How do you prevent your body to get use to narcotic meds so that you don't have to up your dosage?

Question

People with chronic pain.

Answer 1

There's really no way to prevent your body from becoming "tolerant" to certain drugs. You can do as someone else suggested. Try taking a break from the meds for 2 or 3 days to give your body and brain a rest, if you can endure the pain without the meds. If your meds are non controlled release, you can also break them in half when you have "good days" and don't feel you need as much medicine. When your body does become tolerant and you feel your pain meds are no longer working, tell your doctor.

Answer 2

I have been on allot of pain medications over the last 10 years and they have started myself out with a low dosage. As the pain has changed and my body has gotten used to the amount of medication that I was on they increased it. I asked the doctors about this and they told my self that they could go to a stronger med and see what happens. I found that in the beginning if I could tolerate the pain for a time I would try and cut back on my medication for pain so that when I went back to the normal amount it would work. This only worked for a while but I ended up on stronger med such as Hydrocodone and Oxicodone along with other meds to help control the pain. I wish you good luck and great spirits to control your pain.

Answer 3

I'm not sure there is a way to prevent it. the human body will try to adapt to whatever happens to it, even if you don't want it to. Take enough medication to control the pain, of course. I think if you take more drug than you need it will speed up the development of tolerance.