Complications of Long Term Opioid Dependence
Limited Toxicities?
Even though supportive studies may indicate that there are no chronic toxicities directly related to the use of opioids, and Maisto, Galizio, and Connors (2015) report that when following the prescribed dosage there is limited liability of abuse, complications associated with their long term use is evident. Minozzi, Amato, and Davoli (2013) claim that routine opioid treatment for chronic pain does not present major risks of dependence. However, consideration must be taken regarding inconsistent diagnoses of dependence resulting from DSM and ICD criteria that inadequately reflect the complexities of long term opiate treatment (Lintzeris, 2013, p. 108). In correlation to those …show more content…
Therefore, women are more susceptible than men for adverse medical effects such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, prolonged QT syndrome which may result in fainting, seizure, or death, amplified pain sensitivity, pathologic sleep, and bowel dysfunction (Darnall et al, 2012). In association to age, premenopausal women experience reduced fertility, while postmenopausal women experience frequent falls and fractures. Alarmingly, pregnancy during treatment renders birth defects, neonatal toxicity from breast-feeding, and fetal neonatal withdrawal (Darnall et al, 2012, p. 1199). The most common adverse psychological concern in women is severe depression which may be accompanied with unintentional poisoning, and medication abuse risks displaying as drug tolerance, doctor shopping, and polypharmacy (concurrent use of multiple medications for the same …show more content…
348). Thus, practitioners have tried psychostimulants, adjuvant analgesics, intra-spinal therapy, neural blockades, or opioid rotation to discover a better quality of life for their patients (Indelicato and Portenoy, 2002, p. 348). However, it has been found that medical error in opioid rotation significantly contributes to the increased opioid related death rate. Webster and Fine (2012) found that the equlanalgesic tables used for conversion from one opioid to another are very questionable and physician proficiency in treatment grossly insufficient. In response, increased methadone related deaths led the FDA to publish a public health advisory on life-threatening respiratory and cardiovascular events and high risks for death when initially starting methadone therapy for chronic pain or substance abuse therapy (Webster and Fine, 2012,
Limited Toxicities?
Even though supportive studies may indicate that there are no chronic toxicities directly related to the use of opioids, and Maisto, Galizio, and Connors (2015) report that when following the prescribed dosage there is limited liability of abuse, complications associated with their long term use is evident. Minozzi, Amato, and Davoli (2013) claim that routine opioid treatment for chronic pain does not present major risks of dependence. However, consideration must be taken regarding inconsistent diagnoses of dependence resulting from DSM and ICD criteria that inadequately reflect the complexities of long term opiate treatment (Lintzeris, 2013, p. 108). In correlation to those …show more content…
Therefore, women are more susceptible than men for adverse medical effects such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, prolonged QT syndrome which may result in fainting, seizure, or death, amplified pain sensitivity, pathologic sleep, and bowel dysfunction (Darnall et al, 2012). In association to age, premenopausal women experience reduced fertility, while postmenopausal women experience frequent falls and fractures. Alarmingly, pregnancy during treatment renders birth defects, neonatal toxicity from breast-feeding, and fetal neonatal withdrawal (Darnall et al, 2012, p. 1199). The most common adverse psychological concern in women is severe depression which may be accompanied with unintentional poisoning, and medication abuse risks displaying as drug tolerance, doctor shopping, and polypharmacy (concurrent use of multiple medications for the same …show more content…
348). Thus, practitioners have tried psychostimulants, adjuvant analgesics, intra-spinal therapy, neural blockades, or opioid rotation to discover a better quality of life for their patients (Indelicato and Portenoy, 2002, p. 348). However, it has been found that medical error in opioid rotation significantly contributes to the increased opioid related death rate. Webster and Fine (2012) found that the equlanalgesic tables used for conversion from one opioid to another are very questionable and physician proficiency in treatment grossly insufficient. In response, increased methadone related deaths led the FDA to publish a public health advisory on life-threatening respiratory and cardiovascular events and high risks for death when initially starting methadone therapy for chronic pain or substance abuse therapy (Webster and Fine, 2012,