Chronic pain management is a necessity for millions of people but this site is dedicated to the estimated 2 percent of the population that have gone beyond chronic pain management and are abusing prescription drugs. Chronic pain management often uses opioids to manage pain. These chronic pain management drugs include morphine and its many derivatives. Balancing usage and need of these powerfully addictive drugs is one of the biggest challenges of chronic pain management. The reason it is so challenging is that some people that start chronic pain management can end up worse off mired in addiction and dependency.

Misuse of prescription medications is common in the elderly, increasing in 12 to 25 year olds and effects adult women as often as adult men according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The government agency also reports that Vicodin (hydrocodone) related visits to the emergency room increased nearly 40% between 1997 and 1999. Other than Vicodin, other commonly abused chronic pain management medications include:

Morphine
Codeine
OxyContin
Norco
Stadol
Lortab
Percocet
Dilaudid
Percodan
Lorcet
MSContin
Demerol
Lomotil

These are all powerful opioids and have the very real potential of dependency and addiction. Dependency occurs when the body adapts to the effects of the drugs. Chronic pain management is about suppressing pain. For some who are susceptible to tolerance and addiction, the body adapts to the level of pain blocking drugs and pain might continue to be felt. This can cause the patient to begin to take beyond the prescribed amount to address additional pain. Unfortunately this is a vicious cycle as the body continues to adapt to the pain medication and individuals can find themselves needing 10, 20 or even 30 or more pills a day and continue to feel pain that was once suppressed with the prescribed amount.

Often feelings of shame and guilt surround the growing dependence and rather than discuss it with a doctor, many people who get prescriptions from several doctors and go to several pharmacies to fill them in order to go undetected. Attempts to stop are met with withdrawal symptoms; flu-like pains that include diarrhea, vomiting, body pains and cold flashes.

Addiction includes physical dependence and also includes psychological dependence. This psychological dependence is part of what makes addiction a "brain disease" as described by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Like other chronic diseases, addiction to chronic pain management drugs can be treated effectively. Successful treatments include treating the physical condition as well as the emotional one.

End dependence on prescription drugs today by giving us a call for more information.