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The use of opioids – even in the short term – can result in addiction and, all too often, overdose.
Anyone who takes opiates may develop an addiction. Your personal history and the duration of use of opioids play a role, but it is impossible to predict who is vulnerable to the dependence and abuse of these drugs. Legal or illegal, stolen and shared, these drugs are responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the United States today.
Addiction is a condition in which something that started as pleasant now feels like something you can not live without. Health care providers define addiction as an overwhelming need for a drug, compulsive and uncontrolled use of the drug, and the continued use of the drug despite repeated and harmful consequences. Opioids are very addictive, in large part because they activate powerful reward centers in your brain.
Endorphins stifle your perception of pain and stimulate feelings of pleasure, creating a temporary but powerful sense of well-being. "Opioids release an endorphin or substance in the body that is the neurotransmitter of well-being," says Dr. Holly Geyer, a specialist in addiction medicine Mayo Clinic. "A lot of people get an intense high of the opioid when they are provided.Some people feel nothing.It's really about your body and how you are built." an opioid dose dissipates, you can regain those good feelings as soon as possible.This is the first step towards potential dependence.
"Opioids, over time, when they bind to the receptors, can cause positive regulation in various parts of the brain to the point that you are more likely to feel this sensation every time you are exposed to the drug, "explains Geyer." This can lead to increased activity for get the drug or make sure you have easy access to it. "
LONG-TERM SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
When you take repetitive opioids, your body slows down its production of endorphins. opioids cease to trigger such a flood of good feelings. This is what is called tolerance. One reason that opioid addiction is so common is that people who develop tolerance may feel pressured to increase their doses so they can continue to feel good. "For long periods of time, we find that people become tolerant and fall back when they are not in the presence of this drug, and then they experience all of these negative side effects if they are not in their system." says Geyer. "And it's really more of an acute phase and a chronic phase, both of which are an underlying brain disorder that we have ways of dealing with."
Because health care providers are now very aware of the risks associated with opioids, it is often difficult to ask your health care provider to increase your dose, or even to renew it. your prescription. Some opioid users who believe they need an increase in supply are turning, at this point, to opioids or heroin obtained illegally. Some illegally obtained drugs, such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic and Fentora), contain much stronger contaminants or opioids. Because of the potency of fentanyl, this particular combination has been associated with a significant number of deaths among people consuming heroin.
"When opioids are provided too long or at higher doses than necessary, we see complications. of addiction, "says Geyer. "It's the desire of the brain to continue to receive this opioid outside of the original reason it has been prescribed.We are also seeing signs of tolerance, the need to increase your dose more and more." receive the same high level and / or the same level of pain relief as before. "
" And we also see signs of withdrawal "Geyer." When this drug is not in your system, the body reacts rather violently in some people, and that the violent eruption of all these systems that depend so much on this opioid is now the cause of the search for this opioid from any necessary source, including "
If you are taking opioids and you have developed a tolerance, ask for help from your health care provider. There are other safe choices to help you make a change and continue to feel good. Do not stop opioid medications without the help of a health care provider. The abrupt cessation of these drugs can lead to serious side effects, including worse pain than before the onset of opioid use. Your health care provider can help you gradually and safely reduce opioids
OPIOID ADDICTION RISK FACTORS
Opioids Create Addiction When You Take Them Using Methods different from those prescribed, such as crushing a pill. sniffed or injected. This potentially life-threatening practice is even more dangerous if the pill is a long-acting or prolonged formulation. Delivering all medications quickly to your body can cause an accidental overdose. Taking more than your prescribed dose of opioid medication, or more often than prescribed, also increases your risk of addiction. "People aged 18 to 45 are at a pretty high risk," says Geyer. "The male population is primarily at risk for most drug abuse, with the exception of the benzodiazepine, things like Ativan, Xanax." These drugs are more of a female risk factor. you have mental health problems and depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, all of which are important risk factors, especially if you have a history of addiction before receiving this opioid or other substance "
The duration of use of prescribed opioids also plays a role. The researchers found that taking opioids for more than a few days increases the risk of long-term use, which increases the risk of addiction. The odds that you continue to take opioids one year after starting a short course increase after only five days of opioids.
"If you do not want to participate in other approaches to managing pain or symptoms, a risk factor," Geyer says. "We have other tools to use, both pharmacological and drug-related as well as non-drug-related, and things like biofeedback, physical therapy, occupational therapy are all options." not to engage in these activities could expose you to abuse. "
A number of additional factors – genetic, psychological, and environmental – play a role in addiction, which can occur quickly or after several years of life. Use of opioids, 19659002] Known risk factors for opioid abuse and addiction include:
– Poverty
– Unemployment
– Family History of Drug Addiction
– Personal History of Drug Abuse
– Young Age
– History of Criminal Activity or Legal Problems Including Citation on Impaired Driving
– Regulated Contacts persons with high-risk or high-risk persons
– Problems with former employers, family members and friends (mental disorders)
Abusive behavior
– Heavy tobacco
– History of severe depression or anxiety
– Stressful Circumstances
– Earlier rehabilitation due to a drug or alcohol problem
In addition, women A unique set of factors of risk for opioid dependence. Women are more likely than men to have chronic pain. Compared to men, women are more likely to be prescribed opioids, to receive higher doses and to use opioids for longer periods. Women may also have a biological tendency to depend on prescription pain medications more quickly than men.
Opioids are safer when used for three days or less to relieve acute pain, such as pain following surgery. or a bone fracture. If you need opioids for acute pain, work with your health care provider to take the lowest dose possible, for the shortest time, exactly as prescribed. If you live with chronic pain, opioids are not likely to be a safe and effective long-term treatment option. Many other treatments are available, including less addictive analgesics and non-pharmacological therapies. Aim for a treatment plan that allows you to enjoy your life without opioids, if possible
Help prevent substance abuse in your family and community by protecting opioids while you use them and by eliminating opioids that are not used properly. Contact your local law enforcement agency, your waste and recycling service, or the Drug Enforcement Administration for more information on local drug re-entry programs. If no recovery program is available in your area, consult your pharmacist for advice.
The most important step you can take to prevent opioid addiction? Recognize that no one is safe and that everyone plays a role in fighting against the influence of these drugs on loved ones and communities.
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(Mayo Clinic News Network
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© 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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