Hi, just wondering if anyone gets worried they will be addicted to their pain relief meds if they want to stop taking them and how dangerous it really is to stop or taper off.
I found this article interesting. It states cancer patients taking opioids for pain rarely become addicted.
http://www.whocancerpain.wisc.edu/?q=node/245
Sometimes patients taking opioids for pain relief are concerned about addiction. However, you are taking opioids for pain relief whereas addicts take drugs to get high. You are not an addict if you take pain medications to relieve your pain."
There is a difference between being "Dependant on" and being "Addicted to"
I am currently dependant on my medications, but by no means am I addicted to them.
I don't take my medication to get a 'HIGH", actually quite the difference, I take them to bring me down.
Tkal brings up a fantastic link / post. It is very accurate, and I have had discussions with my Dr at the pain clinic in regards to this exact fear. He told me that patients that take the medication for real pain relief hardly ever take more then is pre-scribed, and rarely self-medicate themselves by uping the dose without talking to him.
Your fears are well founded as if you look at public opinion you will see that as soon as you mention any narcotic, people think you are a junky! Why is that? Well thats because the junkies take OUR DRUGS, not the other way around.
I hope you find peace.
Smash
Judy,
I worried about the same thing. Interestingly, it was one of my daughters who helped me come to terms with this. She said to stop worrying about the person in the future (myself) and take care of the person in the moment, right now, the one who needs to medicine to function.
The research I've read supports this decision. Rarely do people like us, who are taking the meds for chronic pain, become like the addict we think about who is a criminal. We take the medicine, we begin to get some relief, and then, MAYBE, one day we can begin to taper off the medicine. Our doctors should be able to help us when we get to that stage. OR, just do some reading. There is good advice about how to taper off medicine slowly, so that is not dangerous and does not cause unwanted side effects.
I wish you the best.
Rissmal