Patients Dependent on Opioids Should Not Discontinue their Medication: FDA

America’s war on opioids comes to a halt after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a drug safety communication on April 9, 2019. Herein, the regulatory body said that patients undergoing opioid therapy for chronic pain should not discontinue their medications abruptly.

After the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines released in 2016 as a response to the adverse outcomes from opioids, the FDA has come with this regulatory as it sensed health issues in patients dependent on opioids due to discontinuing the medication abruptly.

Patients who discontinued the medication experienced severe pain and frequent withdrawals. There were greater chances of patients who may search for other sources of opioid medicines and may fall in the trap of illicit opioids like heroin and likewise.

Opioid Medication

Opioids are a class of drugs that are taken in a prescribed amount to control chronic pain experienced after surgeries, sports injuries or a chronic condition like cancer. It functions by lowering the number of pain signals the body sends to the brain.

Data reveals that about 13 million Americans are dependent on a long-term opioid medication.

That’s a big number! Opioids need to be strictly taken under the supervision of a professional doctor. Medications should be taken in a prescribed amount as per the doctor’s advice. If these things are not taken as prescribed, then you might get addicted to the drug.

Despite all the claims levied on this drug, they are safe to use when taken properly.

Move down to know more about the safety of opioid therapy for chronic pain.

According to the Chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Harvard, Dr. Roger Weiss cited that opioids are very powerful both psychological and physical. Thus, it is important to understand when you require this medication and also what proportion is needed.

An opioid is required in overcoming acute pain wherein the specialist will focus on keeping your dose amount as small as possible. If you have undergone a knee or hip surgery, then you might need opioid therapy for chronic pain for more than 3 days while in other cases only 2-3 days of opioid medication is sufficient.

Be cautious while undergoing long-term opioid medications!

When opioids are continued even after you get rid of acute pain, that’s when the side effects of the drugs increase significantly. They are mostly given to control acute pain from arthritis, back pain or cancer.

Professional doctors closely monitor their patients before prescribing medications. An opioid specialist knows exactly how much dosage is required and will make sure his patient doesn’t undergo any adverse consequence as he increases or decreases his dose.

Your doctors know when you don’t need opioids!

If your situation improves, then you no longer need opioids. Your doctor will gradually decrease your dose. The doctor should not go cold turkey as it may result in drowsiness, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, etc.

A professional doctor will set up a full proof plan to reduce the opioid amount by reducing Acetaminophen or Tylenol or by yoga or medication too.

Kroll Care caters to safe opioid pain management treatment owing to their experience in managing opioid prescriptions. We suggest doses as prescribed under the FDA regulations and provide all the care needed by such patients. Count on us!

How To Safely Practice Opioid Pain Management Without Getting Addicted?

Millions of Americans wake up with pain every day.

Some of them are chronic pain patients while some are recovering from surgery, sports injuries or accidents. Millions of prescriptions are written every year which also include some powerful opioids. Opioids have had a history of being an addictive drug.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) reported that in 2015, approximately 586,000 Americans aged 12 and above struggled with drug abuse which involved heroin.

• Opioid abuse has become a national crisis in the United States and other parts of the world.

• Opioids tend to make the brain and body believe that the drug is necessary for survival.

• After people learn to tolerate the prescribed amount, they feel that they might need more of it for their well-being.

• It leads to dependency which then turns to addiction. Addiction takes control of human brains and is far more complex than people realize.

Read below to learn how to use opioids more wisely and safely. This is important if you are ready for opioid pain medication to treat any chronic pain.

How can you use opioid therapy for chronic pain?

Opioids can be effective in pain management, but the main part of the treatment starts after the cure – avoiding the side effects and risk of addiction.

Hence using them under a physician’s supervision becomes necessary.

1. If you are on opioid therapy for chronic pain, follow these safety tips:

• Make sure that you talk to your physician or physician anesthesiologist.

• Ensure that you have considered all alternative pain-relieving medications and that they don’t carry an addiction risk.

• If opioids are the best option, then don’t forget to ask your doctor how to minimize the risks and its side effects.

• Provide information on your medical conditions – whether you have consumed opioids in the past, and if so, tell them how you were affected. Also, tell your physician about any history of addiction to drugs or alcohol if you’ve had one.

2. Watch out for side effects

• Side effects of opioids come in many forms. Some of them are mild – these include sleepiness and constipation.

• Other side effects include shallow breathing, slowed heart rate and loss of consciousness. These can be serious and can be a signal of an overdose.

• In case you experience possible symptoms or an overdose, contact your physicians or call 911.

Take prescriptions only as directed

• A physician’s direction must be followed every time and the prescription label must be read too.

• If you are already on some medication, then ask your physician if it will be safe to take opioids with them.

While preparing for surgery

• If you are preparing for surgery and are consuming opioids, then it becomes extremely important to talk to the surgeon.

• Chronic use of opioids increases the risk of complications from surgery, which can result in a longer stay at the hospital.

• A good medical care team can help you safely manage your pain before surgery.

Kroll Care is the best chronic pain management clinic in Atlanta. We create opioid treatment programs through our thorough experience in managing opioid prescriptions. Reach out to Kroll Care without any hesitation to treat your chronic pain through opioid pain medication.