Facts About Opioids — Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Codeine & Others

Percocet pills — Four versions of Percocet, a brand name for an oxycodone hydrochloride mixture with acetaminophen.

(Image credit: National Library of Medicine)

Opioids are powerful painkillers give relief to those in acute pain. They can be dangerous with misuse, though, and should only be taken under the advisement of a medical professional.

Uses and types

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How addictive is the medication?
What are other options?
Is the dosage prescribed the minimal needed?
How long does the physician want the individual to be on the drug?
When and how does the physician plan to wean the individual off of the pain medication?
What is the plan if pain persists after the pre-determined period?
What are some signs that the patient may be getting dependent on the medication?
What should be done to help with any withdrawal symptoms?

Many people can take prescription opioids safely and can stop taking them without difficulty. Other people find that opioids make them feel good emotionally as well as physically, and that makes them prone to use opioids for other purposes besides the prescribed indication, such as getting high, calming down after a stressful day or helping them get to sleep at night. According to the National Institutes of Health, an addiction disorder only occurs in around 5 percent of people who take opioids as directed over the period of a year.

There are some factors that make addiction more likely. "Anyone who has a family history of any type of addiction, or their own personal history of addiction to substances, process addictions or eating disorders should be wary of taking opioids," said Dr. Kim Dennis, a board-certified psychiatrist, addictions specialist, CEO and medical director of Timberline Knolls, a residential treatment center for women and adolescent girls struggling with addiction, eating disorders and other co-occurring disorders, such as trauma.

Dr. Michael Weaver, who specializes in addiction as medical director of the UTHealth Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction and works as a professor of psychiatry at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, recommended that those concerned about the possibility of becoming addicted to opioids should ask their prescribing physician if there is an alternative pain medication that is not an opioid, such as a prescription-strength anti-inflammatory drug (something like the ibuprofen in Motrin). After surgery, an epidural or use of a nerve block or a local anesthetic during the surgery can help reduce pain and reduce the need for opioid analgesics.

The 2013 and 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 50.5 percent of people who misused prescription painkillers got them from a friend or relative for free. "If you are concerned that someone in your family might take some of your opioid analgesic medication, there are abuse-deterrent formulations of popular opioid painkillers available that make it hard to abuse those pills. The physician or a nurse should also be checking on the patient regularly to see whether problems may be starting to develop," said Weaver.

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Alina Bradford is a contributing writer for Live Science. Over the past 16 years, Alina has covered everything from Ebola to androids while writing health, science and tech articles for major publications. She has multiple health, safety and lifesaving certifications from Oklahoma State University. Alina's goal in life is to try as many experiences as possible. To date, she has been a volunteer firefighter, a dispatcher, substitute teacher, artist, janitor, children's book author, pizza maker, event coordinator and much more.

Facts About Opioids — Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Codeine & Others

Uses and types

Questions to ask and side effects

Abuses