The Link Between Pain Medication and Heroin
The link between heroin and prescription pills has long been discussed. We’ve all heard that there has been a rise in overdose deaths from heroin, or prescription pain pills. In fact, the increase has been so alarming that the United States now refers to heroin addiction as an epidemic. Not surprisingly, Heroin and prescription pain pills belong to the same class of drugs: opioids. Opioids work by attaching themselves to specific centers in the brain called opioid receptors. These are found on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, intestines, and other organs in the body. When opioids attach to these receptors, they can decrease the amount of pain a person is feeling. Opioids usually cause a person to feel relaxed and happy—almost euphoric — and that can lead some people to misuse the drugs. Eventually, some people who have a legitimate use for opioids in treating certain ailments can become dependent on prescription pain pills will switch to heroin because it’s cheaper than opioids, easier to get, and has similar effects. This trend in accessibility and pricing has become especially pronounced since 2013, when the Food and Drug Administration announced that they would be tightening controls on access by limiting the number of refills an individual could have before returning to the doctor for a new prescription. With these limitations in place, many turned to illegal methods in order to acquire opioid painkillers, which quickly become a gateway towards heroin abuse. One pill can cost up to $80 on the street, while one balloon of heroin can be as cheap as $10. Misusing prescription pain pills or using heroin is extremely dangerous.
Opioids Can Kill, Even if Used Only Once All opioid drugs can be very addictive. When someone has an
addiction to prescription pain pills or heroin, it’s very difficult for them to stop using the drug. When they try to stop, they may have
withdrawal symptoms: restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, cold flashes with goosebumps, and uncontrollable leg movements. This often prompts them to relapse. The cycle can be seemingly endless. Continuing to use opioids, however, can lead to sleepiness and worse, depending on the amount someone takes. In some cases, opioids can reduce the person’s ability to breathe. In fact, taking just
one large dose of prescription pain pills or heroin could cause someone’s breathing to stop. This is how people die from an overdose. What most don’t realize that using opioids even once can be lethal if mixed with alcohol, other drugs or if the user has an existing medical condition.
Managing Opioid Abuse The good news is that there are medications that can help a person stop abusing opioids and overcome their prescription pill or heroinsaddiction. There’s also a medication called
Naloxone® that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose—
if it’s given quickly enough to the person who has stopped breathing. This of course is no substitute for treatment of a person’s addiction. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that there is no such things as “casual opioid” use. If someone is using opioids outside their prescribed regimen (if we’re talking about medications) or “dabbling” with heroin use, they are on a crash course with addiction. [cta id=’269′]
The Use of Opioids is Widespread According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2011, 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or over had used heroin at least once in their lives. Of these users, an estimated 23% will go on to become heroin addicts, making
heroin one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. Recent years have witnessed an alarming surge in teenage heroin use and overdose, per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Scientists have attributed this rise to the rampant abuse of prescription painkillers. While only a very small percentage of those prescribed painkillers go on to abuse heroin, research studies have shown that
nearly 50% of heroin users surveyed started with prescription painkillers. One research study found that
the odds of eventual heroin use were 3.5 times as likely for those who had (illicitly) abused prescription painkillers compared to those who hadn’t (Robertson, 2010). If you are suffering or you’re worried about someone close to you, you are not alone.
Addiction Often Starts With Legitimate Usage Research from SAMHSA revealed that an estimated 25 million people started non-medical use of pain relievers between 2002 and 2011. In addition, a startling 16,651 deaths were attributed to prescription opioid medications in 2010 (
Mack, 2013). Although doctors attempt to screen patients for drug abuse or the propensity to develop substance dependency issues, millions of Americans continue to be prescribed opioid painkillers every year. The potential for abuse and addiction is dangerously high. Many people get addicted without realizing there’s a problem. They may be in denial of the potential dangers because of the notion that, as prescribed pharmaceuticals, the drugs are completely safe. Some clinics in the United States have taken advantage of the overall popularity and demand for prescription pain pills. Known as “pill mills”, these companies engage in various activities involving the illicit sale and distribution of prescription painkillers. The pill mill epidemic was particularly bad in Florida, where in 2011, there were 856 pain clinics. The astounding numbers of pill mills in Florida correlated with rising levels of prescription drug overdoses. In 2010 alone, Florida saw more than 1500 oxycodone-related overdoses, equating to more than four deaths each day.
Breaking the Cycle If you or someone you know is using opioids, it’s time to make recovery a priority. We can assist with providing access to Rehab/Detox facilities and
Sober Living Housing upon completion of detox. [cta id=’269′]
