The miracle of opioid pain relief is fatally limited by tolerance, addiction, and respiratory depression. Buprenorphine, when combined with a mu agonist, results in game-changing effects. Patients experience potent, dose-related analgesia from the agonist, but have NO euphoria. The therapeutic window is widened. Patients unable to control their use of a mu agonist alone gain that control when on buprenorphine. And most exciting, buprenorphine indefinitely anchors tolerance, maintaining analgesia WITHOUT DOSE ESCALATION. This finding offers huge implications for pain management and opioid dosing.
Opioid receptors are present in everyone's body. These receptors are responsible for bringing emotions like pleasure and pain in the body. Several narcotics, such as hydrocodone and oxycontin, give relief while one is experiencing severe pain. The main problem with the opioid is they are very addictive in nature and can result in death if taken in high dose. There has been a huge usage of the narcotic medication by people of every age group in the United States.
Is it possible for chronic opioid therapy to make patients worse? The answer is yes, and it is termed opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). It is a paradoxical condition whereby patients become oversensitive to acute pain. There is a scarcity of literature on the subject of how often it occurs, what presents risk factors for its occurrence, and whether or not there is a dosing relationship for narcotics towards developing OIH.
Research shows narcotic use is higher among the less educated and unemployed. A recent report in the American Journal of Medicine specifically looked at fibromyalgia patients receiving opioids for their pain. There was an increased incidence of unemployment, disability payments, and history of substance abuse. Also, the statistics showed overall lower education and an increased incidence of unstable psychiatric disorders. The study was not small and contained over 450 patients, so the results were most likely valid despite potential statistical variances.
OIH typically produces diffuse pain, which often extends to regions that were not painful before. OIH tends to mimic opiated withdrawal with some of its symptoms along with increased pain. Additionally, if the patient is dealing with tolerance, an increase in dose would lessen the pain. This does not happen with OIH, in fact, the pain would be worsened.
In addition to relieving physical pain, opioids diminish emotional pain. One may find they are taking the prescriptions for anxiety, irritability, fear, or depression. Studies have shown that the rate of major depression is directly related to how much pain a person feels. The more pain experienced, the higher the depression symptoms.
Sleep is affected significantly by opioids. A large review of studies was published in Postgraduate Medicine looking at the effect of narcotics on sleeping patterns. What popped out? Well, opiate users displayed significant incidence of insomnia, arousals, and wakefulness.
Seeking help from a clinic, a private doctor, or an addiction-breaking support group is safer options for quitting. Support group members have been there themselves and understand what it is like to leave behind an addiction. Medical professionals can help addicts leave the drugs behind on a gradual basis so that their bodily systems are not compromised.
The objective in utilizing opioid replacement therapy includes removing the uncomfortable day-to-day withdrawal which interferes with an individual's capability of normally functioning. The level of opiate withdrawal sickness differs from one person to another as does the severity of each individual's addiction.
Opioid receptors are present in everyone's body. These receptors are responsible for bringing emotions like pleasure and pain in the body. Several narcotics, such as hydrocodone and oxycontin, give relief while one is experiencing severe pain. The main problem with the opioid is they are very addictive in nature and can result in death if taken in high dose. There has been a huge usage of the narcotic medication by people of every age group in the United States.
Is it possible for chronic opioid therapy to make patients worse? The answer is yes, and it is termed opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). It is a paradoxical condition whereby patients become oversensitive to acute pain. There is a scarcity of literature on the subject of how often it occurs, what presents risk factors for its occurrence, and whether or not there is a dosing relationship for narcotics towards developing OIH.
Research shows narcotic use is higher among the less educated and unemployed. A recent report in the American Journal of Medicine specifically looked at fibromyalgia patients receiving opioids for their pain. There was an increased incidence of unemployment, disability payments, and history of substance abuse. Also, the statistics showed overall lower education and an increased incidence of unstable psychiatric disorders. The study was not small and contained over 450 patients, so the results were most likely valid despite potential statistical variances.
OIH typically produces diffuse pain, which often extends to regions that were not painful before. OIH tends to mimic opiated withdrawal with some of its symptoms along with increased pain. Additionally, if the patient is dealing with tolerance, an increase in dose would lessen the pain. This does not happen with OIH, in fact, the pain would be worsened.
In addition to relieving physical pain, opioids diminish emotional pain. One may find they are taking the prescriptions for anxiety, irritability, fear, or depression. Studies have shown that the rate of major depression is directly related to how much pain a person feels. The more pain experienced, the higher the depression symptoms.
Sleep is affected significantly by opioids. A large review of studies was published in Postgraduate Medicine looking at the effect of narcotics on sleeping patterns. What popped out? Well, opiate users displayed significant incidence of insomnia, arousals, and wakefulness.
Seeking help from a clinic, a private doctor, or an addiction-breaking support group is safer options for quitting. Support group members have been there themselves and understand what it is like to leave behind an addiction. Medical professionals can help addicts leave the drugs behind on a gradual basis so that their bodily systems are not compromised.
The objective in utilizing opioid replacement therapy includes removing the uncomfortable day-to-day withdrawal which interferes with an individual's capability of normally functioning. The level of opiate withdrawal sickness differs from one person to another as does the severity of each individual's addiction.
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