A senior pharmacist has issued a stark warning that millions of Britons are effectively playing Russian roulette with their health, trapped for years on prescription medications with potentially devastating side effects.
Deborah Grayson, a pharmacist with three decades of experience, cautions that patients are frequently left on drugs they no longer require or receive no guidance on how to stop them safely. She describes an epidemic of long-term prescribing without adequate review within the NHS.
The Hidden Dangers of Common Medications
Ms Grayson highlights how pressure on the health service and a culture seeking quick fixes has led to more medications being prescribed than ever before. Every drug carries risks of side effects, dependence, and withdrawal, yet these are often accepted without question by both patients and doctors.
This blind reliance on medication represents a ticking time bomb for public health, according to the expert. She urges patients to proactively demand conversations with their GPs about whether their prescriptions remain necessary and to explore safer alternatives.
Seven Medications Demanding Scrutiny
1. Codeine and Opiate Painkillers
Addiction to opiate painkillers like codeine can develop in just three days. These medications, including co-codamol, Nurofen Plus, and stronger prescriptions like tramadol, are converted to morphine in the body.
Long-term use creates more opiate receptors, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect. Withdrawal causes severe symptoms including sweating, digestive issues, muscle pain, restlessness, and anxiety. Tramadol is particularly difficult to stop, with some users reporting sensations like spiders crawling under their skin.
2. Statins
While statins can be life-saving for men who have experienced heart attacks, their benefit for purely preventative use in otherwise healthy individuals is far less convincing. The protective effect appears even smaller for women.
Beyond well-known muscle pain and fatigue, statins can trigger type 2 diabetes and, in rare cases, cause rhabdomyolysis - a catastrophic muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney failure. Liver inflammation and memory issues are also recognised risks.
3. Antidepressants
Antidepressant prescribing has reached extraordinary levels in the UK, with approximately 23 million items prescribed to seven million patients between April and June 2025.
While valuable during acute crises, their risks are routinely underestimated. Side effects include nausea, headaches, sleep problems, weight gain, diabetes, and gastric bleeds. Many patients experience severe withdrawal symptoms including electric shock sensations, dizziness, and crushing anxiety when attempting to stop.
4. Gabapentin and Pregabalin
Prescribed for nerve pain and fibromyalgia, these drugs can cause severe drowsiness, balance problems, concentration difficulties, weight gain, and memory impairment. Both are now controlled substances due to their potential for misuse and addiction.
Withdrawal can be brutal, lasting weeks or months, with symptoms including severe anxiety, agitation, restlessness, and irregular heartbeat. Tapering must be done slowly under medical supervision.
5. Steroid Creams
Used for eczema and psoriasis, steroid creams are often prescribed for longer than recommended without follow-up. Long-term risks include skin thinning, increased infection susceptibility, and topical steroid withdrawal (TSW).
When patients reduce or stop steroids, their skin can react violently with redness, burning, and intense itching - sometimes worse than the original condition, trapping them in a vicious cycle of dependence.
6. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
Among the most commonly prescribed drugs for heartburn and acid reflux, PPIs like omeprazole work by shutting down stomach acid production. Long-term use can cause deficiencies in vitamin B12 and magnesium, triggering anaemia, memory loss, seizures, and muscle spasms.
Stopping PPIs often causes rebound heartburn worse than original symptoms, leading many to believe they need continued treatment. Over 25% of patients have no registered diagnosis for their PPI use.
7. Laxatives
Stimulant laxatives, while effective short-term, can make the bowel lazy with long-term use, creating dependency. Many patients remain on them for months or years without medical review.
Short-term side effects include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, and bloating. Simple dietary changes and increased hydration could break this cycle for many sufferers.
Taking Control of Your Medication
Ms Grayson emphasises the critical importance of regular medication reviews. If you have been taking any medication for months or years, it is vital to reassess its benefits versus potential harms with your GP.
No one should remain on pills indefinitely without a clear plan for review and potential discontinuation. The pharmacist, who shares advice on TikTok as The Godmother of Pharmacology, urges patients to become proactive participants in their healthcare decisions rather than passive recipients of long-term prescriptions.
