“Can taking pain medication for too long affect your health?”
I'm 37 and I'm taking pain medications for chronic back pain for one year. Can taking pain medications for too long affect your health?
3 Answers
Yes it can. There is a national epidemic of PAIN medication trouble with Opioids-which can be deadly and are addictive, Advil and Aleve type medications can adversely affect your kidney function, and Tylenol type medications can affect your Liver. You really should be seen to figure out the best long term management of your pain. Good luck- Elizabeth Anderson
Definitely. The medications labeled as non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as Motrin, Aleve, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, etc. Even Tylenol in the long run, if used for many years, can cause progressive renal failure. You need to pinpoint what is the cause of your back pain and alleviate it without medications mentioned above.
That is an excellent question. If you are referring to opioid pain medications the answer is YES. Long term use of opioids causes an array of health problems. For one, your nervous system increases the number and sensitivity of pain receptors in the body. This happens because the body does not like being numb and tries to balance this with increasing sensitivity. This is why withdrawal from narcotics causes diffuse body pain.
Long term use of these drugs suppress sex hormones leading to loss of libido and other consequences of low sex hormones.
Opioids also lead to disturbance of serotonin causing mood disturbance such as depression, and sleep disorder.
Disturbance of other hormones such as cortisol and thyroid, cardiovascular stress, and osteoporosis are also among consequences of long term opioid use.
This may sound scary but if these medications are stopped on a timely fashion most of these problems are reversible.
Considering you have only been taking these for one year and the fact that you asked this question tells me you will most like have good prognosis and will work to find alternative therapies and avoid long term consequences.
Long term use of these drugs suppress sex hormones leading to loss of libido and other consequences of low sex hormones.
Opioids also lead to disturbance of serotonin causing mood disturbance such as depression, and sleep disorder.
Disturbance of other hormones such as cortisol and thyroid, cardiovascular stress, and osteoporosis are also among consequences of long term opioid use.
This may sound scary but if these medications are stopped on a timely fashion most of these problems are reversible.
Considering you have only been taking these for one year and the fact that you asked this question tells me you will most like have good prognosis and will work to find alternative therapies and avoid long term consequences.
