According to Consumer Reports, prescriptions for opioid medications, including OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin, have increased 300 percent over the past decade, and 46 people each day, or 17,000 people each year, die from prescription painkiller overdoses. More significantly, for each fatal overdose, more than 30 people are admitted to an emergency room due to overdoses or medication complications.
According to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than four times as many people have died from prescription painkiller-related deaths over the past decade as have died from cocaine and heroin combined. The study showed that in 2010, more than 60 percent of the nearly 40,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States were the result of a prescription painkiller.
In the same year, Mayo Clinic released a report that showed 70 percent of Americans had received at least one prescription over the previous year, and that opioid painkillers were in the top three most commonly prescribed medications. Women are affected by prescription painkiller addiction more often than men, according to the report, because women are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic pain, and are more likely to report it at a higher intensity.
They Are Highly Addictive
Opioid painkillers can be as addictive as heroin, and women are at higher risk of becoming addicted to prescription painkillers after having them prescribed. Women are also more apt than men to “doctor shop,” or visit multiple doctors in the hopes of getting multiple or higher prescriptions for painkillers once addicted. Opioid painkillers are effective when used short-term to treat pain from injury or surgery, but will require higher and higher doses to remain effective when used to treat long-term pain, such as chronic back pain.
Gender isn’t the only risk factor for opioid painkiller dependency. Studies have shown that younger people, those who are in poorer overall health, and those with psychological issues, including depression and anxiety, are at an increased risk for dependency. Smokers and those with other addiction issues, including alcoholism, are also at greater risk for getting hooked.
They Are Readily Available.
Prescription painkillers are being distributed in higher numbers, and at higher doses, than ever before. For example, patients who are recovering from dental surgery may get a prescription for 30 pain pills, when they may only need a fraction of them. And because the perception is that these pills are safe, because they were prescribed by a doctor, people may be more likely to use them recreationally.
Other patients assume that because they have been legally prescribed the painkiller and are using it for a legitimate reason, that they are somehow immune to addiction. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have used prescription painkillers recreationally.
And although the United States only comprises five percent of the global population, we are responsible for 75 percent of the world’s prescription painkiller consumption.
They Can Be Gateway Drugs
More recent data has shown that we may finally be seeing a downturn in the number of deaths each year from prescription painkillers. However, there is another disturbing trend that is emerging that coincides with that downturn: a dramatic spike in the number of heroin overdoses that are occurring each year.
While the 2014 CDC report that presented this information did not draw a definitive link between the two, other research indicates that there may be a connection. According to one survey in Businessweek, four out of five new heroin users reported past prescription painkiller abuse. However, the article distinguishes that, while most new heroin users were previous opiate addicts, more opioid abusers do not move on to abuse heroin.
Leftover Pills Are Handy, But Deadly.
Patients who have been prescribed a painkiller can often build up a tolerance to a drug, taking a larger dose without having serious side effects. And when their prescribed need is over, many patients will have leftover painkillers in their medicine cabinet.
At a later time, patients who pop a painkiller at the dose they were originally prescribed, or those who pass a painkiller along to an injured friend or family member, may be putting themselves or their loved ones at a greater risk for overdose or complications, including allergic reactions.
There Are Ways To Stay Clean
If you’ve been prescribed a prescription opiate painkiller, it doesn’t mean that you will become addicted. These pills do have a purpose, and they can be quite effective in managing pain that would otherwise interfere with your daily activities. However, there are some steps you should take to avoid becoming hooked:
- Take the drug as indicated. Don’t increase the dose or take the pills more frequently than prescribed.
- If you have a cold, flu, or bronchitis, let your doctor know before starting or continuing an opioid painkiller, because these drugs can make breathing more difficult. Your doctor may suggest lowering your dose or stopping the painkiller altogether.
- If you have sleep apnea, let your doctor know, because you may be at a risk for deadly complications from opioid painkillers
- Don’t mix and match. Many drug overdoses occur when there is an interaction between a prescription painkiller and another substance, such as alcohol or sedatives, anxiety medications, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants.
If you or a loved one suspect that you are becoming or have become addicted to painkillers, you should contact your doctor and discuss your concerns immediately. Attempting to stop painkillers cold turkey may result in severe withdrawal symptoms that, while not often deadly, can be intense and last for several weeks.
Among the symptoms, addicts may experience diarrhea, abdominal cramping, vomiting, agitation, twitching and tremors, severe bone pain, and intense craving for the drug, according to information published on Spine-Health.com. Getting help for your addiction is the first step toward recovery, and it may save your life.