Kern Family Health Care | Family Health | Fall 2019

FAMILY HEALTH 6 KFHC office address: 2900 Buck Owens Blvd., Bakersfield, CA 93308 Opioid painkillers are strong medicines that help ease certain kinds of pain. But using them carries big risks, such as: Tolerance. This means you need to take more of the drug to get the same pain relief. Addiction. It happens to up to 1 in 4 people who take opioids for chronic pain. Overdose. Many people die after overdosing on prescription opioids. Ask your doctor He/she may suggest opioids for chronic pain. Ask if there are other options, such as: y  y Other types of pain drugs. y  y Physical therapy. y  y Exercise. y  y Behavioral therapy. y  y Injections. If you are prescribed an opioid: y  y Go to all your doctor visits. Your doctor can check for side effects. y  y Take it as directed. Never take a larger dose. y  y Avoid alcohol. Ask your doctor before taking any other medicines. y  y Store your medication in a safe place. y  y Watch for signs of addiction. One warning sign is having withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the drug. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; JAMA How to talk about pain It’s not easy to describe pain. But your doctor needs to know about it to treat it. When talking about your pain, be sure to discuss: Where it hurts. Be as specific as possible. Point out the specific part of your body that hurts. How it feels. Is the area tender? Is it a dull ache? A burning pain? Here are other words to describe your pain: y  y Cramping. y  y Sharp. y  y Shooting. y  y Stabbing. y  y Pinching. y  y Throbbing. y  y Splitting. y  y Tingling. How often it hurts. Does it hurt all the time or come and go? How long does it last? What makes it better or worse. Does anything you do make it hurt more or less? How it affects your daily life. Is it hard to work, sleep or enjoy activities because of your pain? Write about it Ask your doctor if you should keep a pain diary. Taking notes about your pain can help your doctor treat it. Sources: Arthritis Foundation; National Institutes of Health Opioids: A serious risk