There are a number of effective treatment options to treat pain killer addiction to prescription opioids and to help manage the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that can accompany sudden stopping of pain killers or drugs. Although detoxification is not a treatment for pain killer addiction, it can help relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being free of pain killers or other prescription drugs. Addiction to pain killers is an escalating problem today, especially the abuse of opioid pain killers.



Common side effects and adverse reactions of pain killers are: nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, miosis (contraction of the pupil), orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure drops upon sudden standing) -- often happens when arising too fast when getting out of bed in the morning, urinary retention, constipation and fecal impaction. Opioids used as the doctor has prescribed are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if this is the case, why are so many people addicted to them? Addiction is both a biological and psychological condition.

Many chronic pain patients may be under-treated as a result of doctors who are trying to gain control over pain killer addiction, they report. More than 415,000 people received treatment for pain killer abuse or addiction this past year. Treatment options for pain killer addiction include: medications, such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol), and behavioral counseling; usually, the patient is medically detoxified before any treatment approach is begun.

When you're addicted physically to a drug, like pain killers or alcohol, etc., it's because you've suppressed or shut down your body's production of endorphins, which are natural opiate pain killers; when this happens you start craving the drug that you replaced the endorphins with whether it's alcohol, any of a number of drugs or pain killers. Patients can innocently start taking pain killers after a moderate injury or because of a severe injury in an automobile accident, fall or for post surgical pain. An opioid-dependent pain patient has improved function with the use of the drug while an opioid-addicted patient does not have improvement.

Chronic pain affects one out of three or four adults; millions of people suffer from severe disabling pain. A person exhibits compulsive behavior to satisfy their craving for a pain killer or pain medication even when there are negative consequences associated with taking the pain killer or drug. If you are addicted to pain killers or other drugs or think you may be, you can start working to increase the body's endorphin production naturally; some ways are laughing, touching, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, walking, anything that makes you feel good that's natural.

You must leave the routine responsibilities of your life for a week or two or suffer the inevitable outcome and bad health effects of prolonged drug addiction. It's important to go through rehab following your detox stay: make it a part of your plan of action. The longer you wait to get treatment the worse it'll get; take action now.

Some insurance companies will pay for one or two weeks; some may pay for rehabilitation too. Many insurance plans do cover inpatient detox, check yours if you have insurance. Taking the time to spend in a treatment center, detoxing, is of the utmost priority.

Avoiding addiction should be a priority for patients or anyone who has to be on pain killers; substitute a non-addictive type if possible or find other ways to minimize the pain. The many problems that are associated with pain killer addiction and abuse have experts, doctors and authorities searching for solutions. The body's natural pain killers, endorphins, have been replaced by these pain killing drugs; get them flowing again with lots of laughter.