People Addicted To Certain Painkillers Such As Nuerofen Are As Bad...

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People Addicted To Certain Painkillers Such As Nuerofen Are As Bad As Heroin Addicts

Certain painkillers such as the one mentioned has the ingredient codeine in it, which, like heroin, originates from opium. Does this make those who are addicted to painkillers as bad as heroin addicts?

MaYbCaKe

30 Jan 2009 13:34

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Yes, it's just that painkillers are cleaner to take than heroin. If some are addicted to a drug that is disrupting to their lives then it's bad regardless of what the drug is.

Balance_92

30 Jan 2009 15:08

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I don't see how you can make such a comparison.
Heroin users eventually think about two things heroin, and the money to get it.
The risk of death from using heroin is high, most people will either get off the drug, or die trying to.

keepmindok

11 Feb 2009 11:13

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No they are not as bad. Because when you think about it painkillers are legal whereas heroin is illegal. And i don't know why you would want to be addicted to painkillers because they are drugs, and are supposed to be used to relief pain. But the only thing is that you could end up dying like you would with an overdose of heroin

Rainbow_x

31 Jan 2009 20:13

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So they are not as bad because the government says you can take them?

Do you have any scientific evidence to support such an absurd claim?

I don't think anyone wants to be addicted to anything. It just happens; addiction is not by choice.

verum

31 Jan 2009 20:24

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Studies have shown that, when one takes pain medication for the management of chronic pain, these medications are rarely abused.  This is not to say that they are not addictive.  They are.  They cause physical dependence as well, which is different than abuse.  People who are in pain do not get the same response from a narcotic pain reliever as those who take them to get high.  For example, if one has chronic degenerative arthritis of the spine and living a normal life involves taking a narcotic pain medication, the person taking the medication feels relief from the pain and it is not associated with the feeling of euphoria that one would get if they took a higher dose to experience a high.  Physicians know the correct dose to start a patient out on.  For some, that dose needs to be increased.  To abruptly stop the medication will cause physical withdrawal symptoms, but the patient will generally not resort to drug seeking behavior.  Most people who are addicted to pain medication have the disease of addiction.  These people are likely to become addicted to a chemical of some form without a prescription from their physician.  Responsible physicians and pain management centers focus on the management of pain.  When the pain is gone (if it was caused from an underlying source and corrected surgically or if it was acute pain caused from an injury), the medication is tapered gradually.  People with an addiction problem will not want to taper off of the medication and may then resort to street drugs or "doctor shop" to continue to receive the medication.  Narcotic medications are heavily regulated and there are mandatory regulations in place when one is being seen at a pain management facility.  I have no doubt that there are physicians who are less discriminating when it comes to prescribing and those physicians are risking their license.

I know many people for whom narcotic pain medication is necessary in order for them to function at a normal capacity in life.  These people are not "addicted" to their medication.   They are physically dependent on the medication, but that is not the definition of addiction.  Addiction occurs when one seeks to use their medication in a way that it is not prescribed.

Why do people want to take these medications?  The answer is a simple one.  They want to function in life and other forms of medication is not effective at relieving their symptoms.

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Most opiod pain medication is processed through the liver and/or kidneys, as much of the body's waste is.  If one is on a pain medication for chronic pain, the physician should normally be doing bloodwork to check kidney and liver function.  I spoke with a chronic pain physician at an event one time and, from what he told me, one can be maintained on medication for pain indefinitely.  Patients must be advocates in their care and make sure that they are being followed by their physician and that they let each physician that treats them know what medications they are taking.  Many people see specialists for one thing or another and fail to inform them of medication from their family doctor or vice versa.  The pharmacist can be another useful source of information and can watch for dangerous drug interactions as long as one uses the same pharmacy each time.  Although these medications carry a risk of causing some damage to one's internal organs, most people would not take an amount that would make that risk outweigh the benefits as long as they are not abusing their prescription and if they are truly in chronic pain.

There are many people addicted to prescription pain medication that are not breaking the law or contributing to crime. If one is addicted to a prescription, thus, abusing the prescription, they need the same help as those who are addicted to illegal substances. This is a very fine line, however, because there are a large number of people who live in chronic pain and use prescription pain medication to live normal, productive lives. The same cannot be said for one using illegal substances. Responsible physicians are adept at recognizing which patients are abusing their prescriptions. There are, of course, people who abuse prescription drugs and turn to illegal substances when they are no longer able to get prescriptions. These people are not in the majority. Physicians need to be able to assess each patient on an individual basis and prescribe accordingly. The fact that some people abuse prescription narcotic medications does not make these medications as bad as street drugs. The potential for addiction is there, but taken as prescribed, abuse is not likely. People in pain are not able to function to their full potential in life. This pain must be of a nature that it interferes with daily living for a chronic prescription for pain relievers.

my2cents2u

30 Jan 2009 17:14

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