Back nearly 40 years ago opioids became widely used as people were under the impression that there was a low risk of addiction. Since then, this claim has been far from proven right.
What exactly are opioids? Opioids, or narcotics, are used to treat pain by boosting certain levels of brain chemicals. The brain chemicals blocked are ones that react to pain, induce slow breathing, and make a person feel calm. Some common examples can include Codeine, OxyContin, Morphine and Fentanyl. Like most drugs, the longer a person takes opioids the more likely the user will become dependent on them.
According to studies, two million Americans over the age of 12 became addicted to pain medicines in 2015. Regardless, 214 million prescriptions were still filled the following year. On top of this, there was an average of 115 deaths everyday in the same year from opioid overdose.
There have been new laws which require patients to see their doctor before refilling pain killers. This has helped doctors become more aware of the amount of medications patients were using. This also suggested to patients to use other cheaper and safer options. There have been studies proving that over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen can treat pain better than opioids. Other natural therapies such as yoga, physical therapy and exercise have also shown benefits.
Although opioids can be very dangerous, there are patients who do get a lot out of their use. Because of this, cutting opioid prescribing altogether could be just as dangerous as patients might then look for an answer through illegal opioids on the streets. There has been some breakthrough with the alarming statistics released, but there is still unfinished business.
Collins, Sonya. WebMD Article. “Opioids: A Crisis Decades in the Making”. Published March 14, 2018. https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioids-pain
