More than 10% of high school seniors have started taking Vicodin for reasons other than pain reduction. Opiates and other pain relievers used as prescribed by the doctor are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if so, why are so many people addicted to them? Once a patient addicted to pain-relieving drugs has completed detoxification, the treatment provider should work with the patient to determine what course of treatment would be best for him.
More than 415,000 people received treatment for pain reliever abuse or addiction last year. If you are addicted to pain relievers or other drugs or think you may be, you can start working to increase the body’s production of endorphins naturally; some ways are laughing, touching, massaging, acupuncture, acupressure, walking, anything that makes you feel good that is natural. Many chronic pain patients may be undertreated as doctors try to control addiction to painkillers, they report.
If you think you’re addicted and want to get off painkillers or other drugs, it’s best to detox as fast as you can and then go through some form of rehab; It is important to have others to lean on, learn from, and offer support. Treatment options for pain reliever addiction include: medications, such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol) and behavioral counseling; typically, the patient is medically detoxified prior to beginning any treatment approach. 2.2 million people aged 12 and over abused pain relievers for the first time in the last year; this is more than the number of people who started using marijuana and has surpassed cocaine use.
Patients may innocently start taking pain relievers after a moderate injury or due to severe injury from a car accident, fall, or post-surgical pain. Common side effects and adverse reactions of pain relievers are: nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, miosis (constriction of the pupil), orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure drops when standing up suddenly), often occurs when raises too quickly when getting up. bed in the morning, urinary retention, constipation and fecal impaction. Often people who are addicted to pain relievers are plagued with various symptoms to varying degrees; many times they do not associate the symptoms with the drug.
Many other drugs can interact with opioids and cause a variety of symptoms; this can be fatal. Painkiller addiction is a growing problem today, especially the abuse of opioid painkillers. Less common side effects and adverse reactions of pain relievers are: confusion, hallucinations, delirium, hives, itching, hypothermia, bradycardia (slow heart rate), tachycardia (fast heart rate), increased intracranial pressure, ureteral or biliary spasm, muscle stiffness and redness
It is important to get help and not try to wean off pain medicine on your own. It is important to undergo rehab after your detox stay – make it part of your action plan. Some insurance companies will pay for one or two weeks; some can also pay for rehabilitation.
If you do not have insurance, check with your local mental health agencies to see what is available free of charge. The longer you wait for treatment, the worse it will get; take action now. There are many pain reliever addiction treatment centers located throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world.
If you think you have an addiction to painkillers, think about detoxing as soon as possible; you can do it, thousands have done it before you. Clinicians often overlook the addiction potential of pain relievers in patients with chronic pain conditions. Knowing some of these facts and understanding endorphin production will help put you on the road to fast recovery from painkiller addiction; start working on it today and hopefully you will notice the changes tomorrow.