Opioids can help but also hurt
Opioids are strong medications that can help manage acute pain for a short time. However, when taken long-term, opioids can actually make pain worse.
The risks of taking opioids over a long period of time include addiction and life-threatening breathing problems. In addition, risks include constipation, confusion, forgetfulness, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, sexual problems, irritability, and drug-interaction problems. Taking opioids can cause issues in your daily life, such as relationship, workplace and driving problems.
For these reasons, it is important to take opioids only as long as needed and at the lowest dose possible.
Why taper?
Once you have been taking opioids for a long while, your body gets used to taking them. It is important to slowly lower the dose of opioids you take, called tapering, rather than just stop taking them all at once. This is to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Muscle aches.
- Restlessness.
- Anxiety.
- Pain that gets worse.
- Having a hard time sleeping.
- Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, upset stomach.
This cycle shows what can happen over time when you take opioids.
What is your goal?
Talk with your provider about your goal for tapering. For many people, the goal is to no longer take opioids at all. However, for others, the goal may be to taper opioids until they take the lowest dose of opioid medication that is helpful. Your provider can help you set a goal right for you.
What is your tapering schedule?
Work with your health care provider to set up a schedule for tapering opioids. Talk to your provider about other options besides opioids and how to safely reduce how much opioid medication you take. Use this resource to record your personal opioid tapering plan.
Date ________________________________________
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Use pain management methods while tapering opioids
- Try relaxation therapies, such as deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, mindfulness exercises, yoga, and tai chi.
- Practice healthy sleep habits, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding screen time before bed and using your bed and bedroom only for sleep.
- Add movement to your day, every day. Begin with an amount of movement you are comfortable with. Gradually increase your activity over time.
If you are concerned about still having pain once you no longer take opioids, talk with your provider about ways to manage it that do not include taking medication.
Prevent an overdose!
Talk to your health care provider about keeping something on-hand called naloxone. Naloxone is medication that quickly — but temporarily — reverses an opioid overdose. You may hear naloxone called Narcan™, which is a brand name of a naloxone product.
Even when you take an opioid properly, you can still overdose.
BE PREPARED.
This material is for your education and information only. This content does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. New medical research may change this information. If you have questions about a medical condition, always talk with your health care provider.
- © 2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.
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An authoritative guide to understanding the current opioid crisis in America and how it can be solved.
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