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Opioids
Opioids are very good analgesics but they are rarely helpful for long term pain. If you have severe pain whilst you are taking a large dose of opioid medication, it means the drugs are not working and should be reduced or stopped.
Side effects
Side effects are extremely common with opioids including:
Nausea and vomiting
Constipation
Itching
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Sweating
Sedation
Long term harms
Patients are at risk of several long-term harms including:
Fractures and falls
Reduced libido, erectile dysfunction and infertility
Depression and fatigue
Reduced ability to fight infections and cancer cells
Drug dependence
Drug addition
Abnormal pain sensitivity, which may make pain worse
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms it is likely because of your opioid medicine. Reducing or stopping the drug will mean you will suffer less from these unpleasant side effects.
Patient testimonies about the harms of opioids
Here are two patient videos, produced by NHS England, that describe the potential harms of using strong opioid drugs to treat chronic pain:
Fay's story
Describes, from her parent’s perspective, the sequence of events that ultimately led to her untimely death.
Sean's story
Describes the impact opioid prescribing had on his life, and how he engaged with non-drug therapy that has been life-changing.
Further information
Further information can be found on the Opioids Aware website resource which has been produced for patients and healthcare professionals and aims to support safe prescribing of opioid medicines.
Information for patients
Patient information leaflets
Patient resources
Pelvic muscle pain
Opioid medication
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