People in Pain Rarely Become Addicted...

From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Tue Oct 30 12:17:23 2001


For whatever reason I am not able to access http://www.nasap-ca.org/ ....I keep getting the following message: "You are not authorized to view this page." Can any of you access this web site? If you can, please let me know. The following message is from the above web site - so you see that I was able to access this information at one time; so this really has me puzzled???????

[] People in Pain Rarely Become Addicted When Narcotics Work Well

Properly prescribed narcotic drugs rarely give patients a high, just relief from pain.

Chronic pain - the kind that lasts more than 30 days - takes an enormous physical and emotional toll. As many as 130 million Americans deal daily with moderate to severe pain, due to illnesses such as cancer, serious injuries and conditions like migraine headaches. Many of these people worry about the risks of taking narcotic drugs to relieve their pain. In our "just say no" culture, even patients in debilitating physical distress sometimes feel they shouldn't take strong drugs because they might become addicted. And many doctors resist prescribing narcotics like morphine because they see patients as addicts waiting to happen.

Indeed, narcotics are powerful medicine. These analgesic drugs, which are derived from opium or produced synthetically, are designed to alter a patient's perception of pain. In some people, narcotics produce euphoria, mood changes, confusion or deep sleep, in addition to pain relief. And repeated use of narcotics does sometimes lead to physical dependence.

If the dosage is suddenly reduced or curtailed, the patient may experience unpleasant physical reactions. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, physicians recommend gradually reducing narcotic medication, to allow the body time to adjust to chemical changes. A small number of patients may become psychologically addicted to narcotic drugs and require further therapy to end their dependence.

Genuine addiction is rare. In most cases, however, the benefits of pain relief from narcotics far outweigh the risk of addiction. "Very few people truly develop addictions," says Dr. Lloyd Saberski, director of the Yale University Center for Pain Management. For patients with no history of substance abuse, the risk is very small: Recent studies have shown that fewer than one-half of 1 percent of such patients become addicted to their painkillers.

When prescribed appropriately by doctors who know how to use them, Saberski says, narcotics are both safe and effective. Nevertheless, even patients with terminal conditions may refuse to take drugs that could give them a more comfortable, normal life. Fear of addiction, Saberski believes, "is more a sociological than a medical concern."

Despite clinical studies and patient testimonials, many physicians worry that writing a prescription for narcotics will expose them to lawsuits or sanctions from government regulators. Instead they prefer to prescribe less-powerful painkillers, which patients assume are absolutely safe.

In fact, says Saberski, narcotics may be safer for treating chronic pain than commonly prescribed or over-the-counter analgesics, such as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When taken regularly over long periods, NSAIDs can cause permanent damage to the liver and kidneys.


Enter keywords:
Returns per screen: Require all keywords: