3 ms·

Yep I've seen similar in various countries with a parent. They were prescribed large doses of some opioid pain killers and despite them being aware of the risk

Yep I've seen similar in various countries with a parent. They were prescribed large doses of some opioid pain killers and despite them being aware of the risk of addiction and thus being very careful about dosing (often skipping doses if the pain was tolerable and asking doctors to minimize the dose), in the end they still had a difficult time coming off them. They didn't end up trying to feed that habit from elsewhere, but it was still a lesson in how quickly a dependency can be formed.

cstejerean 4y ago
I think skipping doses might actually increase the likelihood of addiction. One of the things I recall that made oxycontin so problematic was Purdue's insistence to prescribe it as a 12-hour dose. There was an article I recall reading on the topic: https://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/ https://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/ > Experts said that when there are gaps in the effect of a narcotic like OxyContin, patients can suffer body aches, nausea, anxiety and other symptoms of withdrawal. When the agony is relieved by the next dose, it creates a cycle of pain and euphoria that fosters addiction, they said. > Peter Przekop, a neuroscientist and physician who oversees the treatment of painkiller addicts at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, said that repeated episodes of withdrawal from OxyContin “absolutely” raise the risk that patients will abuse the medication To me skipping doses is likely to create those repeated episodes of withdrawal which even when minor can end up screwing with the brain's addiction centers. This is why I'd rather take other options that maybe only work for 5-6 hours instead of 12, but don't build this vicious cycle of addiction like oxy does.
- dotnet00 4y ago
  Huh, I wasn't aware of that. Will keep it in mind in the future, although hopefully I don't end up needing to do so.

cstejerean 4y ago

I think skipping doses might actually increase the likelihood of addiction. One of the things I recall that made oxycontin so problematic was Purdue's insistence to prescribe it as a 12-hour dose. There was an article I recall reading on the topic: https://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/ https://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/ > Experts said that when there are gaps in the effect of a narcotic like OxyContin, patients can suffer body aches, nausea, anxiety and other symptoms of withdrawal. When the agony is relieved by the next dose, it creates a cycle of pain and euphoria that fosters addiction, they said. > Peter Przekop, a neuroscientist and physician who oversees the treatment of painkiller addicts at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, said that repeated episodes of withdrawal from OxyContin “absolutely” raise the risk that patients will abuse the medication To me skipping doses is likely to create those repeated episodes of withdrawal which even when minor can end up screwing with the brain's addiction centers. This is why I'd rather take other options that maybe only work for 5-6 hours instead of 12, but don't build this vicious cycle of addiction like oxy does.

dotnet00 4y ago
Huh, I wasn't aware of that. Will keep it in mind in the future, although hopefully I don't end up needing to do so.