When a doctor prescribes medication, it’s only natural to assume that this is a safe and effective way to treat your condition. However, if you’re being prescribed prescription painkillers for moderate to severe pain, you should be aware that opioid painkiller use has been shown to be a risk factor for heroin addiction.

How a Painkiller Addiction Develops

Opioid painkillers are most often used for post-surgical pain or acute pain from a recent injury, with the CDC reporting that there were over 142 million prescriptions written in 2020 alone. Opioids are sometimes prescribed for chronic pain, but this practice has become less common as healthcare providers have become more aware of the risk of addiction and have taken steps to curb the opioid epidemic.

Commonly prescribed opioid painkillers with a high potential for abuse include:

• Codeine (Tylenol 3)
• Fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic)
• Hydrocodone (Lorcet, Norco, and Vicodin)
• Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
• Meperidine (Demerol)
• Methadone (Dolophine)
• Morphine (MS Contin)
• Oxycodone (Percocet, Percodan, Oxycontin, and Roxicodone)
• Oxymorphone (Opana)

People who are addicted to painkillers typically do not start off intending to develop a substance abuse problem. They may take their medication exactly as prescribed at first, then start engaging in riskier behavior as they discover the appeal of the relaxed, happy, or “high” feeling that comes with opioid use. Potential signs of a painkiller addiction include:

• Taking the medication more often than prescribed due to an increased tolerance
• Mixing medication with alcohol to intensify its effects
• Visiting multiple doctors or lying about missing pills to obtain additional prescriptions
• Stealing pills from others
• Buying pills on the black market
• Becoming angry or defensive when friends and family express concern about your behavior
• Experiencing side effects associated with high doses of opioids, such as sleep disturbances, memory impairment, loss of appetite, and constipation

It is important to note that addiction doesn’t discriminate by age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status. People from many different backgrounds can struggle with substance use disorders, although there are a few known risk factors that can increase the odds that a person who is prescribed opioid painkillers will become addicted:

• Struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns
• Feeling isolated from friends and family
• Having unresolved past trauma
• Having a family history of addiction

How Increased Tolerance Can Lead to Heroin Addiction

Opioid tolerance develops from desensitization, internalization, and downregulation of opioid receptors. The time it takes a person to develop a tolerance to opioids depends on a few different factors, but evidence of tolerance can be seen in as little as one week of regular use—even when medication is being taken exactly as prescribed.

On its own, an increased tolerance doesn’t mean that a person has developed an addiction. However, tolerance can be problematic for a person who is misusing opioid painkillers. As tolerance increases, they’ll need larger doses to produce the same high. Even when a person is engaged in doctor shopping or buying pills on the black market, it can be difficult to obtain a steady supply if tolerance is increasing at a rapid rate. This is when heroin starts to become a more appealing alternative.

A recent survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that 80% of heroin users used prescription opioid painkillers before turning to heroin. This is a drastic shift from the 1960s, when 80% of people seeking treatment for opioid addiction started with heroin use.

Heroin’s rise as an alternative to prescription opioid painkillers is primarily due to its lower cost and widespread availability. NIDA research found that 94% of people in treatment for opioid addiction said they chose to use heroin because prescription opioids were “far more expensive and harder to obtain.”

The idea of injecting illegal drugs is off-putting to many first-time users. Typically, users will start snorting or smoking heroin and then transition to injecting the drug as their tolerance increases. Graduating to IV drug use brings additional risks beyond those associated with the drug itself, including hepatitis or HIV infection from sharing needles.

Help Is Available

Opioid addiction is not caused by a character flaw or an inherent lack of willpower. Like other types of substance use disorders, it is linked to a complex assortment of biological and environmental triggers. However, there is always hope for recovery.

At St. Joseph Institute for Addiction, we provide a full continuum of care for men and women with opioid addiction. The staff at our Pennsylvania residential addiction treatment center work with each client to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses factors such as mental health concerns, the effects of past trauma, and the need to find alternative ways to address chronic pain. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you take the first steps toward a brighter future.

Looking for addiction treatment near Altoona, PA? To learn more about SJI Pennsylvania addiction rehab, and our programs, please contact us at (814) 228-8881.