BBC
Michael Main is receiving treatment for an addiction to over the counter medication
A Belfast man who is currently receiving treatment for an addiction to over the counter medication has warned others of the dangers they pose.
Michael Main said he started taking ibuprofen and codeine products around 12 years ago for pains in his legs and migraines.
He said his addiction had gotten so bad, he ended up in hospital to get operations for a perforated ulcer and to remove part of his bowel.
Consultant addiction psychiatrist Dr Joy Watson said addiction to over-the-counter drugs is “an increasing problem in Northern Ireland”.
‘Missed work for a month or two’
“It was the norm for me to be in and out of hospital all the time,” Mr Main told BBC News NI.
“I sort of put it to the back of my mind and at that point I was only using the medication to function to get through my day.”
He said he suffered from, “loss of weight, loss of appetite, no real drive and no real up and go”.
Mr Main admitted he kept what was happening a secret from most people in his life.
“I split up with my partner, she was the only one that really knew at the time, she tried to help as much as she could”.
His addiction also affected his career, “I maybe missed work for a month or two, I would take a lot of days of sick so I would”.
Dr Watson said: “What we do see is people who maybe start of using it [over-the-counter drugs] for genuine reasons and it helps them in the short term.”
“But they’re just using it more and more for longer than they should, maybe for reasons other than pain, to treat their emotions,” she added.
Dr Watson said some of their patients are taking 64 up to 120 tablets a day.
She said the accessibility of the medication “might make it hard for people to realise it’s a problem”.
Dr Joy Watson, consultant addiction psychiatrist within the Belfast Trust
‘Speak out and seek help’
Mr Main sought help earlier this year from the Belfast Trust’s Addiction Services.
He began receiving treatment for his addiction around five months ago.
“I go and get an injection once a month, that helps with the withdrawals and hopefully one day I’ll be able to come off it,” he said.
“I think only for the treatment I wouldn’t be here.”
Mr Main explained he “needed to hit rock bottom to seek that treatment”.
He encouraged anyone who was struggling with addiction to “definitely speak out and seek help”.
Katherine Kidd, head of professional services with Community Pharmacy NI
Katherine Kidd of Community Pharmacy NI urged anyone with concerns to speak to a pharmacist for advice.
“They’re highly trained health care professionals, they’re accessible and they’re medicine experts,” she said.
“I would encourage anyone who has a concern about taking a medicine that they’ve purchased over the counter, or anyone who is considering taking a medicine for the first time, to speak to their pharmacist first.
“It can be difficult for community pharmacies to detect this problem because we often see people will move around lots of different pharmacies to buy them,” she added.