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Closeup of a man's hand holding opioids.
Behavioral Health

Understanding the Risks of Opioids

Since the mid 1990s, the United States has faced a growing opioid epidemic. During this time, hundreds of thousands of Americans have developed a drug dependence, overdosed, or died from opioid medications.

The effects aren’t just physical. Opioids can be incredibly addictive, and dependence on them can cost people their jobs and reputations. It can also isolate people from their family and friends. Opioid dependence can lead even the most honorable people into a life of ill judgment, bad decisions, and crime.

Here’s what to understand about the purposes and dangers of opioids.

What Are Opioids?

Opioids are a general class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant or created in a lab to produce the same effects. The main purpose of opioids is pain relief, but many opioids also leave the user feeling incredibly relaxed, and even high.

Opioids are effective for treating certain types of pain, especially for individuals who have not had adequate pain control with non-opioid medications. 

You might be prescribed opioids if you:

  • Just had surgery
  • Broke a bone
  • Experience kidney stones
  • Have cancer
  • Had a recent accident or traumatic injury
  • Or other cases in which there may be moderate to severe pain

Commonly prescribed opioids include:

  • Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco)
  • Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Endocet)
  • Oxymorphone (Opana)
  • Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian, Oramorph SR)
  • Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
  • Fentanyl (Duragesic)
  • Codeine (Tylenol with Codeine)

The street drug heroin is an illicit opioid, and it is never used as a medicine in the United States. Fentanyl may be prescribed for pain, however illicit forms of fentanyl may be found on the street and contain larger amounts of fentanyl than what is contained in the prescribed form.

A woman consults her doctor about opioids.

What to Do When Using Opioids

If you are a patient who has been prescribed opioids, always ask if there is another medication or therapy available. For example, if you have been prescribed opioids for back pain, ask if physical therapy, or a drug like aspirin or ibuprofen is a better choice. Pain patients may also benefit from alternative/complementary treatments such as trigger point injections, massage, and even behavioral therapy. If your doctor doesn’t want to discuss alternatives, get a second opinion.

However, if you and your doctor thoughtfully decide an opioid prescription is the most appropriate treatment, simple precautions can help ensure you are using them properly and not putting yourself, or anyone else, at risk.

Be sure to:

  • Take your medication exactly as prescribed.
  • Educate yourself about the health risks and signs of abuse.
  • Never lend your medication to anyone else.
  • Keep your medication somewhere safe and out of reach of children.
  • Ask your doctor for naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal medication) to have in case of emergencies.
  • Tell all your health care providers about the medications you’re taking.
  • If you have extra, contact your pharmacy to learn about safe disposal.
  • When it’s time to stop, make a withdrawal plan with your doctor.

If not properly discontinued, some may have withdrawal symptoms and begin to seek illicit opioid use. It is important to be aware that illicit substances and non-prescribed opioids have many dangers including containing counterfeit substances or contamination with fentanyl, methamphetamines, or animal tranquilizers. 

Under no circumstances should an individual purchase or use opioids outside of a medical context and without clear instruction from a certified health care provider.

Understanding the Dangers

Part of why opioids are so addictive is how they affect your brain. Opioids help produce endorphins, which block pain and make you feel good. Over time, your brain may stop producing its own endorphins, and thus taking more drugs becomes the only way to feel good. The longer this continues, the less effective opioids will be at numbing the pain, so you’ll need more to get the same effects. This is called dependence.

Opioid misuse is defined as taking opioids in any way other than how a doctor prescribes. For example, taking a higher dosage, or, instead of taking them as pills, crushing and inhaling them, or taking prescriptions that aren’t yours. Because opioids are so powerful, any of these practices can lead to an overdose or even death.

Addiction is defined as compulsive drug use, no matter what the consequences are. Dependence and addiction often go hand-in-hand, and addiction can often lead to misuse, though not everyone who misuses a drug is considered to have developed an addiction. 

An overdose occurs when someone takes too much of a drug. Opioids affect the part of the brain that controls breathing, and during an overdose, breathing can slow down or stop, leading to seizures, respiratory failure, and even death.

Any one of these dangers can happen in a short period, even with a low dosage. This is why it’s critical for individuals with a prescription to work closely with their health care team. If you or a loved one is taking opioids, whether prescribed or street-obtained, ask your provider for naloxone, a life-saving medication. Naloxone is an opioid reversal drug used when someone experiences an overdose. Naloxone is covered by many insurances or, when available, provided free of cost to patients. 

All Your Care, Under One Roof

AltaMed physicians and pharmacists take an active role in helping to prevent opioid misuse and dependence. When you receive care at AltaMed, electronic health records let our physicians collaborate and share information, so you’re never prescribed more than you need. Your pharmacist will ensure your medications don’t interact with each other, and that you know exactly what you’re taking.

AltaMed also has Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) services, a comprehensive program that provides treatment, counseling, coordination of care, and support for individuals with opioid, alcohol, or other substance dependence. Our MAT team includes physicians, pharmacists, case managers, patient navigators, therapists, and more to provide the care and support to ensure recovery.

Call (888) 499-9303 to learn about your options and get started.

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Understanding the Risks of Opioids