The long-term effects of opioids include substantial effects on the gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine, respiratory, neural and cardiovascular systems.[1]
Opioids can help ease pain caused by a broken bone, torn muscle or invasive surgery. But these prescription painkillers work best when used for a short period. Take them for weeks, months or even years, and you could develop some of these serious physical and mental health issues.
Opioid use disorder, characterized by compulsive drug use, is among the most serious consequences of long-term opioid use. But other issues, including drug tolerance, physical dependence and an increased risk of cancer, could also start with long-term use.
Opioids are powerful substances that attach directly to receptors scattered throughout your brain. While you may notice the drug's impact on the way you think and feel, the substances can change almost every major system within the human body.
The following three issues are common in people who use opioids long term.
Brain cells with opioid receptors gradually become less responsive.[2] A dose that once delivered intense intoxication now seems to do much less.
Drug tolerance like this is incredibly dangerous, as it could lead you to take more and more of the same drug. In time, you could take enough to trigger an overdose, which could be fatal.
Tolerance can also lead you to move from a painkiller like Vicodin to a stronger drug like heroin. Buying drugs from dealers can expose you to contaminants, and in some cases, it can lead to overdose. Drugs spiked with substances like fentanyl are incredibly strong and can cause death in minutes.
With repeated use, your brain and body become accustomed to the constant presence of opioids. In time, you won't feel healthy without them.
Physical dependence like this can lead to significant withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking drugs.[3] Those symptoms can include the following:
Researchers say physical dependence can occur within about five days of taking some types of opioids.[4] The stronger your dose, the quicker dependence symptoms can appear.
Addiction, also known as opioid use disorder (OUD), involves compulsive use of drugs. Researchers say up to one person in four with long-term opioid use develops OUD symptoms.[5]
OUD causes significant physical and mental suffering. As drugs move to the center of your life, you have little time to maintain relationships, build a career or nurture your talent. Instead, you’re focused on obtaining drugs, using them or recovering from a binge. If left untreated, OUDs are life-threatening.
Quitting opioids isn't easy, but continued use leads to significant health issues. Overdose is the most serious consequence.
As opioid tolerance deepens, you take more and more of your opioid drug. Soon, you take so much that your body's central nervous system is overwhelmed. Your breathing rate slows and stops, as does your heart. Without immediate medical attention, an overdose can be fatal.
Many drugs can cause overdose, but opioids are closely associated with this issue. In 2020, almost 75% of drug overdose deaths involved opioids.[6]
Long-term opioid use is also closely associated with the following health issues:[1]
Researchers say people who use opioids over the long term are at higher risk of dying from any cause than people who use over-the-counter painkillers.[7] The longer you keep opioids in your system, the more damage they can do.
People with OUD lose control over how often they use opioids and how much they take. This is a serious condition, but it's treatable.
Doctors look for the following signs when diagnosing OUD:[8]
The more symptoms you have experienced in the past year, the more significant your OUD.
In treatment programs, doctors use medications like Suboxone to ease your brain cells into sobriety.[9] Your medications won't make you high, but they will help to ease uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.
Therapy helps you understand why you started misusing drugs and how the use habits are harming your life. Therapy can help you build sobriety skills, so you're less likely to return to harmful drug use.[10]
Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) programs combine therapy and prescription medication, offering a comprehensive approach to OUD.[11] Enrolling in programs like this can help you build a sober life and avoid the severe consequences associated with long-term opioid misuse.
Peter Manza, PhD received his BA in Psychology and Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. He is currently working as a research scientist in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the role of the brain dopamine system in substance use disorders and in aging. He also studies brain function in obesity and eating disorders.
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