Learn about factors that can increase your risk of becoming addicted. And, it is easy to develop health problems without realizing it, or when even you think you are being careful. Opioids and other pain medications have been in the news in recent months. You’ll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Self-care approaches to treating pain
And using opioids illegally increases the risk of drug-related death. Your loved one also is at greater risk of opioid use disorder if they get opioids without a prescription. If opioids are the best option, the healthcare professional chooses which opioid, how much of it should be used and how long the treatment will last. If an opioid is prescribed, let your healthcare team know if you had any trouble tapering off opioids in the past.
The right dose, route and treatment length
You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop or lessen the use of opioid medicine. If you feel the need to manage withdrawal symptoms, talk to your healthcare team right away. If you suddenly take a higher dose of opioids, you’re at an increased risk of overdose. If you’ve taken opioids for more than 7 to 10 days, you may need to stop using these medicines to keep from having possible serious problems. Ask your healthcare team if you’re not sure when you can stop your opioid medicine.
Opioid medicines travel through the blood and attach to opioid receptors in brain cells. Other opioids that may sound familiar include codeine, hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxybond, others). Opioids are a broad group of pain-relieving medicines that work with your brain cells. But there are risks when the medicines aren’t used correctly.
Risk factors for opioid use disorder
Some people may have just one or two symptoms of overdose, so knowing what to look for could help save a life. If there are no drop-off sites near you, most opioids can be flushed down the toilet. Some communities have drop-off boxes for medicines you aren’t using anymore. Usually, opioids are meant to be used only for short periods of time. They must consider whether opioids are the right choice for the review of answer house sober living type of pain to be treated.
Ask yourself some questions about your loved one’s personal risk of opioid use disorder and the changes you’ve seen. They should know the symptoms of an overdose, where to access your naloxone and how to use the naloxone. Give naloxone even if you aren’t sure the person is having an opioid overdose. Naloxone quickly reverses opioid overdose but only for a short time. If you suspect that someone has overdosed on opioids, call emergency services and follow the directions given until help arrives.
It’s important that your family members know how to use naloxone. You also can learn other ways to cope with pain. Tailoring prescription length is key for OUD prevention. “We’ve learned a lot in the past two decades about which conditions respond to which pain regimens,” says Dr. Geyer. Dr. Geyer explains that it is an opioid prescriber’s responsibility to ensure administration of this medication to the right patient.
Although opioids can be helpful for pain, they also have serious risks. But ask about all nonopioid pain medicine options to treat your pain, including the benefits and risks. If you have withdrawal symptoms, tell your healthcare team right away.
Pain rehabilitation
- However, a parabolic rise in opioid-related overdoses continues trending upward today as patients dependent on opioids who became unable to access opioids from their prescribers turned to the illicit drug market.
- Many other treatments are available, including less addictive pain medicines and therapies that don’t involve medicines.
- Dr. Geyer explains that it is an opioid prescriber’s responsibility to ensure administration of this medication to the right patient.
- Personal history and how long people use opioids play a role.
Together you can create a plan to stop opioids slowly, called a taper. Rarely, opioids may be used to treat long-term pain that’s not caused by cancer when other treatments have not worked. Opioid medicines also can play an important role in treating pain from cancer. Still, opioids may be the best option at certain times. For every opioid prescription refill, risk of ongoing use at one-year doubles. A monthlong prescription drives the risk to 30%.
What are the chances my loved one could be addicted?
It can happen quickly or after many years of opioid use. It may not be easy to tell, especially in the early stages of addiction. Signs of opioid abuse may be hard to see clearly, especially in someone you love. It is important to tell family or caregivers about opioid safety. Emergency services also may ask you to give naloxone (Narcan, Evzio, Kloxxado) if possible. Overdose can happen accidentally, even when the medicine is being taken properly.
Get the Mayo Clinic app
But over time, the opioid use disorder is likely to lead to serious problems. Anyone who takes opioids is at risk of becoming addicted. Illegal drugs taken without a prescription may include substances that could be deadly.
Many other treatments are available, including less addictive pain medicines and therapies that don’t involve medicines. If you’re living with lifelong pain, opioids aren’t likely to be a safe and effective long-term treatment option. In addition, women have a unique set of risk factors for opioid use disorder.
- Some street drugs are laced with contaminants or much more powerful opioids such as fentanyl.
- Assess your options for relieving pain while reducing the health risks posed by pain medications.
- Dispose of opioid medicines if you no longer need them.
- They must consider whether opioids are the right choice for the type of pain to be treated.
You’re much more likely to succeed if you partner with your healthcare team. Stopping opioids can be difficult, but you can do it. You may need weeks, months or even longer to slowly and safely lower your dose and stop taking your opioid medicine. Opioid withdrawal can be dangerous, and symptoms can be severe. Do not try to suddenly stop taking opioids on your own.
Reach out to your loved one’s healthcare professional if your answers point toward a possible addiction. Is your family member or friend using opioid medicines in a harmful way? Overdose is the most harmful complication of taking opioid medicines. Dispose of opioid medicines if you no longer need them.
During this time, you can practice new skills to manage pain and other long-term symptoms too. This slow tapering also helps ease the discomfort you may feel as you stop taking opioids. You may be eager to reach your goal, but your body needs time to adjust to lower levels of opioids, and then to none at all. The right length for an opioid taper varies with each person and each medicine. How long it takes to taper off your medicine depends on the type and dose of the opioid you’ve been taking and how long you’ve been taking it. Tapering means slowly lowering over time the amount of opioid medicine you take until you stop completely.
Extra opioids, alcohol and drugs can increase your risk of an overdose. Especially follow your healthcare professional’s instructions about how and when to take medicines during the taper. Your healthcare professional works with you to create an opioid taper schedule that meets your medical needs while keeping risks to your health low. When it’s time for you to stop taking opioids, ask for your healthcare professional’s help. Your healthcare professional may prescribe opioids to help you get through a few days of severe pain after surgery or a serious injury.
Follow Mayo Clinic
The most severe OUD complication is fatal overdose, which occurs every six minutes in the U.S. Certain risk factors can increase these odds. Or contact your local law enforcement agency or your trash and recycling service for information about local medicine takeback programs.