Category Archives: Pain Management

How Bad Is Opioid Withdrawal

Posted on March 10, 2024 | Comments Off on How Bad Is Opioid Withdrawal

There is an informative video by Sarah Wakeman on the physical and psychological perils of severe opioid withdrawal. Sarah is a Medical Director at Mass General Brigham. They are an integrated health care system that conduct medical research, teaching, and patient care.

In the video, Sarah explains how opioid withdrawal can become so severe with diarrhea and vomiting that individuals can die from extensive dehydration. As physicial dependency progresses, the brain becomes increasingly imbalanced and unable to function without the presence of opioids.

When opioid withdrawal commences (usually 8-12 hours after last use), it becomes increasingly unbearable as the body is flushed with stress hormones. The withdrawal discomfort builds in intensity over days, and can last up to a week or more. For many, this withdrawal process feels akin to a severe case of the flu, but then potentially reaches levels of sickness even far beyond that.

In the video, Sarah goes on to discuss the benefits of methadone and buprenorphine in reducing severe withdrawal symptoms and in helping patients to ultimately not die from overdose. She also illuminates on how rational decision-making is so extremely difficult when struggling against the intense pain of opioid withdrawal.

Please check this video out, and share it with anyone you believe can benefit from its message.

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Opiate Withdrawal, Opioid Treatment, Pain Management, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone

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Prescription Drug Addiction Among Affluent Women

Posted on March 8, 2014 | Comments Off on Prescription Drug Addiction Among Affluent Women

women-in-addictionAn interesting post was made on the DrugFree.org website related to a recent survey which found that the primary drug of abuse among “affluent” addicted women was prescription opioids or heroin.

The definition of affluent included those whose annual family income exceeded $100,000. Of those who entered treatment for their addiction, 61% of them identified prescription opioids as their predominant addiction problem. 

The survey found that 70% of those who developed an addiction reported that their initial use was related to a prescription of legal medications for the treatment of pain or emotional problems.

The opioid epidemic has shown how universal addiction problems actually are by transcending all types of assumed barriers and biases. Opioid addiction is a very clear brain disease and poses risk, even in prescribed legitimate uses, to those individuals with no prior addiction-related problems or high risk behaviors.

For individuals receiving prescription pain medication, it is imperative that they have a thoughtful and candid discussion with their prescribing physician about the recommended dosage and length of time a particular pain medication is to be taken. Many physicians are highly assertive with their patients and do an excellent job of informing them of potential risks. Conversely, some physicians do not regularly educate patients on key medication issues often providing no more than a printout of medication information. Tramadol 50 mg is the optimal dose for treatment of pain related to psoriatic arthritis I have. After I bought the drug at the local drugstore, I realized I will not afford it anymore, so started searching for alternatives. Generic Tramadol offered by is exactly what I was looking for. The best quality drug at a competitive cost.

With prescription opioids, it is essential that medical professionals take the necessary time to fully inform consumers of the potential for developing a dependency on the medication. Patients need to maintain an awareness of a medication’s addictive potential. It is also vitally important that opioid prescriptions in particular be safeguarded from children & teenagers, and then properly destroyed when no longer being taken. See the Flip The Script facebook page for more information on this important topic.

As we move forward through 2014, it seems likely that we will hear more in the news media about the proliferation of opioid addiction and associated costs and consequences. Sharing your concerns with family and friends is one way to help insure that more people remain aware of the risks. Sustaining the discussion on opioid addiction and medication-assisted treatment (methadone, suboxone, naltrexone) is a worthwhile ambition.

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Posted in Methadone, Opiate Addiction, Pain Management, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone

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Zohydro Pain Medication Causes Alarm

Posted on March 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Zohydro Pain Medication Causes Alarm

zohydro-opiate-medicationZohydro ER (extended release) is a new opioid-based pain medication just recently approved by the FDA and scheduled to be released for use in March of 2014. More than 40 healthcare organizations, advocacy groups, and physicians have come forward in a desperate appeal to the FDA to revoke the approval of Zohydro ER.

The medication is touted to be many times more potent than standard dosage hydrocodone, and the mounting fear is that Zohydro could lead to immediate abuse and overdose deaths across the country. This concern is in part stemming from the recent explosion in heroin use in the United States and the steady increase in opioid overdose fatalities that has emerged in the last five years.

One characteristic of Zohydro that presents increased risk is that it can be easily crushed and then snorted or injected. The medication was designed specifically for special pain management scenarios in which standard pain management interventions are not effective.

The manufacturers of Oxycontin brought a reformulated version to market some years ago that made if difficult for individuals to crush Oxycontin and misuse it. However, Zohydro was not designed with this tamper-resistant technology included.

Among the professional groups expressing grave concern over Zohydro is ASAM (the American Society of Addiction Medicine). Of particular note too is the fact that 28 State Attorney Generals have urged the Food and Drug Administration to re-examine their decision to approve the drug.

In lieu of the present opioid addiction epidemic that is sweeping the nation, it would seem that Zohydro will likely undergo some modification to insure less abuse potential. To see the drug removed from the market, before it has an irreversible harmful impact, is a goal around which most reasonable people can agree.

For additional reading on the escalation in prescription opioid addiction, review Black Market For Painkillers.

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Posted in Drug Safety, Methadone, Opiate Prescription, Pain Management, Suboxone

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