Download Are Pain Meds Addictive? - Bluewater Wellness Team

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Are my pain medications addictive?
by Deirdre Kohley, RPh
If you are in severe pain, properly prescribed narcotic pain medications may have a place in your healing
process. They suppress your perception of pain by reducing the pain signals from your nervous system
to your brain and can be habit forming. Some people become addicted to opioids easily and some not at
all; but the temporary euphoric feeling can lead to a psychological addiction even when a physical
addiction is not present. It is important to note that the opioid drugs do cause brain changes and that
drug overdoses of narcotic painkillers can be deadly.
Methadone, oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, buprenorphine, hydrocodone are some of the generic
names of opioid analgesics. There are other medications for pain relief, such as tramadol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can decrease pain sensation and may appear to be safer
alternatives.
Statistically, Americans are overmedicated. Typically limiting narcotic use for pain relief to 14 days or
intermittently, less than 3 months, reduces the incidence of addiction as well as other risk factors. If
there is a family history of substance abuse or trauma, smoking or other behaviors, the likelihood of
dependence increases among all populations.
There are side effects to narcotic pain relievers, and many are due to the actions on the opioid receptors
in the brain and in the gut. The attachment to the receptors reduces pain but also creates that feeling of
euphoria, and the interaction with the brain’s reward system reinforces the continued desire for the
drug. That same system can be irreversibly damaged and create difficulty finding pleasure in normal life
when narcotics are abused for an extended period. The most common and known side effects are
drowsiness, dizziness, decreased reaction time, itching, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Check out
webmd for a more complete list and understand why it is important to limit the use of narcotic
medications.
A lesser known side effect of opioids is that ongoing use may lower testosterone in men. While it’s been
known that opioid use can cause sexual dysfunction there are more studies needed. The length of
treatment and the type of formulation of the narcotic medication may have a bearing on the disruption
of the endocrine system.
Chronic pain is significantly higher in certain populations and the management of that pain is a problem
for both the patient and the clinician. Methadone for pain relief can have a stigma attached as it is used
in treatment for heroin addicts or other narcotic addiction. The doses are different for chronic pain and
the side effect profile is better than some other narcotics.
Copyright © 2016, Bluewater Wellness
17212 Van Wagoner Road, Spring Lake, MI 49456
Are my pain medications addictive? - by Deirdre Kohley, Rph
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The psychological dependency components need to be addressed while preparing to discontinue long
term narcotic use. Stepdown tapering is one approach that physicians use to lessen the withdrawal
symptoms while using cognitive behavioral therapy for the mood disorders that can arise.
Acute and chronic pain can be treated in a number of creative ways. Vitamin D for back pain has been
shown to improve symptoms considerably when dosed appropriately. It is thought that a deficiency in
Vitamin D can cause osteomalacia (softening of bone surfaces) and that can cause mild to severe pain.
Check out the article (google the title) by Dr. Mercola, “19 Non-Drug Solutions for Pain Relief”. He writes
about some great techniques that can be easily implemented like diet, EFT (emotional freedom
technique), physical manipulations, supplements and grounding to ease and eliminate pain. Talk to your
health care professional about getting to the root cause of your discomfort to find solutions that work
long term.
Copyright © 2016, Bluewater Wellness
17212 Van Wagoner Road, Spring Lake, MI 49456