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...Gets Addicted? Psychiatrists are careful to distinguish between addiction and dependence. The latter occurs in almost all people who take opioids long-term; over time, they develop a tolerance to the drug, and suffer withdrawal if the drug is abruptly stopped. The point is, they are able to stop taking it eventually. Addiction, however, is defined as the compulsive use of a substance in spite of negative consequences: addicted patients whose pain symptoms have been resolved still can't quit taking the drug...
...addiction? While Von Korff and Volkow agree that prescription dose is a major contributor to overdose risk, they say better studies are needed to determine the precise causes and consequences. "One would hope that for a treatment regimen that millions of people are using, we'd have large, long-term, well-designed randomized controlled trials, and we don't," says Von Korff. (See "The Year in Health 2009: From...
...naproxen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Celebrex (celecoxib). Guidelines written and published by the American Geriatrics Society warned against using these drugs chronically and at moderate-to-high doses in patients age 75 or older with persistent pain. Citing the many risks of long-term NSAID use, including fatal ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, increased risk of heart attack and stroke and dangerous interactions with other drugs commonly prescribed to the elderly, the American Geriatrics Society suggested that seniors try acetaminophen instead. If that doesn't ease pain, older patients are advised to use opioids like codeine...
Better Treatment Regimens Needed Over the past few decades, researchers have made strides in understanding the treatment of certain kinds of pain. Relieving acute pain from trauma or surgery, for instance, reduces immediate suffering, but also speeds healing and reduces complications; the short-term use of opioids in the hospital is known to be safe and effective. (See Dr. Mehmet Oz's prescription for living long and living well...
...This is the beginning of a much longer-term process of a connection between these schools that I don’t think existed there before,” he added...