Health Plan of San Joaquin | Focus Your Health | Summer 2018

Focus Your Health 5 Opioids: A serious risk continually acting on it. That’s not always easy. It means you need to manage your stress, stay active and find a support network among friends and family. But it can be done. And the rewards are great—pain may still play a part in your life, but it won’t run the show. Explore your options “The most important message we send to our members is to empower them to discuss ALL options for pain management with their provider,” says Maria Aguglia, MSN/MHA, CCM, RN, director of Care Management/ Utilization Management at Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ). “Pain control can be achieved by multiple treatment options, either used alone or in combination.” Some of those options are listed above. She also stresses: “Pain medication is not always the best treatment and can lead to other health issues. If one of our HPSJ members—or any patient—needs to take pain medication, they should always discuss the plan of care with their provider to ensure they are taking the medication for the least amount of time.” To learn more about control- ling chronic pain, visit the web- site of the American Chronic Pain Association, as well as the National Institute of Neurologi- cal Disorders and Stroke. Opioid painkillers are strong medicines that help ease certain kinds of pain. But using them carries big risks as well. In fact, many experts say our country is in an opioid crisis. Protect yourself It’s important to know some of the problems opi- oids can cause. Some of the risks include: Tolerance. This means you need to take more of the drug to get the same pain relief. Addiction. It happens to up to 1 in 4 people who take opioids for chronic pain. Overdose. Between 1999 and 2014, over 165,000 people died after overdos- ing on prescription opioids. Talk to your doctor What if your health care provider suggests an opi- oid for chronic pain, like back pain that has lasted a long time? You can ask if there are other options. For instance, perhaps it would help to try: ● ● A different type of pain drug ● ● Physical therapy ● ● Exercise ● ● Behavioral therapy ● ● Injections If you are prescribed an opioid: ● ● Go to all your doctor visits. Your provider will want to check for side effects. ● ● Take it as directed. Never take a larger dose. And stick to the prescribed schedule. ● ● Avoid alcohol, and don’t take any other medicines unless your doctor tells you it’s OK. ● ● Store your medication in a safe place. ● ● Watch for signs of physical dependency. One warning sign is having withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the drug. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; JAMA HealthReach 2001 HealthReach 4440