But, these drugs also have the potential to produce physical dependence, abuse, and addiction. Opioid drugs include heroin as well as medications available by prescription such as oxycodone and methadone. They can also affect the pleasure center of your brain, causing a sense of euphoria. When taken as directed, opioids can be very effective in relieving pain.
However, the body soon begins to develop a tolerance for the medication, so that the same dose of medication offers less pain relief. If you feel the need to take more of the drug than was prescribed to you — talk to your doctor!
Opioid overdoses happen when there are so many opioids overloading the body that the brain shuts down breathing. This happens because opioids fit into specific receptors in the brain that have an effect on breathing. The lack of oxygen from slowed or stopped breathing is the key dangerous aspect to an opioid overdose. Know what you are taking: Go to Drugs. Know the difference between short-acting, long-acting, and extended release. Extended release contains more of the drug and lasts longer.
Avoid mixing opioids with alcohol and other drugs: Do not mix opioid medications with alcohol or other drugs. Drugs with the same effects i. Know your tolerance: If you have a period of not taking your prescribed opioid and then start taking it again talk to your doctor first!
It may take less of the medication to have the same effect. Avoid using other than as directed: Prescription medications can take a long time to have their full effect. Keep this in mind if you think the medication is not working fast enough. What you can do if a friend is overdosing. Make an anonymous call to or your friend's parents if you're too scared to identify yourself. Make your friend wake up and talk to you.
Otherwise, your friend could suffer brain damage, fall into a coma, or die. Addiction can be a living death. If you abuse prescription pain relievers and are lucky enough to cheat death, you're still in big trouble. Prescription pain relievers can be addictive. The longer you take them, the more your body needs. Try to stop, and you could experience withdrawal symptoms. Addiction to prescription pain relievers is like being hooked on heroin and the withdrawal isn't much different: bone and muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes and insomnia.
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I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Before Taking. OTC Medications. Narcotic Painkillers. Frequently Asked Questions. Acetaminophen Warning High doses of acetaminophen can be toxic to your liver.
NSAID Warnings NSAIDs may cause a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke , high blood pressure , kidney or liver failure , ulcers and bleeding in the stomach or intestines, anemia , life-threatening skin reactions, and life-threatening allergic reactions. Public Health. Current Trends in Pain Management. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.
Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. It is important to be cautious when taking medication for pain.
In some cases, the treatment can pose more risk than the underlying cause of the pain. While not entirely free from the risk, you are less likely to become addicted to pain-relieving drugs when you take them exactly as prescribed. Still, many of these medications produce a "high" that can become addicting to some patients. There is also the risk of physical dependence.
Dependence is most likely to happen if a person takes a higher dose of their pain medication than they were prescribed or if the medication was improperly prescribed. Pain medication over-use sometimes called medication abuse or narcotic abuse is one of the most prevalent forms of drug misuse in the United States. One of the reasons for the prevalence is that pain medications are sometimes over-prescribed. For example, a person might not need such strong pain relief or a pain medication might be prescribed for longer than a person needs it.
Prescription opioid addiction has risen substantially over the last few decades. What begins as dependency can lead to seeking pain medications on the black market or using illicit opiates such as heroin.
The CDC reports that in , an average of 38 people died each day from prescription opioid overdoses. The epidemic has hit rural America as hard as it has the nation's cities. In response, multiple government agencies have created initiatives to curb the epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , the first line of defense is reducing the number of opioids that are prescribed. This initiative involves working with physicians and pharmacies to ensure that they only use powerful painkillers when absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, it is part of the nature of painkillers that they become less effective over time. This is partly because your body will adjust to the medication and develop a tolerance, which means your body will require higher doses of the drug to get the same effect. There are certain signs that your therapeutic use of opioids has crossed into the territory of addiction. Signs to be aware of include:. If you recognize these behaviors or are concerned about your use of pain medication, it's important to talk to your healthcare provider.
Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor's appointment. According to the NIDA , these are the top 10 most addictive pain medications that are currently available. Most of these drugs are prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, though some are intended for short-term use.
Note that this is not a complete list. There are other painkillers and prescription medications that can be addictive. More potent than morphine, fentanyl which is sold under the brand names Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze is most often prescribed to treat patients with severe or post-surgical pain.
It is also used for patients who have become physically tolerant of opiates. Fentanyl is available as a lozenge, injectable solution, or skin patch. While it can be legally prescribed by a doctor, the drug might also be obtained illegally.
Common street names for fentanyl include:. It has also become common for fentanyl to be used in counterfeit drugs or be cut into illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. This practice adds to the dangers of these drugs because users are often unaware that they contain fentanyl. OxyContin is a brand name for extended-release oxycodone.
It is taken as a tablet and is used as an around-the-clock treatment for patients with moderate to severe pain that is expected to last for an extended period of time. OxyContin is sometimes called O. Demerol is a brand name for meperidine. This pain medication is often used with anesthesia. Demerol is also used to treat moderate to severe pain such as that which can be experienced after childbirth.
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