Opioid Alternative

Free Yourself from Opioid

What’s Opioid?

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin^®), hydrocodone (Vicodin^®), codeine, morphine, and many others. All opioids are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription). Regular use—even as prescribed by a doctor—can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to addiction, overdose incidents, and deaths.

Dr Kronics and Pain Management

Chronic pain management has become a well-known challenge for psychiatrists and other addiction specialists, partly because almost half of primary care providers (PCPs) are refusing to treat chronic pain in patients. In the face of this PCP response to prescribing opioids, a new discovery is cannabinoid use for analgesia of chronic “benign” pain : Dr Kronics . Cannabidiol (CBD), have been hailed as non-addictive solutions to using escalating doses of opioids for chronic pain because cannabinoids potentiate the efficacy and reduce tolerance to opioids.

Preliminary studies on animals indicate that CBD oil affects the endocannabinoid system. You have many cannabinoid receptors in your central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. Because the receptors are in your nervous system, they affect pain signals. Researchers think that CBD oil or cream stimulates your body to use its own endocannabinoids more effectively to block pain. Studies that have tested CBD for chronic neuropathic pain find that it reduces the intensity of the pain, aids sleep, and lessens the pain’s psychological effects. Research on animals shows CBD is likely to calm arthritis pain.

Dr Kronics CBD lotions are made for topical use. You can massage these products directly into your skin for fast-acting pain relief as well as skin-moisturizing benefits.

Effects of Prescription Pain Killers

When used as directed by your doctor, opioid medications safely help control acute pain, such as pain you experience after surgery. There are risks, though, when the medications are used incorrectly.

What opioid medications do

Opioids are a broad group of pain-relieving drugs that work by interacting with opioid receptors in your cells. Opioids can be made from the poppy plant — for example, morphine (Kadian, Ms Contin, others) — or synthesized in a laboratory — for example, fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, others).

When opioid medications travel through your blood and attach to opioid receptors in your brain cells, the cells release signals that muffle your perception of pain and boost your feelings of pleasure.

When opioid medications are dangerous

What makes opioid medications effective for treating pain can also make them dangerous.

At lower doses, opioids may make you feel sleepy, but higher doses can slow your breathing and heart rate, which can lead to death. And the feelings of pleasure that result from taking an opioid can make you want to continue experiencing those feelings, which may lead to addiction.

You can reduce your risk of dangerous side effects by following your doctor’s instructions carefully and taking your medication exactly as prescribed. Make sure your doctor knows all of the other medications and supplements you’re taking.