Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Popular Painkillers That Can Cause Killer Pain | Personal Health | AlterNet

Popular Painkillers That Can Cause Killer Pain | Personal Health | AlterNet


Popular Painkillers That Can Cause Killer Pain

Opiate-induced hyperalgesia causes excruciating pain caused by the painkillers themselves.
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Penny S. seemed to have it all. She was young, pretty and active. Her husband was successful; her children healthy and happy. Then, out of nowhere, the pain began. It started as an aching fatigue in the afternoons and evenings. At night, “she looked like she’d hit a brick wall’” says her husband, Kent. “I…hurt…all…over,” is all Penny says, pausing between each drawn-out word for effect.

A doctor eventually diagnosed fibromyalgia—a syndrome that triggers pain throughout the body—and prescribed Vicodin, the top-selling opioid painkiller. “I liked the feeling of it, and it worked great,” Penny recalls. The Vicodin was a godsend: It enabled her to keep up with her responsibilities—kids, housework, social life—while continuing to work. Some days were better than others, of course, but the painkiller kept her head above water and she even started down the road to recovery from alcoholism....................

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