Opioids…A Growing Epidemic
Last week, Tiger Woods was pulled over for driving under the influence…of opioid medications. He is not an IV drug user and he was not drunk behind the wheel. Instead, his judgement was clouded, at least in part, by very strong pain medications. His picture was plastered over every major news outlet, and for better or worse, he is becoming today’s face for an epidemic.
A 2016 Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 1 in 3 patients who took opioids for at least two months reported feeling addicted or dependent on the drugs. In addition, patients taking opioids prior to surgery have greater post-surgical pain, and face a higher risk of pneumonia, over-sedation and even death. It is not uncommon to have post-surgical patients report they felt symptoms of “withdrawal” after they stopped taking their pain medications only a few weeks following surgery.