A new complication in the fight against opioid misuse and addiction has come up. Individuals that stopped using opioids for pain management were in the population that was more likely to die of an overdose in the following years if they returned to using the medication. A study from the University of Washington Health Sciences found that people who stopped using opioids to manage their pain were three times more likely to die of an overdose in the years after they stopped using the medication.
The big concern here, as voiced by the researchers, is that it seems like the policies that have been put in place to manage and make opioid prescriptions safer do not seem to be working in the desired manner. There is still a risk that these medications will be misused or mishandled after the fact. Even when under the guidance of a doctor, opioid use can be addictive.
Unfortunately, this makes a lot of sense. Opioids can create a pleasant, euphoric feeling within the user. This is why they are used to manage pain. And while prescription opioids don’t carry the same risk that it’s illegal brother–heroin–carries, it can cause the same kind of addictive cravings. It makes sense that a large number of opioid users would want to return to the medication on their own, even if a doctor has taken them off of the medication or their pain symptoms have alleviated.
Greater precautions for protecting patients are still needed. According to the results of this study, during the study period, 572 opioid-prescribed patients were observed. Over a course of several years, about 20 percent of these patients died. 21 of those patients were from overdoses, and only 4 of them were still under the guidance of a prescribing doctor.
The doctors behind this study recommended that patients be given alternative methods of handling pain and that opioid addiction treatment become more readily available to all patients who have been prescribed the medication. It was also suggested that the number of prescriptions for the medication might need to be reduced even more drastically, although the benefits of this approach are still debatable. Either way, more work is needed to keep our loved ones safe, especially our older loved ones that are more at risk for dealing with chronic pain.
Luckily, a lot of states are taking charge on this. Stricter guidelines have gone into effect in many places throughout the country.
Opioid addiction is a very real problem, and it isn’t always the elderly that are fighting this. Younger folk also have found themselves struggling in the fight against this dangerous addiction. If you or someone that you know is struggling with this, it’s important to know that help is out there. Speak with a doctor or a mental health professional. Call one of the many hotlines for opiate or other addictions that are present in your community. Sometimes, we can’t get help unless we take those first, very difficult steps. But they’re definitely worth taking.
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