Opioids for Chronic Pain: Understanding Physical Dependence

Opioids for Chronic Pain: Understanding Physical Dependence – Physical dependence is not exactly the same as addiction. But they are closely related. Physical dependence can make it very difficult for people to quit taking opioids. The withdrawal is not life threatening- but people will often feel sick when they try to taper off. Drug companies and their physician spokesmen often minimize the discomfort associated with physical dependence, claiming that patients can be easily tapered off of opioids. Sometimes they compare physical dependence on opioids to other drugs that can produce withdrawal symptoms like caffeine, blood pressure medicine and antidepressants. These comparisons are unfair because discontinuing opioids is usually more difficult. For many patients, discontinuing opioids can be difficult, even when they are slowly tapered.

Sask. man recalls fight back from addiction's darkness

Filed under: withdrawal addiction

“It was nice because it alleviated the withdrawal symptoms,” he explained. “I didn't really crave any of that ever again after I had gone onto the methadone, so the methadone programs really did work.” Methadone used for opioid addiction treatment …
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Hockey withdrawal

Filed under: withdrawal addiction

I've been finding ways to cope without the NHL, but I've discovered that it's an addiction and I need my fix. I started the year by watching the Rochester Americans, and that lasted for awhile, but it's just not the same. It's not NHL hockey. It's not …
Read more on Hockeybuzz.com (blog)

Thanksgiving Day meal: Feast or a fix?

Filed under: withdrawal addiction

Drug addicts in withdrawal can get the shakes, become paranoid, or be driven to violence. People who eat too much at Thanksgiving sleep through the football game. The "cookies-are-crack" theory sprouts from the fact that food affects the brain's …
Read more on Tulsa World