While you heal, your health care provider can develop a plan to help you manage pain so you can be active in your recovery. If your provider has included opioids in your pain management plan, use the smallest dose needed for the shortest time possible to control symptoms and improve your activity level.

Ask your provider about alternatives to opioids that you can use and how these can be prioritized so that less opioids are needed. Nonopioid pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) are safer and often as effective as opioids for managing pain. Your doctor might recommend scheduling nonopioid pain relievers and using opioids only for breakthrough pain.
Also ask which non-medication treatments may be helpful. Physical or occupational therapy, daily exercise and yoga can help the healing process, boost your mood and reduce your need for pain medications. Engaging in soothing activities can help calm the central nervous system. This helps ease both pain and cravings. It can also help put pain into perspective.

TRY:

• Breathing in and out slowly
• Meditating or praying
• Visualizing a calm, peaceful, healing place
• Practicing yoga or tai chi
• Going for a walk or doing other physical activity
• Stretching.
• Establishing healthy sleeping habits.
• Getting a massage.
• Having acupuncture.

Opioids can cause serious side effects and its important to tell your provider about any symptoms you may experience. If you are experiencing constipation, the most common symptom, ask your provider which medication may work best to help with this. Your ability to think clearly and make good decisions may be impaired while you take opioids, especially when you first start using them. For this reason:

• Do not drink alcohol or use any medicines that have not been prescribed for you.
• Do not drive or operate heavy machinery.
• Do not take responsibility for the care of others, such as small children.
• Have someone monitor you for side effects when you first begin taking the opioid
• Ask your health care provider whether you should work. Many employers have policies about working while possibly affected by medicine.
• Check with your manager, supervisor or your human resources department to find out more.

If you or your loved ones are concerned about how sleepy you appear when using opioids, let your provider know right away.

Also talk to your care team about any concerns with opioid addiction. Opioids affect the pleasure center of the brain, which can make the whole body want more. If you find yourself craving that next pill or taking opioids just in case pain strikes rather than because severe pain is present, talk to your advocate or your doctor. It might be a sign you are becoming addicted to the drug.

• Taking opioids at the same time as certain other medications such as anxiety medications, sleeping medications or muscle relaxants.
• You have heart or lung problems or problems such as emphysema, obstructive sleep apnea or congestive heart failure.
• You have kidney or liver problems.
• You use alcohol.
• You have an addiction to opioids.

Ask your provider about whether you need a prescription for naloxone. Naloxone is now available over the counter but receiving it in prescription form may be cheaper.

Evidence shows the risk of developing problems caused by opioids goes up every time an opioid prescription is refilled. Taking opioids for a long while can actually make pain last longer and make it more intense.

For these reasons, most health care providers do not recommend taking opioids for chronic pain that is not caused by cancer.
There are many effective treatments to manage chronic pain that do not include taking medicine. Talk with your health care provider about a plan to manage chronic pain.

If you take opioids while you transition to other treatments, your provider closely monitors your opioid use and side effects.
Your provider may have you sign an agreement that lists expectations for taking opioids. This agreement may include:

• Frequent follow-up visits with a health care provider.
• Occasional urine drug tests.
• Occasional pill counts.
• A monitoring program.