Plymouth MA Chiropractor Explains Some Harmful Effects Of Opioids

If you have recently been involved in a car accident in Plymouth MA, you could be suffering from acute pain. If you visited a medical doctor, you might have been prescribed pain medicine such as oxycodone. While meant to help relieve your pain in the short term, many Americans find themselves becoming addicted to pain pills. In fact, our country is suffering from an opioid epidemic. According to the Center for Disease Control, opioid overdoses killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, which was almost the same amount as car crashes.1 If you are injured and are taking painkillers, read this helpful information for your safety:

Studies Haven't Proven Their Long-Term Effectiveness

Doctors prescribe opioids for pain resulting from broken bones or surgery, and they are effective in the short-term. According to Consumer Reports, about 90 percent of people experiencing chronic pain are prescribed opioids. However, studies have yet to prove that long-term use of opioids actually reduce chronic pain symptoms. The longer you take pain killers, the more likely you will suffer from constipation and nausea. Long-term opioid use can negatively impact your immune system, reduce your libido, and even affect women's menstrual cycles.

Beware Of Your Leftover Pain Pills

If you've been taking pain pills over a certain period of time, you develop a resistance to the drugs. However, if you experience pain and decide to take an opioid that was prescribed to you months ago, you could overdose on your pain medicine. If you are experiencing any pain and are considering dipping into your old prescription bottle, call your doctor first to make sure that it's safe.

Don't Mix Alcohol With Opioids

When you combine opioids with alcohol, you could impair your central nervous system. Some of the effects include slowed breathing and a "brain fog" type experience. You could feel more impaired combining opioids and alcohol than you would otherwise. In fact, a higher number of opioid overdoses occur when people combine pain pills with alcohol.

Withdrawal in Plymouth MA

Even people who do not become addicted to opioids can experience withdrawal if they've been taking the pills for an extended amount of time. Some temporary withdrawal symptoms include experiencing more pain, depression, loss of sleep, and anxiety. If you are planning to stop taking opioids, try to exercise moderately if you can to help with the depression and improve your quality of sleep. Remember that withdrawal is only temporary, so weather through it the best that you can. If you feel that you have become addicted to pain pills, then talk to your doctor. She can refer you to an addiction specialist or a treatment center.

If you have been in a car accident and are experiencing chronic pain, contact Koenig Family Chiropractic in Plymouth MA. Our chiropractors and massage therapists can help you to relieve pain without the use of drugs. Our chiropractic office examines spinal x-rays so that we can develop a personalized plan to help get your body back on track. We perform spinal adjustments to help restore proper motion to your body. Contact our chiropractors today so that you can begin to feel like yourself again.