Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAddiction vs. DependenceOpioid WithdrawalNSAID WithdrawalAnticonvulsant WithdrawalAntidepressant WithdrawalHow to Quit
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Addiction vs. Dependence
Opioid Withdrawal
NSAID Withdrawal
Anticonvulsant Withdrawal
Antidepressant Withdrawal
How to Quit
The need to safely quit taking painkillers is growing as more people use drugs to treatchronic pain. A 2024 study based on more than 9 million patient charts across 10 years found the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs),opioids, and other pain medications has risen.These drugs are used to treat a wide range of conditions.
In some cases, chronic pain requires the long-term use of painkillers. Other people may need to take them temporarily, but in all cases a healthcare provider needs to guide the process of changing a prescription, tapering a dose, or managing withdrawal if stopping altogether.
This article explains what happens when you stop taking NSAIDanalgesics, such as ibuprofen, as well as other pain medications. It also covers how your healthcare provider can help monitor any withdrawal symptoms.
Peter Dazeley / Getty Images
Addiction involves a loss of control, typically in ways that impact your life. It’s generally implied that the medication is interfering with an individual’s life in some way. There are several criteria for addiction, including tolerance or misuse of a drug (a painkiller dose that’s too much or too often).
Does Everyone Get Addicted to Pain Meds?Dependence on pain medication happens to nearly everyone who uses an opioid for a period of months or more. Yet just 8% or less of people taking long-term opioids will develop an addiction.With painkillers, it’s possible to have dependence without addiction or even addiction without physical dependence.
Does Everyone Get Addicted to Pain Meds?
Dependence on pain medication happens to nearly everyone who uses an opioid for a period of months or more. Yet just 8% or less of people taking long-term opioids will develop an addiction.With painkillers, it’s possible to have dependence without addiction or even addiction without physical dependence.
Reasons Your Healthcare Provider May Recommend a Medication Break
In 2022, opioids were one of the most commonly used drugs used to treat chronic pain.When you abruptly stop taking opioids, or narcotics, your body can go into withdrawal. Some common opioid withdrawal symptoms include:
Medications includingmethadoneornaltrexoneinjection can help to prevent opioid use, whileLucemyra(lofexidine) is available to treat withdrawal symptoms.Talk to your healthcare provider about managing opioid withdrawal.
How to Manage Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
NSAID medications, such as ibuprofen, are used to treat chronic pain about as often as opioids. it’s available over-the-counter as well as prescription.
It’s typically uncommon to develop a dependence on NSAIDs, but studies have found more than 11% of ibuprofen users take more than the prescribed dosage and face the risk of becoming dependent on the drug.
If you regularly take NSAIDs to control inflammation and swelling, you can expect it to return again. Increased swelling may increase your pain again, which can have secondary withdrawal consequences. You may experience anxiety simply because new pain tends to have this effect.
Someanticonvulsants, including Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin), can be used to treat pain.In addition to similar withdrawal symptoms to those of opioids, there may be an additional risk of seizures. Other symptoms can include:
Pregabalin vs. Gabapentin: What’s the Difference?
Tricyclic antidepressants likeamitriptyline, along withserotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors(SNRIs), are among the drugs commonly used to treat certain types of chronic pain.They may have a milder withdrawal phase than opioids and anticonvulsants.
The most common antidepressant withdrawal symptom is anxiety, which can cause increased heart rate, profuse sweating, and rapid breathing.You may also find your mood to be lower than normal during antidepressant withdrawal, though this is more common if you had mood difficulties prior to your treatment for chronic pain.
How to Quit Taking Painkillers Responsibly
If you want to quit taking your pain medication, first contact your healthcare provider to talk about strategies for stopping your treatment, changing medications, or adjusting or tapering dosages.With chronic pain medications, it is crucial that a healthcare provider guide the process. Even with a slow weaning process, there may be the need to monitor or treat withdrawal symptoms.
On the other hand, it may be your provider who prefers a more cautious approach and recommends that you stop taking painkillers that you feel you have come to rely on.Good communication with your provider and pharmacist can help with the transition.
Summary
There are ways to safely quit taking painkillers, and it’s important that you not stop taking them on your own. The medications (opioids, NSAIDs, antidepressants) each work differently, and you may experience withdrawal symptoms that need to be managed effectively.
