Pain is an unpleasant experience that cannot deny anyone. The causes of pain can be acute or chronic and have several underlying medical reasons. Finding the safest and most effective treatment or medication to manage pain can be a challenge for anyone.
Recently, opioid painkillers, also referred to as narcotics, have been a hot topic for our nation. This is because addiction and overdose are increasing at alarming rates and affecting communities everywhere. Awareness of this problem has increased the need for narcotic painkillers to have more limitations and specifications put on them. Opioids can have pain management benefits if restrictions are followed closely, but it is best to leave this medication as a last resort.
What are Opioid Risks?
Opioid painkillers are from the same family as other illegal narcotics, including morphine and heroin. They react with the brain by mimicking natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins. This reaction prompts the brain to turn down pain signals that are sent throughout the body and creates euphoric feelings. Continued use of an opioid can lead to tolerance, dependence, addiction, and overdose, which can have life-long consequences.
Reducing Risks
Reducing the risks that are associated with opioid painkillers start with research and discussion with your medical provider. Your provider can advise you on your concerns as they discuss your diagnosis, biology, and personal history, as they all play a role in the risks associated with opioid addiction and abuse.
Medical providers will often suggest using other pain medications unless the situation warrants the more powerful effect of a narcotic. When it is necessary to use opioids, it is recommended to start at the lowest possible dose, reduce the amount of time it is used, follow the prescribing physician’s instructions explicitly, and have frequent follow-up visits with the prescribing physician.
Key Points
Although pain is inevitable, finding the safest and most effective treatment to manage it, is vital to ensuring the quality of life. Using opioid painkillers may be necessary for short-term pain management or certain chronic conditions like cancer, but it is extremely important to follow the directions of the medical specialist that prescribed the medication. This will ensure that the risks associated with using narcotic painkillers will be reduced or caught before they become a lifelong problem.
Dr. Daniel Francis 