Summary
- Opioids are narcotics used to manage pain.
- Long-term use can help or hurt people with pain. Long-term use of opioids can cause physical, emotional, and social problems.
Health experts have tried for a long time to find helpful and safe drugs for chronic pain. One challenge is that chronic pain is complicated. Physical feelings of pain create bad emotions, like fear or stress. Bad emotions cause physical changes, like tight muscles or poor sleep. These changes make more pain. This is called a pain cycle, and it is hard to treat or escape. The other challenge is that people with chronic pain need treatments for a long time. Sometimes, drugs that are safe for short-term use are not safe for long-term use. This is true for opioid pain drugs.
What are opioids?
Opioids are a type of narcotic pain drug. People have used opioids to treat pain for hundreds of years. Heroin is an illegal opioid. Doctors do not use heroin to treat pain. Commonly used legal opioids include:
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet)
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
What do opioid pain drugs do?
Opioid pain drugs change the way the brain handles pain. They attach to parts of the brain called pleasure centers, creating a feeling of happiness or well-being. This is how opioids make people feel less pain. The pain signals are still there, but the drug makes pleasure stronger than pain.
Side effects
Opioids come with unwanted side effects. These effects include:
- Slow or stopped digestion
- Constipation
- Low sex drive or other sexual dysfunction
- Poor memory, concentration, and balance
- Slowed reflexes
- Uneven heartbeats called cardiac arrhythmias
- Slowed breathing
Opioids can even cause comas, seizures, and death. People develop more side effects the longer they use opioids. This is why opioids that might be safe for acute pain are not always safe for chronic pain.
Risks
Opioid pain drugs change the nervous system over time. The pleasure centers of the brain get used to the opioids. People need to take higher doses to get the same feeling. This is called drug tolerance. At the same time, the brain stops making the hormone that causes pleasure. This makes more pain. People can get stuck in this loop, especially people with chronic pain.
Opioids can cause physical dependence. That means the body needs the opioids to work properly. If it does not get the opioid, it will go through withdrawal and get very sick. In the early stages of withdrawal, people may experience:
- Nervousness
- Fear
- Muscle aches
- Tearing eyes
- Drooling
- Sleep problems
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Yawning
- Urination
- Defecation
In later stages, people may experience:
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Goose bumps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Physical dependency becomes addiction when using the drug interferes with life. Signs of this include:
- Missing work or school due to use of opioid pain drugs
- Changes in personality
- Emotional, behavioral, or physical problems
- Problems with social and personal relationships
- Taking more of the drug than the doctor prescribed
- Looking for opioid pain drugs from other doctors
- Obsession with using and getting the drug
- Getting into dangerous situations for the drug
- Craving only the high of the drug
- Continuing to take the drug when it interferes with daily life
Opioid addiction is widespread in the United States. More than 4 million people take opioid drugs that are not prescribed by their doctors. Almost a third of people with chronic pain become addicted to an opioid drug. People who become addicted to opioid pain drugs sometimes find that illegal drugs are less expensive.
Opioid pain drugs may help some people with chronic pain. But the side effects and risk of addiction are high. Doctors question whether opioid pain drugs help people with chronic pain enough to take that risk. Research on opioids and chronic pain may help doctors make that decision.
Resources
Academy of Integrative Pain Management
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
Nar-Anon
800-477-6291
Summary
- Opioids are narcotics used to manage pain.
- Long-term use can help or hurt people with pain. Long-term use of opioids can cause physical, emotional, and social problems.
Health experts have tried for a long time to find helpful and safe drugs for chronic pain. One challenge is that chronic pain is complicated. Physical feelings of pain create bad emotions, like fear or stress. Bad emotions cause physical changes, like tight muscles or poor sleep. These changes make more pain. This is called a pain cycle, and it is hard to treat or escape. The other challenge is that people with chronic pain need treatments for a long time. Sometimes, drugs that are safe for short-term use are not safe for long-term use. This is true for opioid pain drugs.
What are opioids?
Opioids are a type of narcotic pain drug. People have used opioids to treat pain for hundreds of years. Heroin is an illegal opioid. Doctors do not use heroin to treat pain. Commonly used legal opioids include:
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet)
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
What do opioid pain drugs do?
Opioid pain drugs change the way the brain handles pain. They attach to parts of the brain called pleasure centers, creating a feeling of happiness or well-being. This is how opioids make people feel less pain. The pain signals are still there, but the drug makes pleasure stronger than pain.
Side effects
Opioids come with unwanted side effects. These effects include:
- Slow or stopped digestion
- Constipation
- Low sex drive or other sexual dysfunction
- Poor memory, concentration, and balance
- Slowed reflexes
- Uneven heartbeats called cardiac arrhythmias
- Slowed breathing
Opioids can even cause comas, seizures, and death. People develop more side effects the longer they use opioids. This is why opioids that might be safe for acute pain are not always safe for chronic pain.
