The use of opioid medicine to control chronic, severe pain is on the rise. But according to a large study from the National Institute of Public Health in Denmark, there’s no evidence to support its use.
Opioids are pain relievers such as morphine, codeine, and oxycodone. In recent years, there has been an increased use of opioids in the management of non-cancer chronic pain. This trend is still highly debated due to issues of tolerance and dependence.
Tolerance refers to the patient getting used to the drug and needing higher doses for the same pain relief. Dependence means the person starts to experience symptoms of withdrawal if the drug isn’t taken regularly.
Most patients using opioids are seeking pain relief, improved function, and a better quality of life. Are these goals met with long-term use of these drugs? A general health survey of over 10,000 adults was conducted. People were divided into two groups based on their response to the question, “Do you have chronic or long-lasting pain lasting six months or more?”
The groups included a pain group (PG) and a control group (CG). The pain group was further divided into opioid users and non-opioid users. Results of the survey showed that just as many people with chronic pain were coping without opioids.
Opioid users did not have less pain, greater function, or better quality of life when compared with non-opioid users in the pain group. Opioid users were less active and less likely to be employed. They were more likely to be on disability and to use the health care system. There did not seem to be any benefit of opioid use for the users over the nonusers.
Denmark has the highest rate of opioid usage in the world. There has been a trend toward increasing use for chronic, non-cancer pain over the last few years. The authors of this study suggest caution in the long-term use of opioids until further studies can prove their value.