June 15, 2020

Are Painkillers After Childbirth a Prescription for Addiction?

MONDAY, June 8, 2020 -- Many women are prescribed opioid painkillers after giving birth, and it may in some cases lead to addiction and overdose, a new study finds.

Looking at data on more than 200,000 births in Tennessee, researchers found that nearly all women who had a C-section were prescribed an opioid like oxycodone (OxyContin). The drugs were also prescribed in 59% of vaginal births.

May 28, 2020

Could an Injected Electrode Control Your Pain Without Drugs?

THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 -- An injectable electrode could prove a better way to ease chronic nerve pain than opioid painkillers or bulky and expensive implants, animal research suggests.

It's called an "injectrode." It appears easier and cheaper than spinal implants for debilitating back pain, and safer than long-term use of opioids like OxyContin (oxycodone), a recent paper suggests.

May 21, 2020

If Prescribed Opioids for Pain, Ask Lots of Questions: FDA

THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 -- If your doctor prescribes opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine or morphine for you, there are a number of questions you should ask, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises.

Opioids can be used to treat certain kinds of acute and chronic pain, but can have some serious side effects, most notably addiction.

May 21, 2020

More Opioids Doesn't Mean Less Chronic Pain: Study

THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 -- Boosting doses of opioid pain medicines doesn't appear to benefit patients with chronic pain, researchers report.

"What we found was that the pain relief the provider and the patient are going for really isn't there when they increase their doses," said study author Corey Hayes, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine.