptions have a shelf life so that the pharmacuetical companies can make money. If you are taking anti-anxiety medication and you are useing for its purpose then it is not wrong. However, if you are using it to ge a cheap high they you are wrong. I have some anti-axiety medicine that says use as needed. Not all anti-aniexty medications are used for everyday usage.

Answer 6

If you don't have a problem, and are not harming others, there is nothing morally wrong with your decision.