OTC and Prescription Drug Abuse Slideshow Pictures Health Risks of Alcohol Abuse Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

If you recognize you have a substance abuse problem and want to quit, a doctor can refer you to community resources where you may receive formal diagnosis and treatment of a substance abuse problem. A doctor also may prescribe medications to control cravings and withdrawal or help manage medical complications resulting from substance abuse. Let your doctor know what drugs you use and how you take them. Call your doctor if you recognize any of the following symptoms:

• Mild tremors or an alcohol withdrawal seizure not accompanied by hallucinations or confusion
• Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
• Increasing abdominal girth
• Leg swelling
• Cough that won't go away
• Continuing feelings of sadness or depression
• Pain at an injection site
• Fever
• Chest pain

If any of the following occur, call 911 or go to a hospital's emergency department immediately:

• Thoughts of harming yourself or others
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, or lightheadedness
• Severe abdominal pain
• Confusion or ongoing hallucinations
• Severe tremors or recurrent seizures
• Difficulty speaking, numbness, weakness, severe headache, visual changes, or trouble keeping balance
• Severe pain at an injection site (may be accompanied by redness, swelling, discharge, and fever)
• Dark, cola-colored urine
• Any suspicion that you were sexually assaulted while under the influence