If you just had surgery or are experiencing a health problem, pain is a natural and expected part of the process. Pain medicines may help you function better and cope with the amount of pain you are experiencing, but will not eliminate it entirely.
Opioids are common pain medicines. They can help if you have bad short-term pain —like pain after surgery for a broken bone. They can also help you manage pain if you have an illness like cancer.
But opioids are strong drugs. And usually they are not the best way to treat long-term pain, such as arthritis, low back pain, or frequent headaches. This kind of pain is called “chronic” pain. Before getting opioids for these problems, you should discuss other options with your health care provider. Here’s why:
Opioids are prescribed too often.
Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons people see their health care provider. However, for most types of chronic pain, opioids should only be used as a last resort.
Common opioids include:
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)
- Morphine (Kadian®, M-Eslon®, MS-Contin®, Statex®)
- Codeine (Tylenol No. 3®)
- Oxycodone (OxyNeo®, Percocet®)
- Tramadol (Ralivia®, Tridural®, Zytram®)
Short-term use of these medicines may help. But there is no proof that they work well over time.