Beware, Pain Killers Can Be Deadly

Everyone has experienced pains at one point or another. And so many of us know what it is like to experience severe aches and pains in the back, leg or head, even for a short while.

Painkillers are often taken for temporary relief, but it is common for people living with chronic pain to become dependent or addicted to painkillers.

Yes, it is not just cocaine or heroin that people abuse; thousands of Nigerians are in the grip of a deadly drug addiction — to everyday painkillers commonly known as analgesic.

Though these drugs give short relief, doctors warn that overdependence on them may create greater health challenge than users can handle.

According to a report by Michael House Pain Treatment and Alcohol Centre, Palm Beach, United States of America, taking any painkiller for a long period of time will most likely lead to the development of a tolerance and physical dependence upon the drug.

But then, how do you know you have reached the point of addiction? General practitioner, Dr. Lanre Salami, says someone is said to be addicted to painkillers when taking the drug has become the only ‘treatment’ for the chronic or slight pain the person feels in any part of his body and he no longer has control over their use.

 He states that since most pain relief medications contain nicotine, caffeine and Ibruprofen, it is easier to get addicted to them.

Salami adds, “It’s a health issue, as well as a mental and physical issue, and this addiction can have serious consequences, depending on how long you have been using them, even to cure pain or aches.”

Apart from addiction, experts warn that there are three main health concerns when using painkillers to treat pain over a long period. One is that the pain you are trying to repress or cure may become worse.

The Director, Pain Management and Research Institute, New York, Prof. Michael Nicholas, adds that painkillers are psychotropic drugs and their prolonged use could cause mood changes and sedation and eventually lead to depression.

Nicholas notes that these painkillers are only useful for treating short-term pain, and never intended to treat long-term pain.

“None of these drugs will fix the problem. All they do is cover it and that’s when people get into trouble. They increase the dose themselves. You can actually end up feeling more pain with the drugs you are taking because you get more sensitised. And as the drugs wear off, so people take more and then they have more side effects.”

However, with the rigour of living in a socially and physically demanding 21st century, pain is more common than ever and so is the increased use of pain medication.