Opioid Pain Medicine Information

Opioid pain medicine is a strong medicine which is used to treat serious pain. Only take these medicines while you are working with a doctor. You should only take them for short amounts of time, if your doctor says that you can. When you take these medicines for short amounts of time, they can help you:

• Do better in physical therapy.
• Feel better during the first few days after an injury.

Work with your doctor to make a plan for treating your pain. Talk about:

• How much pain you can expect to have.
• How long you are likely to have pain.

What are the risks?

Opioid pain medicines can cause problems (side effects). Taking them for more than 3 days raises your chance of problems, such as:

• Trouble pooping (constipation).
• Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea).
• Throwing up (vomiting).
• Sleepiness.
• Confusion.
• Breathing problems.
• Not being able to stop taking the medicine (addiction).

Taking opioid pain medicine for a long time can put you at risk for:

• Car accidents.
• Depression.
• Heart attack.
• Taking too much of the medicine (overdose).
• Painful symptoms after you stop the medicine (withdrawal).
• Suicide and death.

Follow these instructions at home:

Safety and storage

• While you are taking opioid pain medicine:
  • Do not drive.
  • Do not use machines or power tools.
  • Do not sign important papers (legal documents).
  • Do not drink alcohol.
  • Do not take sleeping pills.
  • Do not take care of children by yourself.
  • Do not do activities with climbing or being in high places, like working on a ladder.
  • Do not go into any water, such a lake, river, ocean, pool, or hot tub.
• Keep your pain medicine locked up, or in a place where children cannot reach it.
• Do not share your pain medicine with anyone.

Getting rid of leftover pills

Do not save any leftover pills. Get rid of leftover pills safely by:

• Taking them to a take-back program in your area.
• Bringing them to a pharmacy that has a container for throwing away pills (pill disposal).
• Safely throwing them in the trash. To do this:
  • Mix the pills with pet poop or food scraps.
  • Put the mixture in a closed container or bag.
  • Throw the container or bag in the trash.

General instructions

• Work with your doctor to find other ways to manage your pain, such as:
  • Physical therapy.
  • Massage.
  • Counseling.
  • Diet and exercise.
  • Meditation.
  • Other pain medicines.
• Get your pain medicine prescription from only one doctor.
• If you have been taking opioid pain medicines for more than a few weeks, do not try to stop taking them by yourself. Work with your doctor to stop.
  • Your doctor will help you take less and less (taper) until you are not taking the medicine at all. This can lower your chance of having painful symptoms after you stop taking the medicine.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Contact a doctor if:

• You have problems because of your medicines.
• You need help to stop taking your medicines.
• You have questions about how to use your medicines safely.

Get help right away if:

• You have trouble breathing.
• You have a very slow heartbeat.
• You feel confused.
• You are very sleepy.
• You pass out (faint).
• You feel sick to your stomach.
• You throw up.
• You have cold skin.
• You have blue lips or fingers.
• Your muscles are weak (limp) and your body seems floppy.
• The black centers of your eyes (pupils) are smaller than normal.
• You feel like you may hurt yourself or others.

If you think that you (or somebody else) may have taken too much of an opioid pain medicine, go to your nearest emergency department or call:

• Your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.).
• The hotline of the National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.).
• A suicide crisis helpline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. This is open 24 hours a day.

Summary

• Opioid pain medicines are strong medicines that can have serious side effects if you take them for too long.
• If you have pain, work with your doctor to make a plan to treat it. If you can, find other options that help you manage pain.
• Get help right away if you think that you (or somebody else) may have taken too much of an opioid pain medicine.