NEWSBRIEF: A new study published in The Journal of Pain suggests that opioid medications may lead to an increased sensitivity to some types of pain.
In the study, pain patients taking both methadone and morphine both had hyperalgesia, which is an exaggerated response to pain. Hyperalgesia is one of the key features of fibromyalgia.
Opiate-containing painkillers, such as Vicodin (hydrocodone) or Percocet (oxycodone), are ineffective for many people with fibromyalgia. However, they are effective pain treatments for some people with the condition.
(Guide Note: This study raises the question of whether opiates may be doing us more harm than good - providing some temporary pain relief while also increasing pain sensitivity, thereby leading to more long-term pain.)
Related Content: Drug Treatments for Fibromyalgia
I think that the conservative use of opiates in addition to nerve pain medication can provide great relief. Long-term opiate use in chronic pain patients is rarely a problem in terms of addiction. With the appropriate medical care they can be lifesavers.
I have taken Vicodin, usually two at a time every six hours, and have found that I do not have a problem with increased pain. I just wish that the Vicodin would work predictably, and work EVERY time. Most times it takes the edge off the pain, but I would love to be pain free for at least a little while! (Being pain free seems to be a goal I may not be able to meet!)
I have taken opioids for years now. I have never had a problem of any sort with them. The only problem I had was my doctor who decided to stop them! He tried me on gabapentin which did nothing for the pain and gave me horrific side effects. Blue mice swimming in my aquarium were not funny! He has now had to admit defeat and put me back on them. All I can say is if they bring relief and don’t cause this extra pain that seems to be the new topic, take them!!!
I STRONGLY agree to what all 3 of you have said. I’ve been on hydrocodone for years with out a problem. Sometimes it alleviates most of the pain, sometimes it only takes the edge off. Depends on the day – but I would disagree that opiates/opioids increase pain sensitivity. Sounds to me like the DEA funded this study for it’s war on pain patients!! grrr
I suffered from migraine and tension-type headaches every day for 18 years until I finally gave up on neurologists and went to pain management specialists. I was put on a fentanyl patch and given percocet immediately. I have now been free from headaches for six months! They do not free me from all pain related to CFIDS but it is magic to no longer suffer those headaches. And yet none of my neurologists wanted to try this even after all my years of ineffective “preventive” medication.
I have fibro, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve been on Oxycotin for 3 years now and without it I’d be in so much pain. My rheumatologist tried other pain meds first that did nothing, so I finally went to a Pain Doc and when I told him I was on Darvocet, he said, “That doesn’t do **** for you does it?” My pain doc is wonderful and they work with me with an Amrix, Lyrica, and Oxycontin cocktail that makes my pain bearable to almost pain free.I hate seeing studies like this because I know that I wouldn’t be able to WORK if I didn’t have my Oxycontin. I doubt the feds would prefer for me to quit my job and go on disability instead! I have my good and bad days just like everyone else on here, but Oxycontin has been a lifesaver for me. It might not be for everyone, but don’t punish all of us just because it is ineffective for a FEW others!
Amen to all the comments!!
Yeah, have to agree with the above commenters. This doesn’t jibe with my personal experience on tramadol, either.
I have been suffering from an undiagnosed progressive chronic back pain condition for almost ten years now. I received a spinal fusion surgery in late 2007 (I had a herniated disc L4-L5) and began taking hydrocodone at that time. Since then I have had to escalate my pain medication from 20mg/day Vicodin (my prescription after the surgery) to my current prescription of 30mg/day Oxycontin + 20mg/day Oxycodone, and even that doesn’t relieve my pain to my satisfaction. The surgery did not relieve any of my pain and my pain has progressed since then.
I said all of that to say that I do believe I have experienced at least a partial effect of opiate-induced hyperalgesia. My pain seems to be worse now than it has ever been, and the month I tried fentanyl patches I felt some withdrawal side effects and virtually no pain relief even after 4 patches (3 days each, so 12 days after starting), and I still had 30mg/day hydrocodone to take with it for break-through.
I absolutely do not think that doctors reading such studies should consider taking their patients off pain medication or decide not to prescribe their patients pain medication. Even though my situation is dismal, the few hours of relief each day I can squeeze out of these pharmeceuticals is worth all of the money in the world. I have tried all sorts of pain medications and only the opiates have provided me any relief at all.
I have heard it a million times. Patients get hydrocodone or tramadol for pain treatment and the after a few weeks there pain gets worse. It is tollerence and is an underlying cause of addiction to pain pills.
i have taken pain killers for 13 years off and on the times that i am off are the worst of times if the theroy that they made pain worse the years off would be the better times having pain everywhere and nothing to drop it even a litle is the worst felling ever
I worked in a treatment center that offered opiate free pain management services. Opiates can work great for some, but tolerance can increase and pain can increase as well. It is difficult to get off of opiates and one should be medically monitored, but with a proper plan to address all of components that can increase chronic pain (emotions, stress, being aware of triggers, physical apects) pain can be greatly reduceed. I have seen numerous clients go from being bed ridden on opiates with reported subjective pain levels of 9-10 all the way down to 2-3 after detoxing and beginning other modalities and using non-opioid medications.
I have had fibro for 20 years. At first the pain was all I could think about. Then my doctor and I decided that trying to cover the pain was a real cop out. We worked on fixing the source of the pain.
Sleep problems are one of the diagnostics of fibro and I had not slept in years. After some experimentation we settled on 25 mg of elavil and 25 mg of flexeril before bed time allowed a full night of restorative sleep. Snd it is during restorative sleep that the body heals itself.
