Managing Chronic Pain Without Opioids

It is possible to Manage Chronic Pain Without Opioids. Indeed, the more you take them, and the longer you take them for, the less useful they become.

Opioids do not cure pain: They merely relief the symptoms. They do not treat the cause. If you keep taking them, the underlying reason for your pain still exists. Opioids have there use, but they should only be used for a very short period of time.

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians who have helped hundreds of patients to come off opioid medication. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice call. We provide Free 24 Hour Addiction Advice.

In time, you will become dependent on them and obtaining them will take up a lot of your time. Whether it is trying to convince your doctor that you lost them on a bus, trying to buy them online or meeting a dealer in a dark alley at 3 AM. Some people will try and use other drugs such as Ketamine: Don’t. You are putting yourself at very serious risk of a medical emergency and will cause permanent damage to your bladder. You will soon become addicted to it, too.

Chronic pain exists: Fact. Millions of people, across the world, live with it. It can decimate your quality of life. However, the risks that go hand in hand with opioids (and increasingly Gabapentinoids) are now endemic. Opioid overdose can be fatal. Non opioid alternatives are available. They are safer and will be as effective, if not even more so.

It may seem a good addition to a Hollywood script, but asking friends and family to lock you in a room with a bucket, toilet roll and a bottle of water is not a good idea. Indeed, it can be incredibly dangerous: sometimes fatal.

When you take Opioids they sit on the Opioid receptors in the brain and open up chemical channels. When this happens, naturally occurring chemicals flow through the body and this is why you feel relief from pain. You also feel a sense of warmth and wellbeing.

In time, your brain develops a tolerance to these opioids: It gets used to their presence. If you suddenly stop taking them, or reduce the amount you take, you will go into withdrawal. Very quickly, you will loose tolerance to opioids. This means that if you can not tolerate the withdrawals you will be prone to take a larger amount of opioids than you can tolerate, while you only intend to stave off the withdrawals. You put yourself at serious risk of overdose and death. The cravings will soon become too powerful to resist.

Your GP may well be under pressure from the local clinical commission group (who contract GP services) to reduce the prescribing of opioids. As such they may invite you in for a consultation with a view to a reduction, a referral to physiotherapy , a pain specialist or a variety of services.

Chronic pain can be due to neuropathic conditions, inflammatory damage and musculoskeletal pain. Several chronic conditions can be responsible for chronic pain, including:

• Fibromyalgia
• Neuropathy
• Back pain

Chronic pain is debilitating. It’s effect on peoples lives can not be under stated. It doesn’t just affect your physical health but your mental wellbeing and all aspects of your life. Stress, anxiety and depression make chronic pain worse.

Managing Chronic Pain Without Opioids

Lifestyle Modifications

There are things you can do to reduce and manage chronic pain that do not rely on opioids:

Exercise: Regular exercise can significantly reduce pain. Always start slowly after consulting your GP.

Diet: Certain foods contain natural anti-inflammatory properties. Foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids , as well as foods rich in whole grains can help reduce inflammation. Being overweight can make chronic pain worse.

Sleep: Good quality sleep can be a real bonus in reducing chronic pain.

Reducing stress: Avoiding stress and learning how to manage it can help reduce pain.

Non-Pharmacological Treatments

Managing chronic pain often means using various strategies, among them:

• Physiotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Acpuncture
• Mindfulness

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians who have helped hundreds of patients to come off opioid medication. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice call. We provide Free 24 Hour Addiction Advice.

Non-Opioid Medications

Opioids are not the only pain medication available. There are non-opioid medications available including Nonsteroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) as well as Topical pain relief in the form of creams and gels.

Modern day antidepressants, as well as some older type ones have been shown to be very effective for chronic pain. Anticonvulsants are also licenced for help with nerve pain. Unlike opioids, you do not develop tolerance to these.

Advanced Solutions

Where non-opioid medications and interventions such as physiotherapy don’t bring relief, there are some medical procedure that can help:

• Nerve block injections: These block pain signals
• Corticosteroids : Injections to reduce pain and inflammation
• Ablation (radiofrequency) : Treatment with heat to disable nerve fibres that carry pain signals.
• Spinal cord stimulation: Surgical implant devices that send signals to the spinal cord that interrupts pain signals.

Opioid Substitution Therapy

Coming off opioids it not easy. You and your GP will be able to discuss a reduction plan but it will be difficult. For many , it is too difficult to do at home. This is where rehab centres come in. Addiction is addiction : It matters not what you take or why. Everyone is welcome in rehab.

Addictions clinicians at a rehab centre will work with you to draw up a collaborative treatment plan which may include a taper off using your prescribed opioid or a switch to a opioid substitute medication. The therapy team will work with you to identify unresolved trauma, help you to learn how to manage stress and provide lots of techniques for self management.

The nursing team, in collaboration with your clinician, will monitor you for withdrawals and provide adjunctive medication to help. When you leave, there will be aftercare, for a minimum of 12 months.

How can Find Me a Rehab Help?

Our experienced addictions clinicians have decades of experience treating patients coming off opioid medications. They have worked in the majority of the UK’s rehab centres, as well as prisons, the NHS, statutory services and private hospitals. We do not charge for advice or referrals.

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians who have helped hundreds of patients to come off opioid medication. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice call. We provide Free 24 Hour Addiction Advice.

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