Your healthcare provider can help to ensure that your chronic pain is treated while limiting the risk of painkiller withdrawal effects.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Goudman L, Moens M, Pilitsis JG.Incidence and prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in pathologies with a potential for chronic pain.Anesthesiology. 2024 Mar 1;140(3):524-537. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004863Szalavitz M, Rigg KK, Wakeman SE.Drug dependence is not addiction-and it matters.Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):1989-1992. doi:10.1080/07853890.2021.1995623Gunadi C, Shi Y.Prescription drug monitoring programs use mandates and prescription stimulant and depressant quantities.BMC Public Health. 2023 Jul 11;23(1):1326. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16256-9.MedlinePlus.Opiate and opioid withdrawal.Fishman M, Tirado C, Alam D, Gullo K, Clinch T, Gorodetzky CW.Safety and efficacy of lofexidine for medically managed opioid withdrawal: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2019;13(3):169-176. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000474Kaufman DW, Kelly JP, Battista DR, Malone MK, Weinstein RB, Shiffman S.Exceeding the daily dosing limit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among ibuprofen users.Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. 2018;27(3):322-331. doi:10.1002/pds.4391Varshney V, Osborn J, Chaturvedi R, Shah V, Chakravarthy K.Advances in the interventional management of neuropathic pain.Ann Transl Med. 2021 Jan;9(2):187. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6190.Athavale A, Murnion B.Gabapentinoids: a therapeutic review.Aust Prescr. 2023 Dec;46(4):80-85. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2023.025.Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription opioids?Arthur J, Edwards T, Lu Z, Amoateng DM, Koom-Dadzie K, Zhu H,et al.Healthcare provider perceptions and reported practices regarding opioid prescription for patients with chronic pain.Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Sep 27:rs.3.rs-3367358. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3367358/v1.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Goudman L, Moens M, Pilitsis JG.Incidence and prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in pathologies with a potential for chronic pain.Anesthesiology. 2024 Mar 1;140(3):524-537. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004863Szalavitz M, Rigg KK, Wakeman SE.Drug dependence is not addiction-and it matters.Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):1989-1992. doi:10.1080/07853890.2021.1995623Gunadi C, Shi Y.Prescription drug monitoring programs use mandates and prescription stimulant and depressant quantities.BMC Public Health. 2023 Jul 11;23(1):1326. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16256-9.MedlinePlus.Opiate and opioid withdrawal.Fishman M, Tirado C, Alam D, Gullo K, Clinch T, Gorodetzky CW.Safety and efficacy of lofexidine for medically managed opioid withdrawal: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2019;13(3):169-176. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000474Kaufman DW, Kelly JP, Battista DR, Malone MK, Weinstein RB, Shiffman S.Exceeding the daily dosing limit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among ibuprofen users.Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. 2018;27(3):322-331. doi:10.1002/pds.4391Varshney V, Osborn J, Chaturvedi R, Shah V, Chakravarthy K.Advances in the interventional management of neuropathic pain.Ann Transl Med. 2021 Jan;9(2):187. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6190.Athavale A, Murnion B.Gabapentinoids: a therapeutic review.Aust Prescr. 2023 Dec;46(4):80-85. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2023.025.Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription opioids?Arthur J, Edwards T, Lu Z, Amoateng DM, Koom-Dadzie K, Zhu H,et al.Healthcare provider perceptions and reported practices regarding opioid prescription for patients with chronic pain.Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Sep 27:rs.3.rs-3367358. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3367358/v1.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Goudman L, Moens M, Pilitsis JG.Incidence and prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in pathologies with a potential for chronic pain.Anesthesiology. 2024 Mar 1;140(3):524-537. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004863Szalavitz M, Rigg KK, Wakeman SE.Drug dependence is not addiction-and it matters.Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):1989-1992. doi:10.1080/07853890.2021.1995623Gunadi C, Shi Y.Prescription drug monitoring programs use mandates and prescription stimulant and depressant quantities.BMC Public Health. 2023 Jul 11;23(1):1326. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16256-9.MedlinePlus.Opiate and opioid withdrawal.Fishman M, Tirado C, Alam D, Gullo K, Clinch T, Gorodetzky CW.Safety and efficacy of lofexidine for medically managed opioid withdrawal: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2019;13(3):169-176. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000474Kaufman DW, Kelly JP, Battista DR, Malone MK, Weinstein RB, Shiffman S.Exceeding the daily dosing limit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among ibuprofen users.Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. 2018;27(3):322-331. doi:10.1002/pds.4391Varshney V, Osborn J, Chaturvedi R, Shah V, Chakravarthy K.Advances in the interventional management of neuropathic pain.Ann Transl Med. 2021 Jan;9(2):187. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6190.Athavale A, Murnion B.Gabapentinoids: a therapeutic review.Aust Prescr. 2023 Dec;46(4):80-85. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2023.025.Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription opioids?Arthur J, Edwards T, Lu Z, Amoateng DM, Koom-Dadzie K, Zhu H,et al.Healthcare provider perceptions and reported practices regarding opioid prescription for patients with chronic pain.Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Sep 27:rs.3.rs-3367358. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3367358/v1.
Goudman L, Moens M, Pilitsis JG.Incidence and prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in pathologies with a potential for chronic pain.Anesthesiology. 2024 Mar 1;140(3):524-537. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004863
Szalavitz M, Rigg KK, Wakeman SE.Drug dependence is not addiction-and it matters.Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):1989-1992. doi:10.1080/07853890.2021.1995623
Gunadi C, Shi Y.Prescription drug monitoring programs use mandates and prescription stimulant and depressant quantities.BMC Public Health. 2023 Jul 11;23(1):1326. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16256-9.
MedlinePlus.Opiate and opioid withdrawal.
Fishman M, Tirado C, Alam D, Gullo K, Clinch T, Gorodetzky CW.Safety and efficacy of lofexidine for medically managed opioid withdrawal: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2019;13(3):169-176. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000474
Kaufman DW, Kelly JP, Battista DR, Malone MK, Weinstein RB, Shiffman S.Exceeding the daily dosing limit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among ibuprofen users.Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. 2018;27(3):322-331. doi:10.1002/pds.4391
Varshney V, Osborn J, Chaturvedi R, Shah V, Chakravarthy K.Advances in the interventional management of neuropathic pain.Ann Transl Med. 2021 Jan;9(2):187. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6190.
Athavale A, Murnion B.Gabapentinoids: a therapeutic review.Aust Prescr. 2023 Dec;46(4):80-85. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2023.025.
Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991
National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are prescription opioids?
Arthur J, Edwards T, Lu Z, Amoateng DM, Koom-Dadzie K, Zhu H,et al.Healthcare provider perceptions and reported practices regarding opioid prescription for patients with chronic pain.Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Sep 27:rs.3.rs-3367358. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3367358/v1.
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