Taking Prescription Opioid Pain Medicines Safely

Your health care provider prescribed opioid pain medicines. Opioids are very good at controlling pain, but there are risks to taking these medicines. They can cause serious side effects and lead to dependence, addiction, overdose, and even death.

You will need a parent or trusted caregiver to give you the medicine, help you store it safely, and get rid of any unused medicine. Read this information together so you will both know what to do.

Using Opioids

• Tell your health care provider or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines. This is especially important if you take a benzodiazepine (such as Valium®, Ativan®, or Xanax®). Taking a benzodiazepine and an opioid increases your risk of overdose.

• Take the opioid medicine exactly as prescribed. Don't take more than prescribed or more often than prescribed.

• Do not drink alcohol while taking the opioid medicine. It can lead to serious medical problems, even death.

• Do not drive, ride a bike, or operate machinery while taking the medicine.

• Do not take opioid medicine if you are or may be pregnant. It can cause serious problems in a baby.

• Do not share your medicines with anyone.

Storing Opioids

Your parent or a trusted caregiver should:

• Store the opioid medicine in a locked cabinet, out of the reach of children, visitors, and pets.

• Never leave the medicine out on a table or counter.

• Keep track of how much medicine is in the container.

Getting Rid of Unused Opioid Medicine

• As soon as you are finished with the medicine, your parent or caregiver needs to get rid of any unused medicine. Your health care provider or pharmacist can recommend safe ways to get rid of extra medicine. You also can find information at: https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm

• You have questions about when or how to take the opioid medicine.

• You have severe pain even after taking the medicine as prescribed.

• You feel you need treatment for side effects, such as:

  • constipation

  • sleepiness

  • itching

  • nausea or vomiting

• You feel very sleepy.

• You vomit more than once or twice.

• You think you may have taken too much medicine.

How do opioids work? Opioids are prescribed to control moderate to severe pain. They do this by blocking pain messages from reaching the brain. They also can give a feeling of well-being, which is why some people use them to get high.

What opioid pain medicines are prescribed for kids and teens? Opioid pain medicines prescribed for kids and teens include:

• hydrocodone with acetaminophen liquid (Hycet®) and pills (Vicodin® and Lortab®)

• oxycodone with acetaminophen liquid (Roxicet®) and pills (Percocet®)

• hydromorphone liquid and pills (Dilaudid®)

• morphine liquid and pills

• oxycodone liquid and pills

• others — ask your health care provider if you are prescribed an opioid pain medicine that is not on this list

What are the risks of opioid pain medicines? If you take an opioid pain medicine for a few days, you might notice side effects like sleepiness, constipation, itching, and stomach upset. These may be annoying, but are not dangerous.

When taken for longer periods, opioids have other risks, including:

• developing a tolerance (needing more opioid for the same pain relief)

• physical dependence (having symptoms of withdrawal when the opioid is stopped)

• addiction (when someone has very strong cravings and will continue to take an opioid even when it causes problems with health, relationships, and money). Someone addicted to opioids will want to get more when the prescription runs out. This can lead to inappropriate or risky behavior, such as lying to a health care provider to get a new prescription, buying opioids from a friend, stealing opioids from friends or family, or buying and using street drugs.

• Taking too much of an opioid or mixing it with other drugs and/or alcohol can lead to overdose and death.

Can prescription opioid pain medicine make me addicted to opioids? Most kids and teens who take opioids for a short time as instructed by a health care provider do not get addicted. For example, a teen who has surgery or a broken bone and takes an opioid as directed is very unlikely to become addicted. But not taking the medicine exactly as prescribed (for instance, taking it longer or more often than directed) can increase your chances of addiction.

Also, sharing this medicine with others puts them at risk for addiction or overdose. Do not share your medicine with anyone.

Where can people get help for a substance abuse problem? Call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This free and confidential service is available in English and Spanish.