Drug Abuse in Nigeria: 20 everyday medications harming your health

In Nigeria, self-medication is rampant.

If you walk into any chemist or pharmacy, you’ll likely see people demanding specific drugs without a prescription. Nigerians have normalised the unsupervised use of over-the-counter and prescription medications for "small" illnesses like body pain, lack of sleep, stomach upset, or “toilet infection.”

Beneath all of this lies a silent epidemic of drug misuse, one that leads to organ failure, resistant infections, addiction, and even death. Here are 20 commonly abused drugs in Nigeria, how they’re wrongly used, and the dangerous long-term consequences of this habit:

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• Used for: Mild to moderate pain, fever

• Abuse: Taken for every slight headache, waist pain, or tiredness, sometimes several times daily.

• Side Effects: Liver overload may occur without visible symptoms until the late stages.

• Diseases: Silent liver damage, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, liver failure.

• Used for: Boosting immunity and healing

• Abuse: Chewed like sweets or taken in excess for glowing skin or general wellness.

• Side Effects: Increases stomach acid and kidney load.

• Diseases: Kidney stones, gastritis, stomach ulcers.

• Used for: Bacterial and parasitic infections

• Abuse: Commonly taken after unprotected sex or after using public toilets, without medical confirmation.

• Side Effects: Nausea, metallic taste, nerve problems.

• Diseases: Peripheral neuropathy, antibiotic resistance, severe diarrhoea (C. difficile infection).

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• Used for: Inflammation, menstrual cramps, headaches

• Abuse: Used casually for hangovers, mild headaches, and joint pain.

• Side Effects: Damages stomach lining, affects kidney function.

• Diseases: Stomach ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney disease.

• Used for: Arthritis, back pain, sprains

• Abuse: Swallowed for every waist, neck, or joint ache.

• Side Effects: Increases blood pressure, strains kidneys.

• Diseases: Hypertension, kidney failure.

• Used for: Bacterial infections like sore throat, pneumonia

• Abuse: Taken for colds, coughs, catarrh, most of which are viral, not bacterial.

• Side Effects: Allergy, rash, resistance

• Diseases: Drug-resistant infections, treatment failures, superinfections.

• Used for: Respiratory or skin infections

• Abuse: Used casually for “toilet infections” and typhoid without tests.

• Side Effects: Skin reactions, diarrhoea, resistance

• Diseases: Ineffective treatment, antibiotic resistance.

• Used for: Headaches, fever

• Abuse: Mixed with alcohol, soft drinks, as a “cleanser” or hangover cure.

• Side Effects: Blood thinning, stomach lining irritation

• Diseases: Peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding, and low blood clotting.

• Used for: Urinary and respiratory tract infections

• Abuse: Taken blindly for typhoid or toilet infections

• Side Effects: Severe skin reactions, reduced blood cell production

• Diseases: Stevens-Johnson syndrome, anaemia.

• Used for: Allergies

• Abuse: Used as a sleeping pill or weight gain booster

• Side Effects: Severe drowsiness, confusion

• Diseases: Memory loss, blurred vision, poor coordination.

• Used for: Suppressing severe cough and relieving throat irritation

• Abuse: Often misused as a recreational drug for its calming and euphoric effects. Frequently mixed with alcohol, soft drinks, or other substances to get high, especially among young adults.

• Side Effects: Extreme drowsiness, slow reflexes, slurred speech, constipation, dependency

• Diseases: Kidney failure, liver disease, respiratory depression, clinical depression, and addiction

• Used for: Skin infections

• Abuse: Rubbed daily or mixed with creams and oils for skin toning or baby skincare

• Side Effects: Skin thinning, fungal overgrowth

• Diseases: Steroid acne, permanent stretch marks, skin infections.

• Used for: Bloating, indigestion

• Abuse: Used frequently for “cleaning stomach” or after overeating

• Side Effects: High sodium levels, potassium drop

• Diseases: Hypertension, heart strain, metabolic imbalance.

• Used for: Moderate to severe pain relief, especially after surgery or injury

• Abuse: Widely misused by young people for “extra energy,” prolonged sex, or to stay high/alert. Often taken with alcohol, energy drinks, or mixed substances.

• Side Effects: Drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, dizziness, dependence

• Diseases: Brain damage, kidney failure, heart attack, respiratory depression, and long-term addiction

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• Used for: Treating erectile dysfunction in men with medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or age-related issues

• Abuse: Frequently used by young, healthy men to enhance sexual performance and often mixed with alcohol or energy drinks for casual sex or parties.

• Side Effects: Headaches, dizziness, nasal congestion, blurry vision, nosebleeds, heart palpitations

• Diseases: Heart attack, stroke, sudden collapse or death during sex, dangerously low blood pressure, especially when combined with alcohol or other medications

• Used for: Rehydration during diarrhoea, vomiting, or dehydration, especially in children and adults

• Abuse: Drunk daily as an “energy drink” or for fun, sometimes chilled or mixed with sweeteners for taste. Some people use it after workouts or when tired, even without fluid loss.

• Side Effects: Nausea, bloating, salty taste, electrolyte overload

• Diseases: High blood pressure, kidney stress or failure, fluid retention, especially in individuals with heart or kidney issues

• Used for: Treatment of confirmed uncomplicated malaria

• Abuse: Widely used for any fever, headache, or body pain without proper malaria testing. Many Nigerians assume every fever is malaria and self-medicate with this antimalarial.

• Side Effects: Bitter taste in the mouth, dizziness, nausea, liver strain

• Diseases: Liver damage, misdiagnosis of underlying illness, drug-resistant malaria (due to incomplete doses or unnecessary use)

• Used for: Pain relief, inflammation

• Abuse: Used for menstrual pain, general body pain

• Side Effects: Stomach bleeding, kidney load

• Diseases: Chronic kidney disease, peptic ulcers, bleeding tendencies.

• Used for: Stimulating appetite in underweight individuals, prescribed in cases of eating disorders or severe weight loss

• Abuse: Taken by young women to gain hips, thighs, and bigger buttocks for body enhancement. Often self-prescribed and mixed with heavy meals or other weight gain products.

• Side Effects: Constant sleepiness, abnormal and rapid weight gain, dizziness, low blood pressure

• Diseases: Liver enlargement, hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities, heart strain, and risk of fatty liver disease

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• Used for: Emergency contraception (within 72 hours of unprotected sex)

• Abuse: Taken repeatedly after every episode of unprotected sex, often used as a routine birth control method rather than in emergencies.

• Side Effects: Irregular menstrual cycles, breast tenderness, nausea, weight gain, and fatigue.

The abuse of common drugs in Nigeria is a ticking time bomb. While these medications are essential when used properly, misuse can be deadly. Self-medication might offer temporary relief, but it often leads to long-term harm.