Can you use opioids safely?

Prescription opioids used for pain relief are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by your health care provider. However, people who take opioids are at risk for opioid dependence, addiction, and overdose. These risks increase when opioids are misused.

How are opioids healthy?

When used as directed by your doctor, opioid medications safely help control acute pain, such as pain you experience after surgery. There are risks, though, when the medications are used incorrectly. Opioids are a broad group of pain-relieving drugs that work by interacting with opioid receptors in your cells.

Should opioids be used long-term?

Opioids can lead to long-term medical side effects, including making chronic pain more difficult to control. After a short trial of opioid treatment, your doctor will only continue prescribing these medications if regular checkups show the benefits outweigh the harm in your case.

When should you not use opioids?

In most cases, acute pain — such as pain that follows surgery or a bone fracture — is not severe enough to require opioids for more than three days. Avoid or delay prescribing opioids for chronic pain. These medications are not often safe or effective for chronic pain unrelated to cancer or cancer treatments.

Is OxyContin still prescribed for chronic pain?

OxyContin was and still is approved by the FDA as safe and effective for its intended use. Health-care experts are still currently advocating the use of prescription opioids to treat chronic pain. Purdue’s medicines can only be obtained lawfully through a physician’s prescription.

What are the symptoms of taking too many painkillers?

Symptoms of an overdose include:

• Nausea or vomiting.
• Burning in the throat or stomach.
• Pain in the stomach.
• Fever.
• Dizziness.
• Fast eye movements.
• Tiredness.
• Bleeding or bruising.

When should you start long-acting opioids?

Long-term opioid use often begins with treatment of acute pain. When opioids are used for acute pain, clinicians should prescribe the lowest effective dose of immediate-release opioids and should prescribe no greater quantity than needed for the expected duration of pain severe enough to require opioids.