15 Common Drugs Ghanaians Abuse, Their Side Effects

Drug use goes beyond the realm of street drugs. The most commonly used drugs in the Ghana are legal medicines, which can be found in stores and on prescription. But some can get really addictive and even deadly if they’re not used properly.

Drugs are well packaged, crafted marked made Indonesia, China, etc. and sold in our pharmacies, but the right origin is someone’s uncertified, unverified pharmaceutics drugs producer.

Make sure your loved ones are safe. after a medicine has been prescribe and bought thinking of saving the person, but still pass on. because it was just a well packaged powder not the right medicine.

This guide will assist you in identifying some frequently misapplied medications. All pills and tablets aren’t shown because they come in different forms. The scale of the drug pictures is off.

1. DICLOFENAC

A lot of people pop these pills for pains, menstrual pains, and bone pains, the so-called “RHEUMATISM”

•  Dangers

READ: How to get your Banned WhatsApp Account Restored in 72 Hours (Based on Experience)

In the long run, Diclofenac use can cause:
Ulcers
Internal bleeding
Heart attack
Stroke in the Brain
Liver damage
Kidney damage

2. POSTINOR

This is now like TomTom in people’s purses and bags.
A common oral contraceptive used by sexually active women to prevent pregnancy

•  When misused, it can cause:

Abnormal menstruation
Painful menses
Bleeding
Hair loss
Headache
Increased chances of breast cancer.

3. FELVIN

The drug is Piroxicam. It belongs to a class called NSAIDs (just like Diclofenac)
It is used during menstruation for menstrual pains by a lot of women

️ Misuse can cause
– Ulcer
-Hypertension
-Hearing problem
-Kidney damage
Problems with the Pancreas
-Liver damage.

4. COUGH SYRUP

You will wonder why cough syrups are a bestseller in pharmacies, especially the ones with Codeine.
Has various constituents, but a lot of people take it like Fanta & mix in drinks

• Some dangers:

Psychiatry problems like hallucinations and delusions
-Addiction
– sudden death

5. IBUPROFEN

Common pain meds are taken by a lot of people.
This is among the Common drugs elderly use when they say they have “Rheumatism”

• Misuse can cause

-Internal bleeding
-Hypertension
-Heart attack
It can trigger an asthmatic attack
-Kidney failure
Increases your risk of Abortion (controversial)

6. COFFEE

Coffee contains caffeine. It has become like daily water for some people.
Executives, students & anyone who wants to stay alert have experimented

• Long-term use can cause:

– hypertension
– sleep problems
Anxiety
Headache
Abnormal beating of the heart
Not safe in pregnancy

READ: Free SHS is expensive – Parents bemoan as over 137,000 students fail to report to school due to lack of funds

7. TETRACYCLINE

Common  drugs, this one is Doxycycline, a lot of people admitted to using it for ‘toilet infection'(so called) and abortion

•  Misuse can cause:

-Liver damage
-Skin problems
-Hearing problem
It crosses the Placenta and damages the baby’s bone and teeth
A No No if you’re pregnant.

8. VITAMIN C

It might look like that small orange pill or sweet white pills. It is like chewing gum for some people

•  Some dangers:

Excess and overdose of it can increase your chances of having a kidney stone, which can damage the kidneys.
Especially when one has a background kidney problem.

9. PARACETAMOL

One of the most available painkillers, with Ghc1, you can get it.
Some people even use it in cooking meat to make meat tender. So wrong. those common drugs are made in non appropriate environment, and have been mix with the recommended ones.

• When Paracetamol is overused, it can cause:

Liver damage
Kidney damage.
Careful with paracetamol in children

10. FLAGYL

This common drug  is one of the most abused antibiotics. People pop it like candy bars. Any small diarrhea

•  Some side effects if abused

– can reduce the blood cells count
– can damage the brain and nerves
Not the best safe early in pregnancy
controversial link to Cancer in Animals.

11. ALABUKUN

Powder contains aspirin and caffeine. This type of common drugs, a lot of people use it for pain relief, especially bricklayers and heavy-duty workers

•  Some Dangers if abused

-Ulcers
-Bleeding
-Liver damage
-Kidney damage
Heart attack
Hypertension.
Abusing these common drugs could even cause bleed to death

12. AMPICLOX

It contains ampicillin and Cloxacillin. It is now a drug people run to ‘flush’ their system after sex, abortion, or treating so-called Toilet infections

• Dangers

Dangerous in people with penicillin allergy.(Bad reactions)
– Seizures
Damage the muscles
Kidney problems.

13. CYPROHEPTADINE

Common brand is Cypri Gold. People have abused it because it can stimulate appetite in a bid to gain weight.

• Dangers

Can affect blood cells
Damage the liver
Cause poor sleep
Abnormal hand shaking
Ringing in ears
Mess your menses up
Low blood pressure.

14. LEXOTHAN

One of the most abused drugs by Nigerians in a bid to get good sleep. It sedates

•  Dangers of abuse

It can be addictive
Dizziness and memory problem,
Reduce libido,
Liver damage,
Stopping it suddenly after long abuse is also dangerous. (See a Doctor to guide you)

15. TRAMADOL Drug

Tramadol is a common dug that meants to be a tightly regulated drug, but sadly, in Nigeria, even with 50 naira, you can get it on the streets

•  Dangers

MORE STORIES: CAGD Salary Payment | The Controller set payment dates for 2024

Addiction can cut off your breathing
Seizures
Seeing things not there, Headache, Anxiety.

Kindly take note, please, leave a comment. Let’s know if you have any additional information. Let’s all help !