Are painkillers addictive?

Some painkillers contain addictive ingredients, for example, some painkillers contain morphine. If you take too much or take painkillers frequently, it will lead to addiction, which is harmful to your health. Some painkillers are not addictive, such as some over-the-counter drugs, which can be purchased at pharmacies. Painkillers are a double-edged sword and should not be abused.

Experts point out that painkillers are a double-edged sword. Proper use can relieve pain; but if used for a long time, especially abused, they can cause serious damage to human health.

Adverse reactions to long-term use of analgesics

1. Gastrointestinal damage

Sodium salicylate, indomethacin, aspirin, phenylbutazone, mefenamic acid, piroxicam, etc. may cause indigestion, gastric mucosal erosion, gastric and duodenal ulcer bleeding, and in severe cases, perforation.

2. Kidney damage

Ibuprofen, naproxen, etc. can cause nephrotic syndrome; ketoprofen can cause membranous nephropathy; indomethacin can cause renal failure and edema.

3. Liver damage

Most painkillers can cause liver damage. Long-term and high-dose use of acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage, especially liver necrosis. High-dose use of phenylbutazone can cause liver damage, resulting in jaundice and hepatitis. The use of salicylates in special patients can cause liver damage.

4. Cardiovascular damage

The latest research data show that long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can significantly interfere with blood pressure, increase mean arterial pressure, and increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It has also been reported that after taking rofecoxib for 18 months, patients have an increased relative risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

5. Induce tumors

Long-term use of some painkillers may cause the risk of renal pelvis cancer, bladder cancer, and nipple cancer.

6. Adverse reactions of the nervous system

Headache, dizziness, tinnitus, deafness, amblyopia, drowsiness, insomnia, paresthesia, numbness, etc. may occur. Some symptoms are uncommon, such as hyperactivity, excitement, hallucinations, tremors, etc., and the incidence rate is generally less than 5%.

7. Adverse reactions during pregnancy

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics are considered to be a potential factor in inducing acute fatty liver of pregnancy; taking aspirin during pregnancy can lead to antenatal, postpartum and delivery bleeding; indomethacin may cause fetal short limb deformity and incomplete penile development.

8. Hearing loss

Long-term use of painkillers can cause hearing loss.

9. Allergic reactions

Many painkillers can cause asthma, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, etc. People with specific constitutions may experience allergic reactions such as angioedema.

If you take painkillers blindly without knowing the cause of the pain, although the pain symptoms can be temporarily relieved, it will mask the cause of the disease, making the diagnosis lose an important basis and not conducive to early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the treatment of pain should focus on etiology, supplemented by analgesic therapy.