Painkiller Addiction Treatment

When Painkiller Use Becomes a Problem

Painkillers are prescription (or sometimes over the counter) medications that are used for a number of conditions. 

Sometimes the problem starts after treatment following an accident or when they are given for a short term problem, such as a painful back, but you become reliant on them. 

Often, long term use of Painkillers is pointless as they can't address the underlying problem. 

Aside from that, due to the way the brain processes the medication, when you take them for a period of time, it readjusts to their prescence. 

You will need larger amounts to have the same effect as the original dose. 

If you stop (or reduce too quickly) the brain will struggle to readjust and while it does, it sends out incorrect chemical messaging. It is this that causes the symptoms known as withdrawal. 

Signs that it may be time to seek help can include: 

* Taking more painkillers than prescribed or stated on the 
   packet
* Finding it difficult to cut down or stop 
* Strong urges to take the medicine
* Spending increasing time taking painkillers or sourcing 
   them
* Continuing to take them despite the problems they cause
* Feeling unwell when the dose is reduced or you miss one.

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Why You Should Not Stop Painkillers Suddenly  

Stopping Painkillers abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms can include: 

* Spiking anxiety 
* Severe muscle aches
* Profuse sweating
* Extreme nausea and vomiting
* Explosive diarrhea
* Continuous runny nose and streaning eyes
* Fever
* Rapid heartbeat
* Overwhelming cravings


These can start within 6 hours of your last dose. 

All NHS GP's are private companies who are commissioned by the NHS. 

NHS commissioners are now requiring GP's to reduce/stop painkiller prescriptions where there is no clinical need. 

This can lead to some difficult conversations. 

Avoiding GP letters and appointments will only mean your dose is reduced/stop without any discussion. 

There are various tapering schedules that can be used. 

What you take, how you take it and for how long are all important factors when your GP agrees a reduction plan with you. 

There are often much safer, non addictive alternatives that actually provide more pain relief. 

What Does Painkiller Addiction Treatment Involve? 

Painkillers, Alcohol and Other  Sedating Drugs 

Free Clinician Led Advice

Find Me a Rehab is an entirely addiction clinician led advisory, signposting and referral service. 

The service is entirely free to use and completely confidential.  It's clinicians have many decades experience across private rehabs, outpatient services, NHS and local authority funded addiction services, prisons, private hospitals and other treatment settings. 

Find Me a Rehab states that it only signposts clients to Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered services. 

Private treatment may not be the right option for you. 

If it isn't, don't worry! Our clinicians have a database  of every local authority funded (free to use) service in the UK as well as charity and 3rd sector provision. 

The NHS does not provide Painkiller addiction treatment, directly, rather when they are commissioned by local authorities to do so for residents in their area. 

You can learn more about Find Me a Rehab and how the referral system works before making an enquiry. 

• What pain killers can become addictive?

  In short any opioid based medication (and opioid like agents) can become addictive, some examples are:

   

  • Codeine phosphate
  • Buprenorphine
  • (Butrans,temgesic,Buplast,Bupeaze,Bupramyl,Butec,Hapoctasin,Panitaz,Prenotrix,Reletrans,Relevtec,Sevodyne,Transtec)
    Co-Codamol (Kapake,Solpadol,Codipar,Migraleve Yellow,Panadol ultra,Solpadeine Max,Solpadol,Zapan,Paracodal,Tylex, Galcodine, Diamorphine)
  • Dihydrocodeine (Eroset,Remedeine)
  • Dipipanone
  • Fentanyl (Abstral,Effentora,Instanyl,Pecfent,Recivit)
  • Hydromorphone (Palladone)
  • Meptazinol (Meptid)
  • Morphine (MST, MXL)
  • Oxycodone (Lynlor,Targinact)
  • Papaveretum
  • Pentazocine
  • Pethidine
  • Sufentanil
  • Tapentadol
  • Tramadol (Brimisol PR,Involdol SR,Mabron,Maneo,Marol,Tilodol SR,Tradorec XL,Tramuleif SR,Zamadol 24HR, Zeridame SR, Zydol SR,Zydol XL, Zytram SR,Maxitram SR)

• What are the signs of addiction to pain killers?

  While the length of time you take pain killers for and your personal history play a role, it is impossible to predict who will become dependent and who will not. Legally obtained or sought on the parallel market, it matters not. Pain killer dependency is now responsible for the majority of overdose related fatalities. Those with a history of mental health challenges are more pre-disposed.
  ​
  Addiction is not something people set out to do. Often people take pain killers due to debilitating pain and are frightened to stop taking them out of the fear that the pain will return. Pain killers

• Why are opioids highly addictive?

  Opioids and opioid like agents activate very powerful reward centres in the brain. When taken, they activate the release of endorphins: The brains feel-good neurotransmitters. When these are released your perception of pain is altered and there are enhanced feelings of pleasure, which leads to a temporary, but very powerful, sense of
  ​
  Opioids are highly addictive, in large part because they activate powerful reward centres in your brain. They can trigger the release of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Endorphins muffle your perception of pain and boost feelings of pleasure, creating a temporary but powerful sense of well-being. When an opioid dose wears off, you may find yourself wanting those good feelings back, as soon as possible. This is the first milestone on the path toward potential addiction.

• Can I have home treatment for Painkiller addiction?

  Possibly but unlikely. 

  When you reduce your use of Painkillers, the brain, which had adjusted to you using them, can’t cope with the immediate change. 

  While it adjusts, it sends out incorrect chemical messaging. This is what causes the symptoms known as withdrawal. 

  When you experience withdrawals your brain tells you what you already know: Taking painkillers will stop the withdrawals. 

  The problem is, you are going to take an amount you think will settle you.  

