Prescription painkillers have advantages and people who take them under the full supervision of a licensed medical professional receive those benefits and are consistently able to manage the negative side effects with the help of their doctor. However, those who use prescription painkillers recreationally don’t have that benefit and will, instead, have their lives succumb to many of the negative side effects. When you can see your way clear to kicking the habit, your life will change, often in surprising way. When you have sought treatment and are ready to reap the recovery benefits, call Narcotics.com at 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) to get started.

Your sleep schedule will get back on track

Prescription painkillers have a tendency to make users feel fatigued. Over time, that feeling dissipates. But, the effect of the drugs on sleep never completely vanishes, leaving many users dependent on the drugs to regulate their sleep. Without them, a normal sleep schedule should reassert itself.

Your weight will change

Because prescription opiates depress a person’s hunger and thirst, you may lose weight during periods of addiction. Many people see that as a beneficial side effect, but it isn’t. The body has hunger and thirst urges for a reason and ignoring them isn’t healthy. As you cease abusing prescription pain killers, your body may take some time to return to normal, but it will be healthier when it does.

You may become less depressed

A study—”Prescription Opioid Analgesics Increase the Risk of Depression“—first published in 2013 found “the risk of development of depression increased as the duration of opioid analgesic exposure increased. The potential for depressogenic effect should be considered in risk-benefit discussions, and patients initiating opioid treatment should be monitored for development of depression.” The odds that painkillers cause depression are even greater when they are used without the oversight of a licensed professional and in excess.

You won’t die

In 2012, the CDC reported “Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States. The increase in unintentional drug overdose death rates in recent years has been driven by increased use of a class of prescription drugs called opioid analgesics. Since 2003, more overdose deaths have involved opioid analgesics than heroin and cocaine combined.” Even though the medication is legal, it isn’t safe to use randomly as part of an addiction.

You will have an easier time going to the bathroom

Opioid-induced constipation haunts people treating and managing pain under the eye of a doctor. When the doctor is removed and the painkillers are used habitually, changes in diet and laxatives may not be enough. You may need a prescription to help fix the constipation caused by the prescription meds being abused.

Your sex life will improve

For many people, sexual dysfunction is a side effect of medication. It can come in the form of sexual dysfunction, sexual desire disorder, orgasm disorder, sexual pain disorder or another uncomfortable, unwanted incursion on your sex life. When taken at a chronic level, prescription painkillers can make sex an impossibility.

You won’t move on to harder drugs

The National Institute on Drug Abuse writes: “Nearly half of young people who inject heroin surveyed in three recent studies reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. Some individuals reported taking up heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription opioids.” Prescription painkillers aren’t different than illicit drugs when they are being abused and the switch from one to another can be imperceptible.

When you are in recovery, you will feel tempted from time to time to return to using. Focusing on the benefits of sobriety (surprising or not) can prevent a relapse. If you need a little help focusing on the ways your life has changed in recovery, call Narcotics.com at 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) .