If you have been following the news lately, you are no doubt aware of the “opioid epidemic.” It’s gotten to where there’s been created a special Federal task force to try and handle the problem on a social level. It is indeed a social problem, claiming 40+ lives per day in America due to overdoses alone.
But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. While addiction plays a major role, as well as a range of social ills, the focus here is how these powerful pain pills affect the health of an individual, even if their using the medication is legitimately to manage pain.
Side effects
Upon taking the first pain pill, various side effects may occur. On the relatively benign side of things, individuals may experience drowsiness, nausea and constipation. It gets worse with side effects like spontaneously falling asleep, slowed and labored breathing and even slipping into a coma.
Prolonged use carries with it, of course, the risk of addiction and dependence. This doesn’t just mean a chemical addiction, however. People taking opioids for pain may find their pain tolerance reduced to the point that without taking the medication, they are unable to manage even a slight headache.
When and if people attempt to stop taking the medication, they may experience restlessness, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, bone and muscle cramps and cold chills–generally referred to as withdrawals.
Health risks
Opioids have a negative impact on many of the body’s systems.
In the brain, even limited use acts as a sedative. Individuals may become sleepy, their thoughts may become cloudy, they may experience slowed speech and motor abilities. They become dissociated with those around them and prolonged use has been linked to major depression. Paradoxically, chronic opioid users can develop a condition called hyperalgesia in which they actually become more sensitive to pain.
Opioids slow breathing, depressing the respiratory system and ultimately can deprive the body of sufficient oxygen. In extreme cases, this can lead to loss of consciousness as the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen to remain alert.
Opioid use also slows the digestive system, leading to constipation, weight gain, nausea and vomiting. Prolonged use causes microscopic openings between the cells in the inner lining of the small intestine–a condition known colloquially as “leaky gut” and scientifically as intestinal permeability–which is a major contributor to chronic disease–particularly those diseases related to inflammation (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers, etc.).
These types of medications weaken the immune system, opening individuals up to a greater risk of infection and most chronic diseases. Interestingly, the same cell receptors that respond to opioids also play a role in regulating immune function, meaning opioids keep them too occupied to properly respond to threats to the immune system.
Opioids, particularly ones with acetaminophen (such as Vicodin and Percocet) are very hard on the liver. All medications strain the liver to some degree, requiring it filter out the many toxic elements of the drug, but acetaminophen is especially damaging to the liver.
Heavy, prolonged opioid use (extreme cases) results in a condition called rhabdomyolysis in which muscle fibers break down and dissolve into the bloodstream, which can lead to kidney failure.
Ignoring the cause
Chronic pain has a cause. In some cases–though very few–that cause is genetic. One example would be various sensory neuropathy disorders, which are inherited, and don’t even respond to opioids very well anyway.
Sometimes pain is the result of the medical community’s need to ‘slice n dice.’ A rather common chronic pain is back pain or headaches, both of which might be mitigated by things like chiropractic care, exercise, or simply drinking more water. However, sometimes doctors are quick to prescribe back surgeries, which then result in a lifetime of back pain.
There are so many reasons why someone may be experiencing pain. It is important to seek the source and if there is a solution to THAT problem before resorting to the band-aid that is prescription painkillers. A visit to a functional medicine doctor may be helpful if the source isn’t clear.
The bottom line
Prescription painkillers are a dangerous method of managing pain that not only seems to be wreaking havoc on American society as a whole, taking lives and destroying families, they also damage the health of the individual.
Their use for pain management is an understandable response for those looking for relief from what is often a chronic, unbearable situation. But it is not the ONLY solution.
Follow up this piece with our article on natural painkiller alternatives for a great list of herbs, spices and foods that act as natural painkillers, without side effects and often with same or near-level effectiveness as these dangerous drugs.
