Opioid treatment

Question 1

Long term effects opioid

Answer 1

Immune suppression
Weight loss
Inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurable activities (known as ‘anhedonia’)
Depression
Hormonal / menstrual issues in women
Lower testosterone in men
Sleep apnoea (where the walls of the throat come together during sleep, blocking off the upper airway)
Osteoporosis (loss of bone density)
Dental decay (from reduced saliva flow)
Increased risks of falls and accidents

Question 2

Hyperalgesia

Answer 2

If the body is not feeling pain because of opioids, the brain tries to compensate by increasing your sensitivity to pain so that you can feel when you have injured yourself. This is known as ‘hyperalgesia’.

Withdrawal from opioids then reveals this underlying hyperalgesia (i.e. “everything hurts”) which makes you want to use opioids again for relief.

It is a self-defeating process. While opioids may be very effective for short term pain, for persistent pain they can actually make it worse.

Because of this, people who experience hyperalgesia will still need to be given standard doses of opioids if they are injured or feeling pain (e.g. during surgery) - not less - even though they already have opioids in their system.

Question 3

Most common principal drugs of concern

Answer 3

Alcohol
Amphetamines
Cannabis
Heroin