I do not need pain relievers – and certainly not addictive ones – with the exception of Ibuprofin when there is oncoming rain.
So here are your choices. 1. Take narcotics for years with the pain returning any time you try to detox or 2. Use non-sleeping pills and fix the source of your pain.
It’s a no-brainer for me.
well I have to say That I was on a pain med for years for Fibro and chronic head aches. I still have a lot of nerve problems, and I have a sleep disorder…but I am off the pain meds and for a month I thought I was going to die!!! Now I have no mood swings, I have little pain that is managable by other meds that are over the counter…I feel great!!! I do take meds for the nerve damage but not for pain, and I do take a muscle relaxer at night. Also I take something for Narcolepsy and changed my diet!!! Best move I made, I took back my life!!!
If you have fibro you are going to need to learn to advocate for yourself. Doctors are often afraid of the stigma that prescribing pain medication can bring to them amongst their peers and liability. Opiods absolutely do work for some people. Non-opiod medications such as Lyrica and Tridural (24hr slow release) also work for some people. These medications can be taken together as dosages that are right for you.
No pill will help on its own. You really need to push yourself to move and stretch lightly. De-stress your entire life. Eat small meals (easier on your immune system). Cut out toxic people. ditch the sugar, preservatives and all household chemicals. Borrow this book from the library: Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual, 2nd Edition by Devin starlanyl and Mary Copeland.
important: Find people who believe you and support you. Stress of not being supported makes pain worse, not better! If your doctor is not helping you then find a new one. I recommend adding psychotherapist, counselor with a master’s in education or social worker with a masters degree to your support system to ease the burden on your support system and to help your enhance your ability to advocate for yourself and build your self esteem up if needed. Keeping you from opiods and in pain is ridiculous.
I was on a very strong painkiller for many years for my fibro pain. For various reasons, increased pain being one of them, I decided to do a quick taper and get off of them. The recovery has been the most painful and difficult thing I have ever done. One thing I learned during this process is that the doctors don’t know anything about detoxing from these drugs they prescribe. I had to get the real story from drug addicts, people who had experience with going off and on drugs like heroin and methadone.
I think many fibro patients are not aware of the effects of long term opiate use on the brain. When you get used to a dosage or stop taking an opiate, especially for those who are on drugs like fentanyl and other synthetic opiates, your brain will do whatever it takes to get you to continue it. After discontinuing a drug, you will feel excruciating pain, sometimes for months. This pain is not fibro pain, but detox pain. Acute withdrawal can last 2-3 months and post acute withdrawal for a year.
So those of you extolling the virtues of painkillers may not realize that your pain is not as bad as you think. Opiates cause greater pain sensations. It is unavoidable for any opiate user.
That being said, I realize some people can’t function without them. However, at one time I thought I couldn’t function without them but I am doing it. Treating my sleep disorder has helped me, as it has others who commented.
Thank you freeofopiates for your input. I too, after 11 yrs of Vicodin/Lortab, have just decided to taper off and get off it. Maybe the pain medication is increasing my overall pain. Yes, it does take the edge off but it is so short lived. It’s something to try and I am going to try to do it alone. Boy, do I have the pain as I taper off…ugggg! I just want to crawl in a quiet dark corner somewhere. Thank goodness I live alone. You’re right. It is tough but I always said I could stop anything. I haven’t smoked nor do I drink nor have I tried any drugs in the past yet doctors look at me like I am a drug abuser. It’s sad the way they are now treating people with chronic pain here in Florida. Even our seniors with painful disabling conditions are getting drug tested and the run around. The new law here is so ridicules! Thanks to drug abusers doctors are so scared of being fined, losing their licence or arrested that they have now become utterly useless. I also have four herniated discs & stenosis yet they dismiss it as if it’s a hang nail. I would never wish overall chronic pain on my worst enemy yet these doctors and law makers need a real education in chronic pain & suffering through their own personal experiences not from studies or what their patients say–most docs don’t even listen to what was said nor do they understand what was said. They get this stupid blank look when I say, “Yes, I am in a lot of pain & I am suffering to the point where I pray each day to die.” I am not looking forward to feeling the full experience of post acute pain & dependency withdrawals but I can do it. Then maybe I will be able to “see” my pain more clearly and if all these darn doctors are full of sh-t! Forget anti-depressants–they just get me sick. Talking to someone in therapy is also useless–they too have the same stupid blank look! I also gave up on God…I’m tired of him too!
Iv’e been dealing with fibromyalgia pain ever sense i was a young teen i was told after years of dealing with the pain that i had fibro when i was 23 after my first child i went to doctor after doctor and no one know what was wrong with me . I was a really bad guy and i couldn’t work which caused alot of problem for us he never supported me with my pain and problems i was going through and nor did my family . I am with a new guy now where happy together but he doesn’t support me either i’m all by myself i hate this feeling . Iv’e been on opiates on and off for years now and i’m only 26 years old i have 3 children and i still can’t work. I don’t think they take all my pain away no but they do help take the edge of so i can take care of my family . The doctors are a** holes they treat me like crap iv’e tried all the meds for fibro they never worked on me and to please everyone i would try to work and cry everyday in pain and lay on the floor where ever i could because my body hurt so bad. I feel at a loss i don’t know what to do anymore i hate being judged by everyone when they have no clue what i’m going through. I wish i know people with the same problem that i could talk to i really need support from someone please i would never do this but someone email me so i could talk to someone about this thank you natalie ( nataliepeeters@att.net )