How Can I Tell If My Loved One Is Addicted to Painkillers?
Painkillers, although prescribed with pain management in mind, are highly addictive in nature. If a loved one has been prescribed painkillers, it is easy to wonder about some changes being seen. It can be difficult to tell if a loved one has become addicted to painkillers or if they truly need them for managing acute […]
Painkillers, although prescribed with pain management in mind, are highly addictive in nature. If a loved one has been prescribed painkillers, it is easy to wonder about some changes being seen. It can be difficult to tell if a loved one has become addicted to painkillers or if they truly need them for managing acute or chronic pain.
Opioids
The most common types of addictive painkillers are opioids. Opioids are a class of drugs made from the opium poppy plant. Some opioids are made directly from the plant, while others are synthesized in a lab. Opioids are used in painkillers because they contain ingredients that work to relax the body and relieve pain. When taken, opioids have hallucinogenic and euphoric properties that can cause a person to chase that high repeatedly and become addicted. Common prescription opioids include Oxycodon, Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Codeine, Morphine, Fentanyl, and others. Heroin is the strongest opioid and is never used for prescription medicine due to its highly addictive properties. Heroin is created similarly to prescription opioids, but is produced illegally and is sold much cheaper. Heroin produces a similar euphoric and pain-numbing effect as prescription opioids, although heroin can be more intense. Some people who no longer have access to prescription opioids may switch to using heroin as a way to continue using opioids. Others may start with heroin and switch to prescription opioids if able to.Warning Signs
Opioid painkillers can be misused, even when they are prescribed. Painkillers can be misused by taking the medicine not as prescribed (taking too much or in a way that is not prescribed), taking someone else’s medication, and taking the medicine for its euphoric effects rather than its painkilling effects. Short-term effects of opioid use include:- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Euphoria
- Slowed breathing
- A negative extension of slowed breathing is hypoxia. Hypoxia is a condition in which too little oxygen reaches the brain. Hypoxia’s short and long-term effects are very damaging to the brain, sometimes resulting in cognitive delays, coma, and even death.
