Getting hooked on the narcotics?

[flowerangela]

Ever since i've been taking the narcotic pain meds for my pain (percoset) ...my family is afraid i'm going to get "addicted" to these pills. theres not much else an icer can do for severe,almost everyday pain relief right?

[ICNDonna]

You may become dependent on your pain medications --- and you my need to work with your doctor to gradually wean away from them when they are no longer needed, but we have to do what we have to do to live a life. As long as you're working with your doctor and taking the meds as ordered, please don't worry.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[Tuckersmom]

I agree with Donna!

[mary124]

I have to agree with Donna. This is what helps me keep going at work when I get a lot of pain.

[plmokn]

While I do not take narcotics regularly, I do take them when necessary and started out very afraid to do so. I talked extensively to my doctor and to a pharmacist about my concerns which made me feel much better. I would recommend doing the same. When I talked with them they both told me the same thing, one it is better for your body to take the narcotic than to take so much tylenol and advil and that as long as I am taking them as prescribed and for actual pain I should not worry at all. Again if you have concerns both of these people are great resources.

[flowerangela]

thanks.

[playethic]

Opiates, pain, addition & evidence

Hi Angela

I found the research pretty convincing that unless pain patients have a history of addictive behaviour, the risk is very low of them becoming addicted to opiates/narcotics.
I found it really helpful to read & become informed about these studies, to help reassure about any addiction concerns. You might find it helpful too?

There are also some biases - I thought this excerpt from one study was pretty insightful & surprisingly patient-centred!

In certain circumstances drug-seeking behaviour may
falsely appear to indicate the presence of addiction.
Therapeutic dependence (Miotto et al., 1996; Portenoy,
2004) may be present in chronic pain patients receiving
adequate relief by opioids who are hoarding opioid
analgesics to ensure that he or she continues to receive
adequate pain control by ‘‘building up’’ a reserve of opi-
oids (Compton et al., 1998). Such hoarding behaviour
may also be found in other groups of patients, such as
diabetics, who are dependent on insulin or in patients
with angina, who obtain relief from nitro-glycerine.
While ‘‘insulin-seeking’’ behaviour by diabetics may
seem appropriate, opiate-seeking behaviour by pain
patients are likely to be mislabelled as addictive.

Pseudoaddiction is a related phenomenon and results
also in ‘‘drug-seeking’’ behaviour (Weissman and Had-
dox, 1989). Pseudoaddiction may occur in chronic pain
patients, who are prescribed sub analgesic doses of opi-
oids. These behaviours may include drug-seeking behav-
iour, medication taken in larger amounts than
prescribed, running out of medications prematurely,
family concerns about the prescriptions, and withdrawal
symptoms (Sees and Clark, 1993). These behaviours are
not due to addiction, but reflect under-treatment of
pain, and consequently adequate pain relief eliminates
the abnormal behaviour.

Here's the full link to that study - https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=h...i/P0607563.pdf

This other study showed how medical residents' biases about opioid prescription for pain patients shifted one they received more education about the facts. Families can be re-educated too

I also came across this eyebrow-raising thing. I had assumed that dr.'s who were opposed to prescribing opiate for patients suffering with pain were behind the times, that they just weren't up on the literature. But this is from 2009, and it's clinical guidelines for psychiatrists advising moving in the opposite direction. I think it's infuriating and insulting and dangerous -- it offers no suggestions for how patients are supposed to get through agony if they are denied painkillers. To me it seems that means they are implying the pain is somehow a choice. Very yikes. Thankfully much of the medical profession is progressive about pain. As some pain sites point out, veterinary students get more training about pain management than do medical students.

Lisa

[jenjen05]

flowerangela,

According to my pain management doctor, patients that truly have chronic pain are not referred to as "addicts" but rather as "dependent" on the drug(s).

There is WAY more that can be done for your pain then Percoset! Plus, Percs are cut with Tylenol, so if you are going to be on them long-term you should discuss the effect of the daily use of Tylenol on your liver and kidneys with your doctor.

Good luck!

[floridamom]

I worry about this same issue ALL the time. But when I come on here I am always brought back to realit that we are ALL in pain. I am not seeking drugs, I am seeking pain relief. Yes your body gets physically addicted to the pain meds, it happens over long term use, however we arent out trying to "score" on street corners to get high. We are merely trying to control a chronic pain problem from this stupid disease!!! I go to see my uro in a few weeks & plan on asking him for a referral to a pain mgmt doc as my family feels the same way..they think I will become an "addict". When I try to explain that its my body that is addicted, not my brain they just dont get it. They think I should pop a tylenol & go about my day...sigh.