Dependency on over-the-counter and prescription drugs has increased in the United States, causing complications and even death.

According to a 2004 study by San Diego news station 10News, one in five teens has abused pain medicine, one in 10 has abused stimulants and one in 11 has abused cough medicine.

Denise Denton, lecturer in health and human performance and prevention specialist for the Youth & Shelter Services in Ames, said she has received numerous phone calls in the past few years from parents asking how over-the-counter drugs can affect teens.

The ready availability of the medicine increases the concern, she said. The problem could be growing because Americans have nurtured a quick-fix society: If the pills don’t give immediate relief, the answer is to take more pills.

“Where people get into trouble with over-the-counter medicines is either a) they don’t read the directions, or b) they don’t follow the directions,” Denton said.

She also said people are also increasingly becoming their own doctors, self-medicating and not realizing the effects of taking too many pills.

“[An over-the-counter drug] never cures something,” Denton said.

“It only masks or relieves symptoms. That’s its job.”

According to research by the University of Washington, 48 percent of patients studied had unintentionally overdosed on Tylenol.

Another danger of aspirin is that it reacts very badly with alcohol and can create a toxic effect, Denton said. If aspirin is taken after drinking alcohol, the body will metabolize the alcohol first, letting the aspirin sit longer.

Taking too much Tylenol can lead to liver failure or cause gastritis and ulcers.

Triple C, which is slang for Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold, also presents a threat by making people hallucinate quickly if they take too much of it.

Marc Shulman, staff physician at Thielen Student Health Center, said common medicines that people grow dependent on include nasal sprays, narcotic painkillers, stimulants and anxiety relief drugs like Valium or Xanax.

“When used correctly, they are safe,” Shulman said. “When they are used incorrectly, it’s more difficult to monitor.”

Prescription drugs are, however, becoming easier to track through the use of computers, he said.

One telltale sign of drug dependency is making trips to different doctors to get prescription medicines that are needed.

Another sign of drug addiction is the inability to perform everyday tasks.

“They can’t do their normal routine without taking the medication,” Shulman said.

Student Counseling Service, Thielen Student Health Center and Center for Addictions Recovery can help with drug addiction issues.

Patients should consult a pharmacist when changing prescriptions to avoid mixing medications and causing negative side effects.