I broke 16 bones in a automobile wreck. Ache tablets didn’t work so I used to be prescribed ache patches. They’re Fentanyl however I comply with the patch directions carefully. My girlfriend is freaking out. How do I clarify there’s a distinction between this and junkies?

Thanks in your query, and we’re very sorry you had a painful expertise.

You might be completely proper that utilizing opioids prescribed by your physician (like oxycodone or fentanyl) to deal with ache is totally different from misusing these medicines for different causes. Opioids can be utilized short-term, like for days to weeks, to deal with ache. So long as you are taking them solely as wanted to handle the ache and comply with your physician’s directions for dosage and length, it’s not thought of problematic use or dependancy. The purpose is to cease the medicines as quickly as your ache improves.

Some individuals who take opioid medicines at larger doses than prescribed, for longer than prescribed, or after they don’t want them for ache can develop a substance use dysfunction (or dependancy). Opioids are very sturdy medicine, so it’s necessary to make use of them rigorously to keep away from this downside.

Some indicators that an individual could also be growing an issue embody:

• Cravings for the treatment
• Issue decreasing the quantity they’re taking
• Issues at work, college, or in relationships attributable to needing the treatment
• Entering into harmful conditions to acquire the treatment (like getting it from individuals aside from the physician)
• Utilizing extra of the treatment or utilizing it for longer than supposed (“a binge”)
• Giving up actions they take pleasure in to make use of the treatment
• Spending plenty of time getting and utilizing the treatment

In case you’re not having any of those issues, it’s okay to proceed utilizing the patches solely as a lot as you want in your ache.

Lastly, be sure to return any leftover patches to the pharmacy or your native hearth/police station whenever you don’t want them anymore. They are often harmful to maintain round the home, and also you don’t need anybody by chance moving into them.