Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise. According to national statistics, more than 20% of Americans have used a prescription drug for other than it’s intended use. Many of these prescription medications are highly addictive.

This Rehabilitation Guide guide provides awareness to the top 10 highly addictive prescription drugs.

Codeine (Street name “Cody”, “Captain Cody”): This opium-based drug, or opioid, is a powerful pain medication. Codeine, like all opioids, can be ingested orally, crushed and snorted or injected. As a DEA-classified Class II drug, most codeine prescriptions cannot be refilled. A new prescription must be obtained.

Hydrocodone (Hydro, hillbilly, hi-C, juice): Another opioid, OxyContin is one of the most commonly-abused hydrocodone opioids. Quite a few deaths have been attributed to its abuse. This drug is several times more powerful than morphine.

Seconal (Barbs, reds, red birds, yellows): Seconal and other barbiturates are Class II drugs and considered highly addictive by the National Institute of Health.  Most prescriptions for Seconal and other barbiturates cannot be refilled.

Fentanyl (Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, jackpot, tango): According to the National Institutes of Health, this narcotic is 80-100 times more powerful than morphine. It is legally prescribed for those with chronic, intense pain. It is quickly addictive and often deadly to those who abuse it. Like codeine and Seconal, Fentanyl is a Class II drug and highly-addictive.

Morphine (M, Miss, Emma, monkey): This opioid is used to treat moderate and severe pain. It can be highly addictive for many users.

Lunesta (Loons, loonies, moons, roofies): This is a newer sleep aid similar to Ambien with similar affects. Abuse of Lunesta is on the rise as more become familiar with it.

Valium (Downers, sleeping pills, candy, mother’s little helpers): Valium has been around for decades as a sleep aid as well as for treatment of those with moderate to severe anxiety. It was one of the first prescription drugs to be widely abused.

Xanax (X, Z, candy, downers, tranks): In the same family as valium, Ativan, Halcion and Librium, this medication is prescribed to treat anxiety including panic attacks, depression and other mood disorders. Most physicians will not prescribe Xanax or related drugs to those with a history of addiction.

Adderall (Bennies, blacks, black beauty, crosses, LA turnaround, truck drivers, speed, uppers): The long list of nicknames shows just how popular this amphetamine has become as a recreational drug. It is abused by athletes, students, truck drivers and others addicted to the stimulant affect.

Ritalin (Jif, mph, r-ball, Skippy, vitamin R, the smart drug, smarties): This methylphenidate is often abused by teens and college students. Ritalin is one of the most-prescribed medications for the treatment of ADD because this stimulant increases alertness.  Adderall and Ritalin are both Class II drugs.

If you or someone you care about is abusing any of these prescription drugs, you should know that treatment options are available. Talk with your doctor or contact an addiction treatment center to learn more about overcoming addiction to these or other prescription drugs.

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