What is acute pain?

Opioids are powerful medicines. Taking them for even a short time has risks. Here are some of the risks.

Physical side effects.

Opioids can cause constipation, nausea, and sleepiness.

Problems thinking clearly.

They can affect judgment and decision making. You may not be able to drive or work while taking them.

Increased tolerance.

This happens when your body gets used to the medicine. Over time you need a higher dose to get pain relief.

Physical dependence.

This means that your body starts to need the medicine to feel normal. You may have withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it or take less of it.

Opioid use disorder.

This means that someone uses opioids even though it causes harm to themselves or others. Moderate to severe opioid use disorder is sometimes called addiction.

Overdose, and even death.

Opioid medicines can cause serious problems, especially if they're misused. You could take too much and have an overdose, and even die.

Pain that starts quickly and lasts for a short time is called acute pain. Examples include pain from an injury or childbirth and pain right after surgery. Acute pain is a normal part of injury and healing.