Black stripe medicines: what they are, what they are for and risks

Black stripe medicines are those that act on the brain, having a sedative, analgesic or stimulant action, presenting a greater risk of dependence and tolerance, and, therefore, contain on the packaging the phrase “Sold under medical prescription, abuse of this medicine can cause addiction.”

Black label medicines, also called controlled, psychotropic or narcotic medicines, such as morphine, codeine, alprazolam, clonazepam or sibutramine, are only sold with a blue or yellow prescription, which must be retained at the pharmacy.

These medicines are also more controlled by the Ministry of Health, because they have more side effects and contraindications than other medicines with a red label or without a label, and should only be used with medical advice.

What are worth for

Black stripe remedies are indicated for the treatment of various conditions, such as:

• Acute or chronic intense pain;
• Post-operative pain;
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);
• Weight loss;
• Epilepsy;
• Acute and chronic anxiety;
• Anxiety associated with depression;
• Panic Syndrome;
• social phobia;
• Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder;
• Depression;
• Vertigo;
• Insomnia.

Black stripe medicines act directly on the brain, causing a sedative, analgesic or stimulant effect, as they alter the levels of neurotransmitters in neurons, which are substances responsible for transmitting nerve impulses, and altering sleep, mood or behavior, for example .

What are the black stripe remedies?

Black stripe medicines are classified as psychotropic or narcotic medicines, which are also known as psychoactive medicines, which are a group of substances that act on the central nervous system, altering mental processes, emotions and behaviors.

The main black stripe medicines have a blue or yellow prescription, include:

Black stripe medicines are only sold with a prescription and retention of the prescription by the pharmacy.

Risks of using black stripe medicines

Black label medicines, as they act on the central nervous system, can cause dependence, especially when taken for a long period of treatment, causing the body to adapt to that substance in the medicine, leading to withdrawal when treatment is interrupted.

In this case, stopping the use of these medicines must be done with the guidance of the responsible doctor, reducing the dose gradually, so that the body adapts to the increasingly smaller doses, until the use of the medicine can be completely stopped.

Furthermore, another risk of using black-label medicines is tolerance, in which the body starts to need increasingly larger doses to obtain the desired effect.

Therefore, black label medicines are controlled by the Ministry of Health and sold only with a prescription, so they can be taken with medical advice, to avoid the risks associated with the use of these medicines.

Difference between black stripe and red stripe medicines

Red stripe medicines also require a prescription to be purchased, however, the prescription that is required does not need to be special. Furthermore, the side effects, contraindications and risk of dependence are not as serious as those of black-label medications.

Furthermore, medicines that do not have a label of any color do not require a prescription to be purchased, having a lower risk of side effects or having contraindications.

However, the use of medicines should always be done with medical guidance and indication, as self-medication can cause serious health risks, such as liver or kidney poisoning, hemorrhage, or even harm the baby’s development, if taken during pregnancy. . See all the risks of self-medication.