Opioid Use Disorder: Definition, Symptoms, and More

An increased risk for bone fractures has been found to occur in people with opioid abuse. This could be due to some weakening of the bones or also because people who abuse opioids may be at an increased risk of falling. When opioids are misused, and taken in doses or frequencies higher than they are prescribed for, there is a potential for opioid abuse opioid addiction treatment and addiction. Too many people in the U.S. find themselves in this state of desperation because of opioid use disorder (OUD) — the medical condition that results when someone has an addiction to opioids. Talk with a doctor to find out what types of treatments are available in your area and what options are best for you and/or your loved one.

Safe Use, Storage, and Disposal of Opioid Drugs

People don’t usually develop an addiction or other problem with opioid use right away. And others might feel symptoms that make them not want to use opioids at all, including nausea, itchiness, or feeling sedated. If your drug use is out of control or causing problems, get help. The sooner you seek help, the greater your chances for a long-term recovery. Talk with your health care provider or see a mental health provider, such as a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor.

Not sure if your medication is considered an opioid?

You should always talk to your doctor before you stop using a drug, even an opioid. They can help you reduce or prevent withdrawal symptoms by gradually lowering your dose over time until you no longer need the medicine. At first, you should have control over your choice to use opioids. Over time, their effect can make you want to keep using the medicine or use it incorrectly. This can lead to changes in brain function that cause you to develop a powerful urge to take opioids. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly related to the development of a wide range of health issues throughout a person’s lifespan, including substance use disorders.

How to Recognize and Treat Opioid Abuse Before It’s Too Late

Make your tax-deductible gift and be a part of the cutting-edge research and care that's changing medicine. This is because of the confusion that exists between what is considered abuse and what is considered addiction. A person struggling with Painkiller abuse may experiment with various intake methods in order to achieve the strongest high possible.

• Physical findings and complaints consistent with opioid withdrawal include muscle aches, diarrhea, rhinorrhea, nerve excitability, and chills with cessation of use.
• It typically involves an overpowering drive to use opioids despite consequences, increased opioid tolerance and/or withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking opioids.
• All DEA-registered practitioners with Schedule III prescribing authority may now prescribe buprenorphine for OUD in their practice if permitted by applicable state law.
• If you think your loved one may be addicted to opioids, talk with their healthcare professional right away.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

• Addiction can cause you to obsessively seek out the drug, even when the drug use causes health, behavior, or relationship problems.
• The medications methadone and buprenorphine can be used to help reduce the cravings for opioids and prevent withdrawals.
• An alternative oral, long-acting opioid for maintenance therapy is buprenorphine.
• The hospital may admit someone who also has a significant medical problem in addition to the opioid use disorder.
• Opioids are found in prescription pain medications and illegal street drugs like heroin.
• These aim to help people with OUD learn new ways of thinking about and relating to drug use and can also encourage them to adhere to treatment regimens.

According to a 2011 study in the medical journal Cell, itching occurs because opioids activate special “itch-specific” receptors in the spinal cord. While opioids can cause allergic reactions, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to opioids are rare. Because an addiction overpowers the brain’s sense of awareness and judgment, a person may not realize how their actions have affected their loved ones. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Participating in self-help programs, such as Narcotics Anonymous, can also play a significant role in OUD treatment.

Drug addiction is a disease for which help and treatment options are available. When you become addicted to a drug, it might seem like your body and mind can’t function without the drug. Addiction can cause you to obsessively seek out the drug, even when the drug use causes health, behavior, or relationship problems. An opioid overdose can happen when a person takes too much of an opioid or a combination of opioids and other drugs. Several studies have found that about half of people who experience a mental health condition during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa.

Learn more about recovery

• There are strategies that can help prevent overdose and support the health and well-being of communities.
• A patient’s system must be completely free of all opioids before beginning to take naltrexone.
• They are typically prescribed following surgery or serious injury, or to manage long-term pain caused by cancer and other conditions.
• Overdose deaths that involve opioids have increased at an alarming rate in recent years — by more than eight times since 1999.
• Opioid intoxication, or overdose, happens when you take a dose of opioids that’s large enough to make you very sick or even cause death.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of some opioids to treat intense coughing and chronic diarrhea.

What is the difference between opioid use disorder and opioid dependence?

Does opioid addiction treatment work?