Is the Butrans Patch Right For You?
Chronic pain management almost always involves medication.
Doctors and patients face difficult choices when deciding what drug to use, since there are both short- and long-term concerns associated with any pain-killer.
Adding to these concerns is the fact that opioids, a common form of pain medication, have not been thoroughly studied for long-term effects.
The Butrans patch has a short history of use in Europe and has now hit the U.
S.
pain management market.
This patch is made with the narcotic buprenorphine, an opioid.
Patients wear the patch on their skin for 7 days, over which time the narcotic is released and absorbed through the skin.
Opioids work by attaching to opioid receptors in the human body.
Opioid receptors allow endorphins, the body's natural pain killers, and opioids from medication to create a sense of well-being and pain relief.
The Butrans patch comes with a host of warnings and contraindications.
Aside from minor concerns like skin irritation, there are more serious possibilities like respiratory depression.
Anyone with a history of respiratory problems should think twice before using this medication.
Hypotension is another potential adverse effect.
Use of this product is questionable in anyone who has a head injury, hepatitis, CPD, a gastrointestinal obstruction or uses other CNS depressants such as alcohol.
On top of these health concerns, Butrans, as an opioid, has a high abuse potential.
A person can become both physically and mentally dependent on an opioid drug for the feeling of well-being it produces, and dependency often leads to abuse.
The serious health risks associated with the patch increase greatly if dosage instructions are not followed, making abuse a huge concern.
Yet another concern with opioid medications like Butrans is that the level of sedation they cause can interfere with your quality of life as much as chronic pain can.
You may not be able to operate a vehicle or concentrate on work while using these pain-killers.
Why do people use a drug with such serious risks? Unfortunately, most pain medications come with potentially serious risks.
The Butrans patch is convenient and has helped many people to reduce the amount of other medications they take.
Many patients in the chronic pain community find themselves juggling 3 or more different medications on a daily basis, so consolidation is a huge benefit.
See patient reviews of this medication at http://www.
webmd.
com/drugs/drugreview-155153-Butrans+TD.
aspx?drugid=155153&drugname=Butrans+TD&pageIndex=0&sortby=3&conditionFilter=-1.
Opioid Over-prescription Given their risks, opioids are not an appropriate first line of defense against chronic pain.
Natural methods like physical therapy and less addictive pain medications like NSAIDs should be tried before considering opioids for pain management.
The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center conducted a survey of 14,000 people who experienced lower back pain within the past year; of those who were prescribed pain relievers, half received opioid medication.
This signifies an over-prescription of opioids.
See http://consumerreports.
org/health/best-buy-drugs/opioids.
htm for more on the Consumer Health Report assessment of opioids.
The Butrans patch should only be considered for use in people with chronic pain that has not responded to other methods of pain relief.
It is important to continue the search for a treatment that addresses the cause of your pain.
Medications only mask pain and should not be the beginning and end of your pain management strategy.
New research into back pain, fibromyalgia and other conditions is constantly being conducted that offers new hope for effective treatment.
Keep up-to-date and informed on your pain condition.
If the doctors and specialists treating you aren't looking for options beyond medication, consider seeing an osteopathic doctor; these doctors take a more whole-body approach to health conditions and may be more likely to find an effective treatment for your pain.
When considering the Butrans patch for chronic pain, be sure you know all the risks.
Safer treatments should always be tried before considering an opioid narcotic.
Doctors and patients face difficult choices when deciding what drug to use, since there are both short- and long-term concerns associated with any pain-killer.
Adding to these concerns is the fact that opioids, a common form of pain medication, have not been thoroughly studied for long-term effects.
The Butrans patch has a short history of use in Europe and has now hit the U.
S.
pain management market.
This patch is made with the narcotic buprenorphine, an opioid.
Patients wear the patch on their skin for 7 days, over which time the narcotic is released and absorbed through the skin.
Opioids work by attaching to opioid receptors in the human body.
Opioid receptors allow endorphins, the body's natural pain killers, and opioids from medication to create a sense of well-being and pain relief.
The Butrans patch comes with a host of warnings and contraindications.
Aside from minor concerns like skin irritation, there are more serious possibilities like respiratory depression.
Anyone with a history of respiratory problems should think twice before using this medication.
Hypotension is another potential adverse effect.
Use of this product is questionable in anyone who has a head injury, hepatitis, CPD, a gastrointestinal obstruction or uses other CNS depressants such as alcohol.
On top of these health concerns, Butrans, as an opioid, has a high abuse potential.
A person can become both physically and mentally dependent on an opioid drug for the feeling of well-being it produces, and dependency often leads to abuse.
The serious health risks associated with the patch increase greatly if dosage instructions are not followed, making abuse a huge concern.
Yet another concern with opioid medications like Butrans is that the level of sedation they cause can interfere with your quality of life as much as chronic pain can.
You may not be able to operate a vehicle or concentrate on work while using these pain-killers.
Why do people use a drug with such serious risks? Unfortunately, most pain medications come with potentially serious risks.
The Butrans patch is convenient and has helped many people to reduce the amount of other medications they take.
Many patients in the chronic pain community find themselves juggling 3 or more different medications on a daily basis, so consolidation is a huge benefit.
See patient reviews of this medication at http://www.
webmd.
com/drugs/drugreview-155153-Butrans+TD.
aspx?drugid=155153&drugname=Butrans+TD&pageIndex=0&sortby=3&conditionFilter=-1.
Opioid Over-prescription Given their risks, opioids are not an appropriate first line of defense against chronic pain.
Natural methods like physical therapy and less addictive pain medications like NSAIDs should be tried before considering opioids for pain management.
The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center conducted a survey of 14,000 people who experienced lower back pain within the past year; of those who were prescribed pain relievers, half received opioid medication.
This signifies an over-prescription of opioids.
See http://consumerreports.
org/health/best-buy-drugs/opioids.
htm for more on the Consumer Health Report assessment of opioids.
The Butrans patch should only be considered for use in people with chronic pain that has not responded to other methods of pain relief.
It is important to continue the search for a treatment that addresses the cause of your pain.
Medications only mask pain and should not be the beginning and end of your pain management strategy.
New research into back pain, fibromyalgia and other conditions is constantly being conducted that offers new hope for effective treatment.
Keep up-to-date and informed on your pain condition.
If the doctors and specialists treating you aren't looking for options beyond medication, consider seeing an osteopathic doctor; these doctors take a more whole-body approach to health conditions and may be more likely to find an effective treatment for your pain.
When considering the Butrans patch for chronic pain, be sure you know all the risks.
Safer treatments should always be tried before considering an opioid narcotic.
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