Pain-pill addiction: What's the risk?
News Desk
your medication exactly as directed.
You've been taking over-the-counter pain medications - but they're
not helping. You'd like to try something stronger. You're also somewhat
hesitant. What about all the people who've wound up fighting a
pain-pill addiction? Might that happen to you?
The short answer: Probably not.
What is addiction?
Addiction is the inability to stop using a drug - whether it's legal
or illicit - despite the fact that it causes harm. A prime example is
cigarettes. Most smokers know that cigarettes damage their health. Many
want to quit, but can't overcome the craving. That's addiction.
How do tolerance, physical dependence and addiction differ?
It's easy to confuse addiction with tolerance and physical dependence.
But these are three distinct conditions.
Tolerance. Sometimes your body adapts to the ongoing presence of a
drug. The initial dosage of a medication becomes less effective over
time. You may need higher doses of the medication to achieve the same
level of pain relief. This is called tolerance. It's normal - and not
a sign of addiction. In some cases, tolerance can even be helpful. Side
effects may disappear when your body becomes more used to the
medication.
Physical dependence. When your body has adapted to the presence of a
drug, you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you abruptly stop
taking the drug. This is physical dependence. Many types of
nonaddictive drugs - including corticosteroids and beta blockers -
can cause physical dependence. If you gradually decrease the dosage
under your doctor's direction, you can stop taking these medications
without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Addiction. Addiction is a disease. If you're addicted to a drug, you'll
use the drug despite serious or harmful consequences to your body, your
relationships, your career or other parts of your life. You may not be
able to recognize the situation yourself. Although addiction and
physical dependence often occur together, you can have addiction
without physical dependence. Likewise, you can have physical dependence
without addiction.
Which pain medications are most addictive?
Opioids - sometimes called narcotics - are among the most addictive
pain medications. Commonly prescribed opioids include:
Codeine
Fentanyl (Duragesic, others)
Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, others)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid, others)
Meperidine (Demerol, others)
Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian, others)
Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, others)
Propoxyphene (Darvon, others)
Who's at risk?
The tendency to develop an addiction seems to be inherited. If you have
family members who abuse drugs or alcohol, you have a higher risk of
the same problem. Anxiety, depression and loneliness also increase the
risk. Past problems with substance abuse play a role as well. For
example, a history of alcoholism increases the risk of problems with
prescription pain medications - even if you're in recovery.
But most people who take pain medication only as directed never become
addicted - even during long-term use. The key is to take the
medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Ask your doctor for
printed instructions. Understand possible side effects and interactions
with other drugs.
What are the warning signs?
Medication addiction can develop very subtly. Look for these warning
signs:
You take more pain medication than your doctor has prescribed.
You request prescriptions from multiple doctors.
You use alcohol or other medications to increase the effects of the
pain medication.
You take pain medication to deal with other problems, such as anxiety
or stress.
Your doctor, friends or loved ones express concern about your use of
pain medication.
If you're worried about medication addiction, be honest with your
doctor. Share your concerns, including any personal or family history
of substance abuse or addiction. Your doctor needs this information to
choose the type of pain medication that will work best for you.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pain-pill-addiction/PN00056