The medical purpose is clear and the effects are beneficial, not harmful. True addiction very rarely occurs when opioids are being used properly under medical supervision to relieve pain. If your pain gets better, your doctor can reduce the amount you take. Follow your doctor's orders for taking less medicine, just as you do if the amount is increased. A. Taking opioids does not mean you are about to die.
Many patients take opioids for years to control pain.
They will not shorten your life. They will allow you to live with less pain and improve your quality of life. With opioids, if the prescribed dosage level is inadequate, usually all it takes to get pain relief is to increase the dose after a careful assessment by your doctor. An opioid will not lose its effect if you take it for a long time. Opioids can be taken for months or years, and they will continue to relieve pain.