Severe pain affects approximately 6% of the population at any given time. This pain can come from nearly any source and may be dealt with in various ways. One way in which severe pain is moderated is through the use of opioids. Opioids are analgesics (painkillers) which decrease the perception of pain, decrease reaction to pain and increase pain tolerance. However, opioids are also commonly taken recreationally due to their ability to produce feelings of euphoria.
Although the significant pain relieving effects, and maybe even the euphoria, sound great there are many issues with opioid use. Chronic use of opioids is associated with tolerance as well as both physical and psychological dependence. Due to this, medicinal opioid use is quite limited and much research has been conducted to explore the negative effects of the drug.
Addictive drugs, such as opioids, act via dopamine pathways and more recently have been associated with glutamate as well. Both of these neurotransmitters are found in various regions throughout the brain and play various roles in the process of addiction. Dopamine is largely related to the reward system which tells a drug user that the drug is ‘good’. Glutamate has been linked to the seeking behavior of a drug addict and withdrawal behaviors which may result in relapse. When opioids bind to receptors in the brain they activate the reward pathways and their effects as well as cause the release of glutamate and activate its receptors. This then initiates the addiction process after continuous use.
So the question is, is it really that bad to be addicted to opioids if it relieves your pain? Well, unfortunately chronic opioid use has many adverse side effects outside of addiction such as depression, confusion, hallucinations, bradycardia and tachycardia. For those who do suffer chronic, severe pain however, these side effects may seem like a simple trade off compared to what they are currently experiencing.
Addiction or Pain?
