Thousands of people in the UK are prescribed and taking opioid medicines after reporting pain, whether it is short-lived or persisting. It is now clear that despite referring to medicines like codeine, tramadol, morphine and oxycodone as ‘painkillers’, for most people they do not take pain away at all. In fact, the longer they are taken and the higher doses go, they are more likely to cause new or worsening symptoms and can even make pain worse.
In this special investigation by Channel 5 news, Live Well with Pain’s Louise Trewern explains how, after years of being dependent on prescribed opioids, she was eventually able to learn self-management techniques that helped her get her life back . . .