Sedative or sleeping-pill use disorders
Also known as: Disorders due to use of sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics, unspecified
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
Prescription drug misuse occurs when a medicine is taken in a different way than prescribed, such as taking someone else's medicine, taking a larger dose, taking it in a different way, or using it to get high. Misusing sedatives, tranquilizers, opioids, or stimulants can lead to addiction, which is a chronic brain disease that causes repeated drug use despite the harm it causes. Risk factors for prescription drug misuse include a lack of knowledge about the drug and its risks, a previous addiction to other substances, and certain mental health conditions. Treatment often includes counseling and medicines, while stopping or cutting back on these drugs after long-term use can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
What is prescription drug misuse?
If you take a medicine in a different way than your health care provider prescribed, it's called prescription drug misuse. It could be:
- Taking medicine prescribed for someone else.
- Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to.
- Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. For example, instead of swallowing your tablets, you might crush them and then snort or inject them.
- Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high.
Misusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. These include opioids, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants. Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease. It causes a person to take drugs repeatedly despite the harm they cause.
Who is at risk for prescription drug misuse?
Prescription drug misuse can affect anyone at any age, including teenagers and older adults. It can happen if you need certain medicines to treat a medical condition, reduce pain after an injury or surgery, or for chronic pain.
Risk factors can include:
- A lack of knowledge about the prescription drug and possible risks
- A previous addiction to other substances, including alcohol and tobacco
- Certain mental health conditions
What are the risks of prescription drug misuse?
Prescription drug misuse can have serious medical consequences. Every medicine has some risk of side effects, which providers think about when prescribing medicines. People who misuse these drugs may not know the risks. Some medicines may not be safe for them, especially at higher doses or when taken with other medicines.
What are treatments for prescription drug misuse?
Treatment for prescription drug misuse often includes medicines and counseling, but it depends on the type of drug and your needs.
The counseling may be individual, family, and/or group therapy. It can help you:
- Understand why prescription drug misuse began
- Learn how to change unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior
- Manage personal problems and develop positive relationships
- Learn how to manage cravings and avoid situations that could lead to a relapse
Stopping or cutting back on prescription drugs used for a while, may cause different symptoms for different drugs. This is called withdrawal. Your provider will work with you to manage the symptoms as your body gets used to being taken off the medicine.
How can I prevent problems with taking prescription drugs?
Providers and pharmacists play a role in preventing or reducing prescription drug misuse, but you can also take steps to reduce your risk.
A few ways to help reduce your risk and make sure that you are using any prescription medicines correctly include:
- Talk to your provider about any other prescription medicines, over-the-counter-medicines, and supplements that you're taking to see if it is safe to take the prescription drug with them.
- Follow the directions carefully and take medicine as prescribed. If you're taking prescription drugs for pain and it isn't working, don't stop or change the amount you're taking without talking to your provider.
- If your provider prescribes opioids, ask about the risks and benefits of taking the medicine, and if another medicine with less risk of addiction could be used.
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Next to it in ICD-10
- F10Alcohol use disorders
- F11Opioid use disorders
- F12Cannabis use disorders
- F14Cocaine use disorders
- F17Tobacco use disorders (nicotine dependence)
- F18Solvent (inhalant) use disorders
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Sedative or sleeping-pill use disorders?
F13 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Sedative or sleeping-pill use disorders?
6C44.Z: Disorders due to use of sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
About this page. This page brings together public information from official sources, each cited where it is used. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you which treatment to take.
Treatments. Indications are quoted unchanged from official product information (European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). They describe what a medicine is approved for, not whether it is right for you. Approved uses can differ between countries. Always read the package leaflet and follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice.
What people report. Figures marked "reported by Anpheros users" are anonymous counts from at least 20 people who agreed to share them. They show what people report, not what works, and they are not clinical evidence.
Links between terms. "May be associated with" means the link appears in a cited source. It does not mean you have that condition.
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