When painkillers became a common prescription for people who were suffering from an injury or medical condition, everyone in the medical community thought they were the best treatment available. Although painkillers are quite effective with numbing pain and discomfort, they can also become a person’s recreational drug of choice. There are over 15,000 people that die on an annual basis by overdosing on painkillers, with over 12 million people in the United States abusing their use. A painkiller addiction is a serious problem, and learning how to prevent one is essential.

Saying ‘No’ to Painkillers

The first thing that you can do to stop yourself from becoming addicted to an opioid or other types of pain medications is to deny prescriptions for them in the first place. Consider the amount of pain that you are in, is it something that can be conquered by over the counter medication? If so, tell your doctor that you would prefer to be prescribed a non-habit forming painkiller. You might even find that once you receive surgery or medical intervention, pain medications won’t be necessary at all.

Using Painkillers Sparingly

In the event that your pain truly is too strong to deal with by using over the counter medications or no medications at all, make sure that you sparingly use your painkillers. Don’t assume that your discomfort is going to get worse first thing in the morning so you begin taking a pill as soon as you wake up. Wait until the pain is at the point where it’s affecting your daily tasks and then take the medication as it is prescribed. By using them sparingly, you are not giving your body a consistent dose of numbing, which helps to prevent addictions from happening. It goes without saying that you should always follow your doctors advice as far as dosage is concerned. Of course, there comes a point when painkillers like co-codamol are essential. Co-codamol benefits from two painkillers in one tablet. 30mg/500mg is the usual ratio of paracetamol to codeine. You can buy co-codamol 30/500 in the UK with no prescription.

Following the Dosage

With popular media surrounding the use of pharmaceutical drugs among celebrities, it increases the curiosity of what painkillers can actually do. Even though it might be tempting to take more than one pill at a time to achieve a desirable high, you may find yourself addicted overnight. Your doctor prescribes you a certain dosage of pain medications for a reason and in most cases, the dosage you receive will help to numb most, if not all of the pain. There’s no need to double your daily dosage to help curb the uncomfortable feeling of your illness or injury. If your medication does not seem to be working, talk to your doctor about a different prescription or dosage.