At some point, life with chronic pain may involve treatment with opioids, a potentially addictive drug that can lead to problems that affect your physical and mental health, your relationships, and your overall sense of well-being.
At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, Jose De La Torre, MD, understands how complicated an opioid addiction can be. In addition to offering non-opioid solutions for ongoing pain management, Dr. De La Torre also provides Suboxone® therapy, which can aid in beating an opioid addiction.
Opioids are a drug classification for controlling pain. Common types of opioids include hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. An illegal type of opioid is heroin.
These drugs work by altering your nervous system to prevent pain signals from traveling to your brain. However, the effects of opioids on the brain can also increase risk factors for misuse or addiction to the drug.
Taking opioids causes a euphoric feeling in the brain, so you may feel happier when taking them. Using too many opioids can increase your brain’s tolerance to the drugs, so you ultimately need to start taking more of the medications to achieve the same effect.
Higher doses of opioids can lead to respiratory distress, overdose, and possibly premature death. Quitting opioids on your own can be incredibly difficult because of the strong withdrawal effects the drugs can cause. That’s why so many people stay trapped in their opioid addiction.
Suboxone is a medication in the opioid family but is thought to be a safer drug. When taking Suboxone, you won’t experience the same euphoria as other opioids can cause. You also are at less risk for physical dependency when taking Suboxone.
Dr. De La Torre can physically examine you and review your medical history to determine if you’re a candidate for treatment with Suboxone. He also takes into consideration mental health issues that can result from opioid misuse and can refer you for specialized care for depression, anxiety, and other mental health treatments.
In addition to taking Suboxone to overcome an opioid addiction, we may prescribe other medications to control your chronic pain. You may also benefit from psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help you achieve long-term recovery from addiction.
At New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine, we offer non-opioid treatment options for chronic pain from herniated discs, migraines, and sciatica. We focus on your long-term pain relief, so you can get back to your usual activities without complications or limitations.
Depending on the condition you have as well as your overall health, you may be a candidate for:
We can also recommend lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk for a worsening of your pain and other symptoms.
If you want to reduce your dependence on opioid medications to control your chronic pain, call New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment, or book one online.
