Long-Term Opioid Risks: Sleep Apnea, Chronic Respiratory Failure
Decades ago, the use of opioid pain-killers was relegated to a very limited area of application, usually prescribed only to patients with severe pain associated with cancer.
This is because these powerful drugs come with high risk of addiction and abuse, and were therefore reserved for only the most severe cases of pain.
But more recently, the drugs have moved into the mainstream, given their effectiveness at combating several types of pain.
There is a hot debate in the medical community over whether the prescription of opioid medications for many types of pain is compassionate or irresponsible.
Addiction and abuse are by no means the only risks associated with opioids.
Aside from short-term issues such as impaired concentration and constipation, there are long-term risks that must be considered, particularly among patients whose pain is chronic and whose intake of the drugs would likely be long-term.
One small study recently aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing and signs of chronic respiratory failure among long-term opioid users.
Opioids are known to have a depressive effect on the respiratory process.
Forty-six percent of the patients in the study were found to have severe sleep disordered breathing, as measured by a sleep apnea index.
The participants had a high frequency of a form of sleep apnea called central apnea.
This type of sleep disorder occurs when the brain doesn't send signals to the respiratory system to breathe continuously.
Rather, breathing starts and stops abruptly over and over again throughout the night.
Another disturbing finding of the study was that nine out of 20 participants were found to have hypercapnia.
This condition is characterized by an abnormally high amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Carbon dioxide is a waste product of breathing.
When the respiratory system is working properly, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen.
Hypercapnia is a symptom of chronic respiratory failure.
Researchers were alarmed to find that 45% of the study's participants exhibited signs of this serious illness.
Find more on this study at http://www.
ncbi.
nlm.
nih.
gov/pubmed/25126029.
Chronic pain is extremely difficult to live with, and modern medicine could help patients function and live somewhat normal lives.
However, the short- and long-term risks of opioid medications are cause for serious debate and reflection over whether they are worth it.
Patients should be well-versed in effectiveness rates and risks of various treatment options before agreeing to undergo them.
It may be best to treat opioids as a last resort.
Taking a multimodal approach to pain management, patients can incorporate several natural solutions such as massage, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga and acupuncture to combat the various causes of pain without incurring serious risks.
This is because these powerful drugs come with high risk of addiction and abuse, and were therefore reserved for only the most severe cases of pain.
But more recently, the drugs have moved into the mainstream, given their effectiveness at combating several types of pain.
There is a hot debate in the medical community over whether the prescription of opioid medications for many types of pain is compassionate or irresponsible.
Addiction and abuse are by no means the only risks associated with opioids.
Aside from short-term issues such as impaired concentration and constipation, there are long-term risks that must be considered, particularly among patients whose pain is chronic and whose intake of the drugs would likely be long-term.
One small study recently aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing and signs of chronic respiratory failure among long-term opioid users.
Opioids are known to have a depressive effect on the respiratory process.
Forty-six percent of the patients in the study were found to have severe sleep disordered breathing, as measured by a sleep apnea index.
The participants had a high frequency of a form of sleep apnea called central apnea.
This type of sleep disorder occurs when the brain doesn't send signals to the respiratory system to breathe continuously.
Rather, breathing starts and stops abruptly over and over again throughout the night.
Another disturbing finding of the study was that nine out of 20 participants were found to have hypercapnia.
This condition is characterized by an abnormally high amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Carbon dioxide is a waste product of breathing.
When the respiratory system is working properly, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen.
Hypercapnia is a symptom of chronic respiratory failure.
Researchers were alarmed to find that 45% of the study's participants exhibited signs of this serious illness.
Find more on this study at http://www.
ncbi.
nlm.
nih.
gov/pubmed/25126029.
Chronic pain is extremely difficult to live with, and modern medicine could help patients function and live somewhat normal lives.
However, the short- and long-term risks of opioid medications are cause for serious debate and reflection over whether they are worth it.
Patients should be well-versed in effectiveness rates and risks of various treatment options before agreeing to undergo them.
It may be best to treat opioids as a last resort.
Taking a multimodal approach to pain management, patients can incorporate several natural solutions such as massage, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga and acupuncture to combat the various causes of pain without incurring serious risks.
