What Causes Addiction To Pain Meds?

Addiction to pain medication has been a growing concern during the past decade. Pain pills are more widely prescribed than before and a lot of patients do not realize they are becoming addicted until they experience withdrawal symptoms.

There are many different kinds of pain meds that can cause addiction. You have probably heard about morphine, methadone, Fentany or OxyContin. All these medications are commonly used to treat chronic pain in patients and sometimes to help patients deal with an addiction to heroin.

Tolerance is common with opioids. This means that patients get used to the dose of pain medication they take and the dose stops being efficient. Their doctor can decide to increase the dosage or switch them to a different pain medication. It is likely the patient will end up developing tolerance to the new medication or to the new dosage.

Pain medications tamper with the receptors that detect pain. They basically make these receptors unable to communicate the sensation of pain to the brain. Everyone has a different brain chemistry and will respond differently to pain med. For about 10 to 15% of the patients who take pain medication for long periods of time, the medication's effect on the pain receptor makes them feel euphoric.

When taken by people who do not experience pain, these medications can cause a form of high. The person will feel euphoric, not have any worries and generally feel good. It is estimated that 7 million people in the U.S. take pain medications for recreational purposes.

Not everyone becomes addicted to pain medication. It is however very important to monitor your behavior while on these medications. Meet with your doctor regularly to talk about the doses you are taking and the way the medication makes you feel. Treatments exist for individuals who become addicted to pain medications.