Opioid analgesics for chronic pain
Examples
Generic Name Brand Name morphine MS Contin codeine propoxyphene Darvon-N hydrocodone Hycodan methadone Metadol hydromorphone Dilaudid oxycodone OxyContin fentanyl Duragesic butorphanol How It Works
Opioid analgesics suppress your perception of pain and calm your emotional response to pain by reducing the number of pain signals sent by the nervous system and the brain's reaction to them.
Why It Is Used
Opioids are used to reduce moderate to severe chronic pain.
How Well It Works
Opioids are effective in relieving moderate to severe chronic pain. Higher doses may be more effective, but higher doses also can cause more side effects.1 Opioids are available in pill, shot, skin patch and suppository form.
If one opioid does not reduce your pain, your doctor may prescribe a different opioid to treat your chronic pain.
There is a low risk of addiction if you take opioids routinely as prescribed. Your risk of addiction is slightly greater if you have a history of substance abuse or a family history of addiction.2, 3
Side Effects
Opioids may often cause side effects such as:
- Constipation.
- Drowsiness.
- Dizziness.
- Weakness.
- Dry mouth.
- Sedation.
- Confusion.
- Difficulty urinating.
More serious side effects can include allergic reaction, such as swelling of the throat, a drop in blood pressure, seizures, tremors, or hallucinations.
See Drug Reference for more detail on opioid analgesics. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
In some cases, more than one type of opioid medication may be prescribed to relieve pain without increasing the individual dose. Many combinations of opioids with non-opioids have been effective, such as combining opioids with ASA or acetaminophen.4
Although opioid analgesics are potentially addictive, the risk is small when they are properly prescribed and taken by people who do not have a history of substance abuse. In the past, opioids were used only for short periods for short-term pain or for cancer pain. Most experts now use opioids for long periods instead of only short-term to treat chronic pain. You can take opioids to reduce pain and increase your functioning without becoming addicted to them.
If you are about to begin a long-term course of opioids, increase the amount of fibre in your diet and drink more water. This will help you avoid constipation. Also talk to your doctor about whether you should take a stool softener or laxative.
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| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: May 28, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Nancy Greenwald, MD - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Brian D. O'Brien, MD - Internal Medicine | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Examples | |
| How It Works | |
| Why It Is Used | |
| How Well It Works | |
| Side Effects | |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |