Are You Becoming Addicted To Pain Medication?

There are a quite a wide number of ailments that could make people resort to taking pain medication. For example, you could be recovering from physical injuries or surgery.

There are also times that people get into the habit of taking pain medication on a regular basis to alleviate symptoms of a chronic condition.

It doesn't matter if you're taking prescription pharmaceuticals or over the counter drugs; if you take pain medication on a regular basis then you are opening yourself up to the possibility of becoming addicted to the medication.

Luckily there are a number of symptoms and signs that you should be aware of that could alert you to the possibility that you may be forming a habit. Here are some of them:

Increasing the Dosage of the Medication

Once you start taking medicine for a period of time your body may begin to develop a tolerance for it. If you are experiencing this and you believe that you still need the medicine, you might ask your physician to write a prescription for an increased dosage. In rare circumstances, this could indicate a problem.

Continual Use of the Medication

If, even after you're fully recovered, you get refills of the medication, it indicates that you may have become addicted to it. And if your physician starts questioning you about why you continue to take the medicine, or if he or she refuses to renew the prescription, you might have to accept that you could have become dependent on that drug.

Outward Indicators

One sign of drug addiction that will be apparent to those close to you (and maybe yourself) is a change in your overall appearance and/or your habits. If you are concerned that you may be on the road to addiction you should look at yourself in a full length mirror.

Then answer the following questions objectively:

• Have you changed your grooming habits?

• Do your clothes look sloppy?

• Do you look unkempt?

A "yes" to any of these could indicate that you are on your way to addiction.

Has Your Personality Changed?

If you're aware of any changes in your personality or behavior then those could be signs of addiction. Your energy level, mood, enthusiasm (or lack thereof) and difficulty concentrating could be the result of your long term abuse of your pain medicine.

If you begin withdrawing from what are deemed normal social activities and if you have been taking pain medications for a prolonged period then you may have become addicted to the medicine.

Also, if you now avoid contact with folks that you've been socializing with or if you start to avoid get-together's that you would have gone to before then you should consider the possibility that you have become addicted to your pain medication.

Acetaminophen is not an addictive drug, however, excessive use or an overdose can be dangerous. When people increase the amount of acetaminophen that they are taking to alleviate their pain they could also do serious damage to their liver. In some cases, it could be the cause of an unintentional death.

If you or someone you love has suffered from taking too much acetaminophen, you should look into the possibility of initiating an acetaminophen lawsuit.


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