Opioids Don t Ease Chronic Pain More Than Other Drugs Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Opioids Don t Ease Chronic Pain More Than Other Drugs

Prescribed meds are no better than over-the-counter options a study finds

The results are similar to less rigorous studies and bolster guidelines against routine use of opioids for chronic pain. Getty Images . In patients with stubborn backaches or hip or knee arthritis, opioids worked no better than over-the-counter drugs or other nonopioids at reducing problems with walking or sleeping. And they provided slightly less pain relief. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. tested included generic Vicodin, oxycodone or fentanyl patches, although few patients needed the most potent opioids. Nonopioids included generic Tylenol, ibuprofen and prescription pills for nerve or muscle pain. The study randomly assigned patients to take opioids or other painkillers. That's the gold standard design for research. If they don't work better than less risky drugs, there's no reason to use opioids given "their really nasty side effects — death and addiction," said lead author Erin Krebs, M.D., a physician and researcher with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. The results likely will surprise many people "because opioids have this reputation as being really powerful painkillers, and that is not what we found," Krebs said. The results echo less rigorous studies and bolster guidelines against routine use of opioids for chronic pain. The study was published Tuesday in the . About 42,000 in the U.S. in 2016 involved opioids, including prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl. Many people get hooked while taking opioids prescribed for injuries or other short-term pain and move on to cheaper, more accessible illicit drugs like heroin. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS