What pain meds are available for people who have chronic pain and addiction?

Answer 1

Unfortunately for those who have history of addiction, access to pain meds is difficult, unless there is conclusive evidence for the reason causing the pain. For example, I've had 3 spinal fusions, and my underlying disease is enough proof that my pain is real. But addictive behavior in the past is a red flag for doctors, and most are unwilling to prescribe pain meds to anyone with such problems, be it narcotics, alcohol, etc. Nicotine is different though, but don't ask me why.

In such cases, as I said the reason for the pain must be conclusive (injury, disease, etc.), and finding a pain doctor won't be easy. Keeping a Pain Diary is also a must - real pain can't easily be faked, and any good doctor will be able to tell if an addict is BS'ing or not.

It comes down to a trust and legal issue for pain doctors. They are under tremendous pressure from Federal regulations to both help people and keep controlled substances away from those who have been abusers, and they're not easily willing to put themselves at risk without concrete reasons. Even hospitals are extremely conservative with pain meds and those who are known addicts.

It's important to understand the difference between dependence and addiction also. Those of us who are opiate dependent have a valid, medical need for our meds. Addiction is defined by its mental component - the addict uses a substance to escape from life or social situations they don't want to face, not for any real medical need (avoiding withdrawals doesn't count).

Answer 2

Some medications offered for chronic pain management are: Opiods (Nacartics), Non-opiods Analgesics (Ibruprofen, Naproxen), Acetaminophen, Antidepressants, Anticonvulsants and Topical Analgesics.