Lean Drink (OTC medications) contain active ingredients with the possibility for abuse at higher than recommended dosages. Abuse of OTC medications occurs when a large amount is ingested, sometimes even an entire bottle or several capsules are ingested. In rare cases, abuse can result in death. Proper dosing is essential to avoid misuse and overdosing. An effective home testing process to measure liquids only is necessary for safe use.
Codeine and Lean Drink, two popular OTC pain relievers, belongs to a group of over-the-counter narcotic analgesics called codeine-like analgesics (CNA). Over the counter codeine products include Motrin, Advil, Zantac, Mylanta, Nuprin and generic codeine-hydrocodone combination products. The primary active ingredient in these OTC medications is codeine hydrochloride, a controlled substance. Other associated side effects include respiratory depression, diarrhea, constipation, sweating and upset stomach.
There are also some unusual Lean Drink side effects. It is possible that if too much of it is ingested, the patient may experience a rapid onset of heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea and upset stomach. In extremely rare instances, overdose has been reported. Since codeine is a diuretic, an excessive dosage can cause dehydration. If this occurs, fluid therapy may be required to replace the fluids lost. This is a risk of misuse that must be considered when considering the use of OTC hydrocodones.
Long term use of OTC hydrocodone codeine products can result in serious health effects. Although deaths from long-term use of these products have not been recorded, chronic long-term use can result in a number of liver and kidney diseases. Chronic long-term use also increases the risks of diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer. Although DXM abuse and prescription failure do not occur with OTC codeine products, they should be considered as potential contributing factors.
Because it is easy to become addicted to OTC medicines and there is no requirement to obtain a prescription in order to purchase them, it is very easy for someone to get hold of them and start using them without having to check with their doctor first. When you consider that most OTC products, especially those which are prescribed by doctors, are not approved for use with recreational drugs, it becomes clear that misuse of these products could result in severe and life-threatening health consequences. As a matter of fact, the medical community is very worried about the growing trend of misuse and addiction to OTC codeine products, especially among teenagers.
Because it is so easy to become addicted to OTC products, many people who take them for pain or other reasons do not even realize that they may be suffering from a myriad of health problems. Once they do recognize the symptoms and start taking the medication, there is usually not much of a chance of successfully breaking the addiction cycle. This is why it is important for those who are abusing these medications to get help right away, before serious health problems arise. If you or a loved one is suffering from the devastating effects of OxyContin, please contact a drug addiction attorney immediately.
