Pain treatment: When is an opioid the right choice?

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When you have a headache or mild muscle pain, using common over-the-counter pain relievers can help you feel better. However, if it's severe, your doctor may recommend a stronger medication, an opioid pain medication.

1. Opioids and their uses

Opioid is a pain reliever that contains an anesthetic. They can cause serious side effects if you don't use them properly.
Opioids can be used to control pain from cancer treatment. Short-term use of opioids for pain is considered safe and provides effective pain relief.
When treating pain with opioids, it binds to opioid receptors in the spinal cord and other areas of the body and sends signals to the brain to help relieve pain. Opioids are commonly used to treat moderate to severe pain and in patients who have not responded well to other pain medications. Some common opioid medications for pain include:
Fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Fentora, and Duragesic). Codeine . Hydrocodone (Zohydro ER and Hysingla). Hydrocodone - acetaminophen (Lortab, Lorcet, Vicodin, and Norco). Hydromorphone (Exalgo and Dilaudid). Methadone (Methadose and Dolophine). Meperidine (Demerol). Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian and Morphabond). Oliceridine (Olynvik). Oxycodone (Oxaydo and OxyContin). Oxycodone and acetaminophen (Roxicet and Percocet). Oxycodone and naloxone. The doctor can prescribe most of these oral pain relievers to the patient. In particular, the drug Fentanyl is also produced in the form of a patch, which helps to absorb the drug through the skin.

2. What kind of pain are opioids used to treat?

Opioids are often prescribed to treat acute, sudden pain that occurs after surgery or trauma (eg, fracture). Opioid pain treatment will be used for a short period of time, usually a few days.
In addition, opioid medications are also considered an important option for people with pain from cancer treatment. Studies have shown that up to one-third of cancer patients do not receive appropriate pain-relieving treatment. People with cancer who have poor pain control can have long hospital stays that disrupt their treatment schedules and make it difficult to manage their daily activities. Therefore, treating pain with opioids plays a very important role in improving the lives of cancer patients.
In certain cases, opioids may also be an appropriate choice for people living with chronic noncancerous pain or who have not responded well to other pain medications and their attacks of pain. Pain severely affects the ability to function.
However, using opioid pain medications can also lead to long-term side effects, including making chronic pain more difficult to control. After a short period of using an opioid for pain, a doctor may resume the prescription if the patient's physical examination shows that the drug provides more benefit than harm.

3. Closely monitor the use of opioid pain medication

Before prescribing opioids to treat pain, your doctor will ask for information about your medical history as well as your family, and recommend a thorough medical examination. This will help your doctor determine if an opioid is right for you.
Information about your medical history also helps your doctor determine if you should see a psychiatrist or addiction specialist while taking opioids, to reduce the risk of adverse health effects caused by drugs. Patients with a history of abusing any pain medication significantly increase their risk of developing addiction to these drugs.
The doctor will prescribe a specific medication before the patient starts taking an opioid. The dose of opioid pain medication will be adjusted by your doctor as needed. Patients can take continuous doses of opioids to control pain throughout the day and night. In addition, while you are taking opioids for pain, you need to see your doctor regularly for the following:
How does your pain respond to opioids? What side effects are you experiencing from opioids? Any interaction or underlying medical condition could increase your risk of side effects, such as sleep apnea or kidney problems. Are you using your pain reliever correctly? You should never change or stop taking any opioid pain medication without first consulting your doctor. If the pain reliever you are taking is not working as expected, your doctor may prescribe a different dose.
When you've been using opioids for a long time and are ready to stop, your doctor will help you quit smoking slowly to give your body time to adapt and avoid withdrawal symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle aches, and irritability. harsh.

4. What side effects do opioids cause?

One of the reasons why you need to use pain relievers rationally and correctly is because they can cause unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
If you become constipated while taking opioids for chronic pain, your doctor may prescribe medications such as methylnaltrexone (Relistor), lubiprostone (Amitiza), and naloxegol (Movantik) to improve the condition.
In addition, opioid drugs can be dangerous to your health if you take them with alcohol or certain drugs, including:
Antidepressants . Medicines to treat anxiety disorders. Antibiotics . Sleeping pills. In addition, you also need to talk to your doctor specifically about all the medications you are taking, including prescription drugs, OTC drugs, and herbal supplements to limit side effects and increase effectiveness. treatment results.

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References: Mayoclinic.org