Pain

Genetic Predisposition May Help to Explain Opioid Addiction

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Prevention, Research/Trends/Statistics

In a perfect world, doctors would be able to identify patients who are prone to opioid addiction and prescribe them non-opioid painkillers that wouldn’t lead to dependence. For years, researchers have been trying to advance care to this point by looking for genes that contribute to addiction. There are currently a number of potential candidates, so patients may request genetic testing to see if the carry one or two copies of susceptibility gene variants before deciding on a course of treatment.   What Are Opioids? Opioids are a group of sleep inducing pain relievers that specifically interact with an opioid …

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Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia: How Painkillers Can Paradoxically Cause More Pain

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Drugs and the Brain, Heroin and Opioids, Pain

What is opioid-induced hyperalgesia? Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is the occurrence of increased pain sensitivity in response to opioid administration. In other words, taking opioids in excess and/or for a long period of time has been known to lower the individual’s pain threshold so pain seems worse even if the opioid dose is increased. This phenomenon is often associated with opioid tolerance and opioid inefficiency.   What is the difference between opioid tolerance, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia? “Tolerance” suggests that the drug has progressively stopped causing a pharmacological response, but that the issue can generally be overcome by increasing the dosage. “Opioid-induced hyperalgesia” …

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Fentanyl Patches: Pain Relief Leading to Unintentional Opioid Drug Overuse and Addiction

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Public Health, Research/Trends/Statistics

The increased access to and overuse of painkillers seen in today’s opioid epidemic was the result of past drug policy changes. In the late 1990s, the laws governing the prescription of opioids became relaxed, giving access to populations besides cancer patients with chronic pain. In 2000, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations introduced new pain management standards, and at the same time many physicians were advocating for changes in practice to increase the use of opioids to treat chronic pain. The opioid drug epidemic was highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control in 2015, but it was actually …

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Probuphine: What You Need to Know

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Pain

Probuphine is the first buprenorphine implant for treatment of opioid dependence. It supplies patients with a constant, low-level dose of buprenorphine for six months at a time and is designed to improve patient compliance and outcomes.   What is buprenorphine? Buprenorphine is a drug meant to help relieve cravings during opioid maintenance therapy and heroin detoxification. It is a synthetic opiate, meaning it can “trick” the brain into thinking it’s a real opiate and trigger a similar release of feel-good chemicals to counter withdrawal symptoms. It is also a partial opioid agonist, meaning that it binds to the same receptors …

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Opioid Dependence: Patient Care and Public Health Challenges

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Research/Trends/Statistics, Suboxone Treatment

Non-medical prescription opioid use is a major public health problem. In 2011, 5.1 million people in the United States were using opioids, 4.5 million of whom were using for non-medical purposes and 620,000 of whom were using heroin. 2.2 million of those using opioids were considered clinically dependent. 1.8 million of these dependent individuals were using for non-medical purposes, and 369,000 were using heroin. On the bright side, 750,000 of the nonmedical users sought treatment for their opioid dependence. It is important to recognize that opioid dependence is a chronic disease, not a moral failing. Dependence causes dysfunction in neural …

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Top Seven Misconceptions About Opioid Abuse in Chronic Pain

April 7, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Medical Consequences, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines

Panic and confusion about the opioid endemic are causing the rapid spread of misinformation throughout the United States. Here we debunk some of the most common misconceptions about opioid abuse, especially as it relates to chronic pain.   1. “Addiction” is the same as “physical dependence” or “tolerance.” Addiction is a disease made up of both physical and psychological components. It may include physical dependence or tolerance, but these elements are not required. Physical dependence is characterized by withdrawal symptoms upon cessation, or by the development of tolerance in which an increase in substance use is necessary to achieve an …

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Should Others Tell Us if We Are in Pain?

April 6, 2020 / Pain, Public Health

The perception of pain is a complex issue that has prompted a wide variety of research investigations. In light of the new, stricter opioid guidelines, and because there is no way to objectively rank pain at this time, healthcare professionals are prescribing opioids conservatively and sometimes to a fault. Anti-opioid campaigns have unfortunately shifted the focus from patient care to regulation adherence. Those individuals suffering with pain, especially chronic pain, are unable to provide evidence of their ailment and often go untreated as a result. Physicians need to take time to listen to and thoroughly assess each patient before deciding …

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What is Fentanyl?

April 7, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Research/Trends/Statistics

Fatal drug overdose rates are on the rise, and synthetic opioid “fentanyl” is partially to blame.   What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid analgesic and anesthetic, known commercially as Sublimaze, Durogesic, Duragesic, Fentanyl citrate, PriCara, Lazanda, Nasalfent, Subsys, or Actavis. It is a full, mu-opioid receptor agonist, which means that the drug binds to mu opioid receptors in the brain to stimulate endorphin production. Binding causes the release of endorphins and an increase of dopamine in the central nervous system. These phenomena cause analgesia (pain relief), euphoria, relaxation, etc.   When is Fentanyl Prescribed? Who Should Take …

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Alternative/Integrative Medicine Finally Becoming More Mainstream

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Holistic Care and Treatment, Pain

Holistic lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, meditation, etc., have been shown to improve health and sometimes even reverse certain disorders. As opioid overdoses and fatalities become more commonplace, physicians and patients alike are turning to these alternative/integrative solutions for their medical problems. This is an important shift for mainstream medicine, as the focus has historically been on medication and surgical options. This pharmacological option is still viable in many cases but encouraging consideration of alternatives, especially for patients with chronic pain, is sure to at least somewhat decrease the prevalence of opioids in our society. Read more about this …

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This Treatment Could Alleviate Chronic Pain Without Opioid Medications

April 7, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Prevention

Individuals with chronic pain are increasingly demanding alternative/integrative treatments and attempting to avoid opioids when possible. While opioids can be great for short-term use, their long-term potential for addiction is concerning and a major contributing factor in the current opioid crisis. Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington are working on a new electronic stimulation device that will hopefully serve as an opioid-free method of pain management. The wireless device stimulates neurons deep in the brain’s pleasure center to cause the release of dopamine and reduce the sensation of pain. Click here to learn more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/electrical-stimulation-brain-chronic-pain_us_57028d58e4b0a06d58062cbc

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