Thank you for your question, and we’re very sorry you had a painful experience.
You are absolutely right that using opioids prescribed by your doctor (like oxycodone or fentanyl) to treat pain is different from misusing these medications for other reasons. Opioids can be used short-term, like for days to weeks, to treat pain. As long as you take them only as needed to manage the pain and follow your doctor’s instructions for dosage and duration, it’s not considered problematic use or addiction. The goal is to stop the medications as soon as your pain improves.
Some people who take opioid medications at higher doses than prescribed, for longer than prescribed, or when they don’t need them for pain can develop a substance use disorder (or addiction). Opioids are very strong drugs, so it’s important to use them carefully to avoid this problem.
Some signs that a person may be developing a problem include:
- Cravings for the medication
- Difficulty reducing the amount they are taking
- Problems at work, school, or in relationships due to needing the medication
- Getting into dangerous situations to obtain the medication (like getting it from people other than the doctor)
- Using more of the medication or using it for longer than intended (“a binge”)
- Giving up activities they enjoy to use the medication
- Spending a lot of time getting and using the medication
If you’re not having any of these problems, it’s okay to continue using the patches only as much as you need for your pain.
Lastly, make sure you return any leftover patches to the pharmacy or your local fire/police station when you don’t need them anymore. They can be dangerous to keep around the house, and you don’t want anyone accidentally getting into them.
