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When you’re in pain, you’re thankful to find relief. When that relief comes in the form of prescription pain medication, the relief may also come with a degree of fear.

Many people take pain medication for injuries, chronic pain, or after an operation, and fear they’ll become addicted to them. Their fear is somewhat justified. Sometimes addiction starts when the reasonable use of medicine to deal appropriately with real pain, gets off track. When someone is addicted to medication, they experience much more than a craving – it causes consequences that can derail a person’s job and life.

The fear of addiction may drive some people to not want to use pain meds, but poorly controlled pain can lead to serious issues as well.

People with untreated or uncontrolled pain tend to have a diminished quality of life, poor functional level, and even mood disorders like depression as well as an increased risk of suicide.

Before you let fear get the best of you, it’s important to know exactly what addiction is and what it isn’t.

Addiction isn’t the same as tolerance and dependence. With an addiction, a person has lost control over their use of the drug, using it compulsively. However, tolerance is common when using opioids, including hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone.

Tolerance to pain meds means that your body is accustomed to the drug and the initial dose has less of an effect than it did in the beginning.

Dependence comes into play when someone abruptly stops taking a medication – they’ll experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Tolerance or dependence on a drug doesn’t mean you’re addicted. Similarly, someone addicted to a certain medication rarely, may not experience tolerance or dependence.

Opioids are some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs, but the risk of addiction can be low for people who have been well-screened by their doctor beforehand and carefully followed while using the medications. Here’s how you can use pain medications effectively and safely.

Understand your risk factors.

Some people have a higher risk of addiction than others. Risk factors include a history of addiction to other prescription medications or illicit drugs, an addiction to alcohol or tobacco, a family history of addiction, and a history of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, thought disorders and personality disorders.

Use pain meds as directed.

Pain medications are safe and effective when you use them as directed. But misusing them can not only be incredibly harmful, but even deadly.

It’s important to use your medication exactly for the purpose it was prescribed. If your doctor gives you medication that makes your pain more tolerable and you’re using it as it’s directed, you’re fine. But if you take the medication because it helps you take the edge off a stressful situation, or to help “get by” that’s a red flag. Never take pain medications prescribed for others, or in doses or at intervals that the prescriber has not expressly approved.

If you’re taking medications to relieve your pain, you must follow the instructions your doctor gives you precisely.

Don’t change your dose without first talking to your doctor; and be sure one doctor is in charge of ALL the pain medicine you’re taking. Many practices are now using “Opioid Use Contracts” that spell out the expectations of staff and patient regarding use of pain relieving opioid medicines. These can help dramatically decrease the abuse of this very important class of compounds.

Consider other options.

If you have an especially high risk of addiction or if you and your doctor want to see if your pain can be relieved by other methods, you do have options.

Some pain can be controlled with physical therapy, acupuncture, tai chi and other types of interventions. Unrelieved pain may trigger a search for unusual causes and require special testing or referral to sub-specialists. Working with a psychologist can help you learn to change your pain-related behaviors and thoughts.

If you ever feel like you’re losing control over either chronic pain or the medication you’re using for it or if you have questions about whether you’re becoming addicted, talk to your doctor or ask to see one who specializes in pain medicine.

Alfred Casale To Your Health
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_casale.jpg.optimal.jpgAlfred Casale To Your Health

By Alfred Casale

To Your Health

Dr. Alfred Casale is chairman of surgery for the Geisinger Heart Institute, co-director of the Cardiovascular Service Line for the Geisinger Health System and Associate Chief Medical Officer for the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Readers may write to him via [email protected].