When someone is affected by substance use disorder, or addiction, they crave the drug and continue using it despite the harmful effects. use an opioid medicine that was not prescribed for you.use an opioid medicine improperly, such as:.
Problematic use of opioids also includes when you: When people think about problematic opioid use, they often think about when someone takes an illegally produced or obtained opioid, such as: Opioids have the potential for problematic use because they can produce euphoria (feeling high). If you plan to reduce your dose, do it with help from a health care provider. You are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms when you lower your opioid dose quickly or you suddenly stop taking it. This is because you lose tolerance to the medication when stopping it, even for a few days. If you stop taking the drug for a few days and then start taking the drug at the same dose you were used to, it may increase chances of an overdose. You may require increasing amounts of the opioid to get the same effect. If you have been taking opioids for a period of time, your body becomes accustomed to or tolerant of that opioid dose. life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in babies born to mothers taking opioidsĮven when prescribed to treat a specific condition or pain, there are serious side effects and risks of using opioids, including:.worsening pain (known as "opioid-induced hyperalgesia").The longer-term side effects of using opioids may include: