A correct defining of terms is essential to understanding the use of opioid type medications. Prolonged or chronic use of opioid medication will cause one of four types of responses by your body. These 4 responses are dependence; tolerance; addiction or pseudo addiction.

Dependence is a physiological response of the body to medication. This means the physiology of the body gets used to seeing this particular, whatever it maybe, drug in the blood stream and adjusts to it. Therefore, the sudden cessation of the medication will cause the beginning of a withdrawal syndrome as the levels of the drug decrease.

Tolerance is similar to dependence in that both are physiologic body responses. Tolerance just means that the body once again gets used to, and adjusts to, a certain consistent blood level of a medication in the bloodstream. Since this level of medication is consistent the body adjusts to it and then more medication is needed to achieve the same effect as a smaller dose once did. This not only happens with opioid medication but can happen with insulin or blood pressure medication.

Addiction is a drug craving and its continued use even though the person realizes the continuing use of the drug may, or many times, has already hurt them. The drug controls their life and they will do anything to obtain it no matter the consequences. This is a biological physiological and genetic response to the drug. The important thing to remember is that a drug maybe addicting yet may cause dependence. Remember dependence will cause a withdrawal syndrome as it is suddenly removed. Well cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs available, yet it does not cause dependence. I find that very interesting.

The last thing that may happen is called pseudo-addiction? The person will demonstrate all the characteristics of an addict, control; craving; consequences; and continued use in spite of harm, but is not addicted to the medication. What happens here is that the patient starts on a dose of medication that is too low or tolerance develops quickly and the pain is not adequately controlled. So in an attempt to control his or her pain the patient displays addictive behavior. The interesting and satisfying aspect of pseudo addiction is that once the pain medication level, usually an opioid, is raised to adequate blood levels all the addictive characteristics leave the patient and they maintain productive lives at that point.

Are you fitting into any of these categories? If you feel you maybe, or just have uncontrolled pain or an already developed opioid dependency problem please contact Health and Pain Management of Florida at your earliest time. Remember that “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional!”