  As soon as you stop  taking Painkillers, your brain’s ability to process them reduces. This means your brain can not tolerate as many as you use to take which leads to an accidental overdose. This can be fatal. 

  Treatment at home can be too great a risk to manage. 

   

• Why is my GP reducing my Painkiller prescription?

  All NHS GP’s are private companies who services are commissioned (and paid for) by the NHS. 

  Part of the contract between the NHS and GP surgeries is reducing/stopping Painkiller prescriptions where there is no clear clinical need. 

  The NHS monitors data (not your private medical records) on the prescribing of Painkillers and there are financial penalties for those surgeries who do not commit to this process. 

  Your GP is there to help you and there are alternatives to Painkillers that can actually give you more pain relief. 

   

• Are there alternatives to Painkillers to manage pain?

  Yes. 

  Painkillers certainly have their uses, when they are used for a short period and appropriately prescribed. 

  They can block pain pathways when you break a bone or have kidney stones but they don’t fix the problem: They can’t. 

  The problem with Painkillers, especially when used for backpain, is that they stop people getting to the root of the problem and prevents them dealing with the source of the pain. 

  Your brain becomes used to you taking them and adjusts. One of the follow on’s from this is that you will need more and more Painkillers in order to have the same effect as the dose you started with. 

  Many antidepressants have been shown, in many research papers, to have a far greater ability to manage pain than Painkillers. 

  There are multiple scientific research papers that show the prescription drug Duloxetine to be far more effective than Gabapentin and Pregabalin. 

   

• Why do I need residential rehab for Painkiller addiction?

  When you take Painkillers on a consistent basis, over a period of time, your brain becomes used to them when they hit the receptors. 

  To manage, the brain adjusts. This is known as a state of tolerance. 

  When this happens you will need more and more to have the same effect as when you first started. 

  If you stop taking Painkillers (or reduce too quickly) your brain will struggle to readjust in a hurry. While it does adjust, it will send out incorrect chemical messaging. This is what causes symptoms known as withdrawal. 

  Your brain will tell you what you already know: If you take Painkillers you will stop feeling ill. This is known as craving. 

  The problem is, your brains tolerance will have dropped: Massively. 

  You will take the amount you think you will need to stop feeling ill which is why people accidentally overdose. 

  If you try and manage this at home you run the very significant risk of an accidental overdose. 

  In residential rehab you have the four essential elements for recovery in one place: 

  • Detox: under medical supervision with 24/7 support
  • Therapy: Getting to grips with why you became addicted and tackling underlying causes means you have a much stronger chance of staying abstinent
  • Relapse prevention: Knowing how to tackle tricky situations will help you when you go home
  • Aftercare: Every centre in the UK offers an aftercare group, weekly, for those who have completed treatment. This is either on site, or by remote video conferencing if you live a distance away. 

• Can I go Cold Turkey with Painkiller addiction?

  No. 

  Never try and do this. 

  Forget what you see on television and in the movies. 

  Locking yourself in a room with some bottled water, a sick bucket and some toilet roll is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. 

  You are going to experience very significant withdrawals and cravings. 

  It was often thought that the withdrawals from Painkillers was not significant. There have been documented cases of fatalities when people try and treat themselves. 

  One of the symptoms of withdrawals is extreme dehydration and diarrhea. This can not be treated simply by drinking water. In fact, that can just make things worse. Left untreated, this can be fatal. 

  One of the biggest problems with trying to treat yourself is that, without the correct medical intervention and psychological support you are at extreme risk of succumbing to the cravings. 

  You will take an amount you think you need to settle yourself. 

  The problem is, since you stopped taking painkillers, your brain has re-adjusted and simply won’t be able to tolerate the amount you used to take. 

  This is why people, accidentally, overdose. 

• Can my GP reduce my Painkiller prescription without my agreement?

  Yes. 

  NHS GP practices are private companies whose services are commissioned by the NHS. 

  As the NHS are paying they can set parameters. 

  NHS commissioners look at data and prescribing trends (not your private medical records). 

  They set targets for GP’s to reduce the inappropriate prescribing (especially repeat prescribing) of Painkillers. 

  Your GP will invite you in for an appointment. 

  They want to work with you and will, within certain parameters, agree a reduction plan and, where appropriate, an alternative medication. 

  If you do not attend they will start to reduce and then stop your prescription. 

  There is no right to expect your GP to continue to provide Painkillers. 

  While you may be given them in hospital and on discharge from hospital, no one can instruct your GP to continue to provide them.  

• How long do I need to go into rehab for Painkiller addiction treatment?

  The length of time you need in rehab for Painkiller addiction depends on multiple factors, including: 

  • What Painkiller you have been taking
  • How long you have been taking it
  • What you have been taking it for
  • Medical and psychological health history 
  • Current prescribed/non prescribed medication 
  • Drug and alcohol use

  The overriding factor is your safety. 

  The minimum admission time has to cover the period of time you will need to safely detox. 

  This is, nearly always, four weeks but could be less, in certain circumstances. 

  If a centre provided a shorter admission and you left with cravings, you are likely to take an accidental overdose because you will want to steady yourself. 

  The absolute minimum admission period is 7 days but that would be rare. 

• Is there a rapid detox for Painkiller addiction?

  Yes. 

  As addiction clinicians we would advise, very strongly, against this but we understand why people want to do it. 

  This type of rapid detox is only for Opioid painkiller addiction and is a significant medical procedure. 

  It can only be done in a private hospital and involves being sedated while also being given large doses of an opioid reversal agent. 

  There is no psychological support involved. 

  The issue that we, as clinicians, have is that you will not be addressing why you were addicted, there is no therapy, relapse prevention or aftercare.