| Normally pain medication is used as a short-term solution to manage acute pain. |
| This means the type of pain that occurs due to injury, trauma or damage to the body, such as nerve damage or broken limbs. After 3-6 months the original damage has usually healed or settled as much as it is going to. |
| The pain that is felt then is due to the body becoming sensitive and giving off pain in an uncontrolled way. It is important to find different ways of managing this long-term pain. Inflammatory pain – such as arthritis – can be different, as it may be due to continuing damage to the body. In this case, medication aims to limit damage and treat the cause. This might include anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or steroids. Unfortunately, some people have increasing discomfort and levels of pain, which has led them to be prescribed opioid pain medication such as Codeine, Tramadol or Morphine. If they are taken for more than 3 months, they can often cause more problems than they resolve and increase the risk of addiction. Real people have shared their stories about how their lives have been affected by long-term pain medication use. Clive’s arthritic fingers and feet led him to be prescribed Tramadol and a five-year journey that needed a six-month withdrawal before feeling normal. “I was shocked when I realised just how much of an impact this drug had had on my life. I had to admit to myself that it wasn’t ‘normal’ to feel warm while wearing just a t-shirt, outside in County Durham, in the winter. And I had become a recluse. I’d make excuses why I didn’t want to see people or invite friends round or go and meet anyone! Previously I’d been really sociable and now, it was the last thing I wanted to do. My wife put it down to simply getting older, but it wasn’t that!” Of course, inflammatory pain may still need to be treated with medication, but if you have been taking opioid pain medication like Clive for more than 3 months you should book a review with your GP team. Together you’ll agree on a plan of how to manage your pain and reduce the dangers of addiction and the side effects of long-term opioid use. Get support You can find more information on booking a review and what will happen when you do on the Painkillers Don’t Exist website. There you’ll also find more resources and support on how to manage your long-term pain. |
SWF Health & Social Care Group 