Most addictive pain killers on the market

Elizabeth Hartney at health site About.com has composed a list of the ten most addictive pain killers on the market today.  All of these are synthetic or semi-synthetic opiates. Here is the list:

1. Fentanyl

2. Stadol

3. OxyContin

4. Demerol

5. Hydrocodone

6. MS Contin

7. Percocet

8. Lorcet

9. Dilaudid

10. Zydone

In an article on WebMD, a doctor who works with addicts, Dr. Marvin Seppala, states though, that the vast majority of people who use pain killers use them correctly without developing addiction. Furthermore, Dr. Susan Weiss of the National Institute of Drug Abuse explains, if a person suffers from chronic pain and the pain is steadily getting worse, the patient may need a higher dose of pain killer, and that doesn’t necessarily signify addiction.

In another About.com article, Ms. Hartney discusses the nature of addiction.  Addiction involves both a physical and psychological component. How do you know, then, when you are addicted? According to the author, these are the following signs and symptoms of addiction:

• Tolerance to the effect of a drug, causing the user to continuously raise the dose to get the same effect as before
• Withdrawal from a drug causes unpleasant and sometimes intolerable pain, often leading to resumed use
• Preoccupation by the user with the addiction and obtaining the substance causing it, often overwhelming all other aspects of the person’s life.

Sources: WebMD, About.com