Addiction Found Dead from Lethal
Cocktail of Drugs
By
Dr. Fourkan Ali
With prescription drug
addiction in the headlines recently after the death of pop legend Prince, more
stories of people affected by illnesses such as opioid and codeine addiction are emerging. Prescription drugs are commonly
abused by those who simply do not understand the damage they can do.
Others will develop deadly addictions to these
drugs and will be unable to stop taking them even if they want to. Experts have
revealed that strong medication should only be prescribed for a short period of
time while recent studies have shown that certain medications such as codeine
are ineffective for the treatment of back pain, which is something they are
commonly prescribed for.
Lethal Cocktail
A heartbroken mother has spoken out after the
inquest into the death of her daughter from a lethal cocktail of drugs in
December 2015. Natalie Gentle was a former beauty queen but developed an
addiction to prescription drugs, which ultimately led to her death.
Ms Gentle was a finalist in the ‘2007 Face of
Plymouth’ beauty pageant but after that, her life descended into a downward
spiral of drug addiction. Her mother has now spoken out and has blasted the
people who sold her the drugs as ‘animals’. Suzanna Gentle has also claimed
that her daughter’s cries for help went unanswered, resulting in the fatal
overdose.
Drug Addiction
Ms Gentle was struggling with a drug
addiction, and when her body was found it was surrounded by a syringe, pills,
and cannabis. Toxicology reports showed that the thirty-three-year-old had
taken a cocktail of drugs including cocaine, codeine, and morphine. This
combination of substances led to cardio-respiratory malfunction, which resulted
in death.
Ms Gentle had
previously been in court for charges relating to a heroin addiction, and police
had repeatedly raided her home. She was last seen alive by her mother on
December 16th, 2015. After that, despite repeated attempts
to contact her, Ms Gentle’s mother Suzanna was unable to. When Natalie failed
to make contact with her mother on December 21st, which was her birthday, police were called and after forcing
entry to her home, they found her dead in the living room surrounded by
evidence of an overdose.
Relapse
Mrs Gentle said her daughter had been clean in
the months leading up to her death, adding, “Natalie was not an animal – the
drug dealers are the animals. She was begging for help from her doctor for her
mental health. She had not taken drugs in months. She had taken an overdose
because no one would help her. Natalie had blood clots in her legs. She was in
so much pain.”
It is not uncommon for individuals to develop
devastating addictions to prescription drugs such as codeine or morphine.
Studies have shown that although those who misuse or abuse prescription
medication are more likely to become addicted, even those who take them as
prescribed over a longer period of time have an increased risk of developing a
tolerance.
Signs of Addiction
Ms Gentle took a combination of drugs that led
to her death, but many of the drugs she took can be dangerous by themselves.
Even codeine, which is an opioid drug but less strong than other opioids such
as morphine or oxycodone, carries the risk of addiction.
Those who misuse codeine are in danger of
developing a codeine addiction, which tends to begin when the individual builds
up a tolerance to the drug. As the body gets used to the effects of the
substance, it may feel as though the drug has no effect anymore. This often
happens with opiates and many users feel tempted to up their dosage or take the
drug more frequently than advised. If this behaviour continues, the user is
likely to become addicted without even realising. It is only when he or she
tries to quit that they will experience withdrawal symptoms and find they are
unable to stop taking the drug.
Codeine addiction is not uncommon here in the
UK. Tens of thousands of people have become dependent on a drug they took to help
with a particular illness or condition, and it can be difficult to break the
cycle.
Those who have become addicted to codeine may
find that they need to take more of the drug than they used to in order to get
the desired effect. They may experience a variety of symptoms including mood
swings fluctuating from extreme euphoria to crushing depression, decreased
appetite, fatigue, constipation, muscle twitches, nausea, vomiting, itching,
and dry mouth.
Behavioural signs of a codeine addiction
include lying to family and friends about the amount of the drug being taken,
visiting more than one doctor for more prescriptions, neglecting relationships
and activities, and resorting to crime in order to obtain drugs. Sadly, those
who are unable to get their hands on codeine from their doctor may resort to
street drugs such as heroin to satisfy their needs.
0 comments:
Post a Comment