How safe are painkillers for long term pain management?

Question

My partner suffers from knee joint pain but refuses to take any painkillers as he says that masking the pain then carrying on as if there was no pain is dangerous. He just lets the pain limit his activities and reckons its his body telling him now far he can go. I asked my boss who is a pharmacist and he said he didnt know how to answer that.

Also a lot of people take anti inflammatories everyday semi long term just so they can continue working or doing their every day activities, which also seems wrong as what if they are doing more damage to themselves?

What are your opinions?

PS: im not after suggestions about my partners knee he is happy with his herbal remedies lol just wanna know your opinions about usage of painkillers

I dont mean for chronic diseases or for broken bones or anything like that I am meaning for just niggling pains that have no previous medical significance.

Answer 1

Hi,
I am a doctor..
Taking pain killers for a short time is definitely indicated but taking it routinely may harm your health.

Here is some more info for for you-
The negative evidence continues to mount against taking painkiller drugs. In a study that raised questions about long-term use of over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as Advil, Motrin and Aleve, researchers came across an unexpected result: Although these drugs did cut the development of oral cancer by half, those positive results were superceded by an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

These findings only add fuel to the fire that heart risks extend beyond prescription medications like Bextra, Vioxx and Celebrex to the broader family of painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -- save acetaminophen or Tylenol, this includes brands of ibuprofen and nearly all other OTC pain pills.

Smokin' Discovery

The Food and Drug Administration has recently made the decision to warn against the long-term use of all painkiller drugs; this study involving smokers is the first evidence to support that warning. (Doctors wanted to find out whether NSAIDS could prevent oral cancer because previous work suggested they helped fend off other types of cancer.)

Surveying some 900 patients who were smokers and more prone to cancer and heart problems, researchers discovered that those who took OTC painkillers for a minimum of six months doubled their chances of dying from:
Stroke
Heart attack
Other heart-related problems

The risk, however, was highest among ibuprofen users, who were nearly three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-NSAID users.

(Seattle Post Intelligencer April 18, 2005)

There are a number of misconceptions floating around these days in regard to the use and safety of over-the-counter medications (OTCs). One of the more important ones is that OTCs are safer than their prescription-only counterparts.

OTCs are actually very capable of posing the same threat to your health that prescription medications do, and the results of this recent study certainly speak volumes in support of this notion.

With millions of people buying and using drugs like Advil, Motrin and Aleve everyday, who knows how many of the cardiovascular problems running rampant in our country could be prevented? What's even more concerning is that important results like these can still go "unnoticed" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

With all the recent failures at the FDA, this study can also serve as a reminder that trusting their last word may be a risky proposition indeed.

It's important to remember that OTC medications are rarely needed to treat your aches and pains. Following the Total Health Program, and being especially sure to optimize your intake of omega-3 fats along with reducing omega-6 fats, can radically reduce your reliance on anti-inflammatory medications.

Also, while your body recovers its natural state of balance, where harmful inflammation is minimized, you can also get some symptomatic relief from a number of different natural remedies that not only treat inflammation, but protect your heart at the same time.

If you have more queries,feel free to write to me or register absolutely free at our website
www.medicguide.org
Using that website is absolutely free.
Its run by me and some of my doctor friends to answer all your queries for free

Answer 2

Safe Painkillers

Answer 3

I have osteo-arthritis in the severe degenerative stages with permanent neurological damage. I have had surgery twelve times now, to, what you'd say, keep a normal lifestyle. I don't know what it's like to go by a day without pain, this has been going on for over 14 years.
I recently had a "Medtronic spinal stimulator" installed in my spine to quell some of the pain. I was told about %40 at most, I think I get about 60 to 75% reduction in relief. I still take Vicodin two to three times a day.

Those that have something to say against drug use, don't know what real pain is and, I'm not going to go into it. There's no argument as far as I'm concerned. I am not going to try and relax after a day in pain, with more pain to think about.
I'm not talking about an ache here or twitter there. I'm talking about gut wrenching, leg twisting, crying pain, real pain.

I have two sisters that have the same Type of arthuritis handed down through my parents. They're in the same boat with me. One has had both knees replaced, one shoulder and one hip, she's 55 and, a former performer. Now, she can hardely walk and is in pain constantly.

Unles you've been there, you can't really say.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How safe are painkillers for long term pain management?
My partner suffers from knee joint pain but refuses to take any painkillers as he says that masking the pain then carrying on as if there was no pain is dangerous. He just lets the pain limit his activities and reckons its his body telling him now far he can go. I asked my boss who is a pharmacist...

Answer 5

I was on pain medicine for 2 years and I can honestly tell you, pain meds like percocet or vicadin are extremely dangerous and addictive. Pain meds only mask the pain, it doesn't help the matter of it all. Pain meds actually make your body think you need more, therefore, you're in worse pain than you actually are. However, pain meds for temporary use is fine, but for longterm use, no. Your partner will only suffer. I have experienced the effects of long term narcotics for pain, and I will tell you, I would rather be in pain then go back on those medicines. It is not worth it. However, suboxone can used for pain but it cannot get you high. I've been on suboxone since October of 2013, and it works better than anything I've ever been on and I'm not addicted to it. I hope that helps

Answer 6

This sounds like a difference in personal values and choices. It sounds like meds are available if your partner wants them. It's just that he feels the negatives outweigh the positives at this point. He'd rather limit his activities and accommodate a certain level of discomfort.

It sounds like you would make a different choice, ie more meds and less discomfort. But it is his illness, his values, and his choice. He can change, if and when he feels that the balance of positive and negative has changed.

It is very hard to watch someone we love be in pain. Sometimes, it is harder for the watcher. However, sometimes we may hurt them more by trying to force our preferences on them. Unless or until his preferences are significantly impacting your activities also, I'd suggest giving him the respect and dignity to make his own choices about how to live.

Answer 7

if taken for a long period of time will become habit forming try to bear as much pain as you can

Answer 8

I would not tell him