Painkillers are worse than taking nothing after 90 days

People who take the drugs for long periods are also left feeling more tired and less able to carry out normal daily activities.

In a test on 83 people with sickle cell disease – a rare blood disorder that causes excruciating pain – researchers discovered that the 29 patients on long-term opioids were in greater pain than the 54 who weren’t taking pain medication.

Overall, the patients taking the drugs reported pain levels that were three times greater than those not taking drugs, and their levels of fatigue were double.

The responses were logged over a 90-day period, during which time the participants were taking one opioid a day, say researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

(Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine,2016; 51: s69-77)

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community