Risks
Opioid pain drugs change the nervous system over time. The pleasure centers of the brain get used to the opioids. People need to take higher doses to get the same feeling. This is called drug tolerance. At the same time, the brain stops making the hormone that causes pleasure. This makes more pain. People can get stuck in this loop, especially people with chronic pain.
Opioids can cause physical dependence. That means the body needs the opioids to work properly. If it does not get the opioid, it will go through withdrawal and get very sick. In the early stages of withdrawal, people may experience:
- Nervousness
- Fear
- Muscle aches
- Tearing eyes
- Drooling
- Sleep problems
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Yawning
- Urination
- Defecation
In later stages, people may experience:
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Goose bumps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Physical dependency becomes addiction when using the drug interferes with life. Signs of this include:
- Missing work or school due to use of opioid pain drugs
- Changes in personality
- Emotional, behavioral, or physical problems
- Problems with social and personal relationships
- Taking more of the drug than the doctor prescribed
- Looking for opioid pain drugs from other doctors
- Obsession with using and getting the drug
- Getting into dangerous situations for the drug
- Craving only the high of the drug
- Continuing to take the drug when it interferes with daily life
Opioid addiction is widespread in the United States. More than 4 million people take opioid drugs that are not prescribed by their doctors. Almost a third of people with chronic pain become addicted to an opioid drug. People who become addicted to opioid pain drugs sometimes find that illegal drugs are less expensive.
Opioid pain drugs may help some people with chronic pain. But the side effects and risk of addiction are high. Doctors question whether opioid pain drugs help people with chronic pain enough to take that risk. Research on opioids and chronic pain may help doctors make that decision.
Resources
Academy of Integrative Pain Management
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
Nar-Anon
800-477-6291
Summary
- Opioids are narcotics used to manage pain.
- Long-term use can help or hurt people with pain. Long-term use of opioids can cause physical, emotional, and social problems.
Health experts have tried for a long time to find helpful and safe drugs for chronic pain. One challenge is that chronic pain is complicated. Physical feelings of pain create bad emotions, like fear or stress. Bad emotions cause physical changes, like tight muscles or poor sleep. These changes make more pain. This is called a pain cycle, and it is hard to treat or escape. The other challenge is that people with chronic pain need treatments for a long time. Sometimes, drugs that are safe for short-term use are not safe for long-term use. This is true for opioid pain drugs.
What are opioids?
Opioids are a type of narcotic pain drug. People have used opioids to treat pain for hundreds of years. Heroin is an illegal opioid. Doctors do not use heroin to treat pain. Commonly used legal opioids include:
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet)
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
What do opioid pain drugs do?
Opioid pain drugs change the way the brain handles pain. They attach to parts of the brain called pleasure centers, creating a feeling of happiness or well-being. This is how opioids make people feel less pain. The pain signals are still there, but the drug makes pleasure stronger than pain.
Side effects
Opioids come with unwanted side effects. These effects include:
- Slow or stopped digestion
- Constipation
- Low sex drive or other sexual dysfunction
- Poor memory, concentration, and balance
- Slowed reflexes
- Uneven heartbeats called cardiac arrhythmias
- Slowed breathing
Opioids can even cause comas, seizures, and death. People develop more side effects the longer they use opioids. This is why opioids that might be safe for acute pain are not always safe for chronic pain.
Risks
Opioid pain drugs change the nervous system over time. The pleasure centers of the brain get used to the opioids. People need to take higher doses to get the same feeling. This is called drug tolerance. At the same time, the brain stops making the hormone that causes pleasure. This makes more pain. People can get stuck in this loop, especially people with chronic pain.
Opioids can cause physical dependence. That means the body needs the opioids to work properly. If it does not get the opioid, it will go through withdrawal and get very sick. In the early stages of withdrawal, people may experience:
- Nervousness
- Fear
- Muscle aches
- Tearing eyes
- Drooling
- Sleep problems
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Yawning
- Urination
- Defecation
In later stages, people may experience:
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Goose bumps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Physical dependency becomes addiction when using the drug interferes with life. Signs of this include:
- Missing work or school due to use of opioid pain drugs
- Changes in personality
- Emotional, behavioral, or physical problems
- Problems with social and personal relationships
- Taking more of the drug than the doctor prescribed
- Looking for opioid pain drugs from other doctors
- Obsession with using and getting the drug
- Getting into dangerous situations for the drug
- Craving only the high of the drug
- Continuing to take the drug when it interferes with daily life
Opioid addiction is widespread in the United States. More than 4 million people take opioid drugs that are not prescribed by their doctors. Almost a third of people with chronic pain become addicted to an opioid drug. People who become addicted to opioid pain drugs sometimes find that illegal drugs are less expensive.
Opioid pain drugs may help some people with chronic pain. But the side effects and risk of addiction are high. Doctors question whether opioid pain drugs help people with chronic pain enough to take that risk. Research on opioids and chronic pain may help doctors make that decision.
Resources
Academy of Integrative Pain Management
American Chronic Pain Association
(800) 533-3231
Nar-Anon
800-477-6291