Painkillers Don’t Always Go Well with Dementia

Opioids, and the health problems that they can cause, have been in the news a lot recently. And for a good reason. Opioids are a type of painkiller that can be very addicting, causing health problems and even premature mortality. The issues that they can create can be far larger than the ones that were originally being treated.

 

That’s not to say that opioids do not have a proper place in the field of medicine. For some individuals, they can be very helpful and drastically improve quality of life. But as the media has pointed out, these cases are not as common as once thought.

 

A new study confirms that painkiller use should be monitored with more clarity. In people with dementia, opioids seem to have triple the amount of negative side effects that they do in people without dementia. Things like confusion, sudden personality changes, and sedation were all observed with greater intensity in those individuals that had some form of dementia. A drug called paracetamol is often the first drug prescribed to people with dementia and chronic pain. Opioid-based medications are the second line of defense, and account for the painkillers prescribed in about 40 percent of chronic pain-dementia cases.

 

The study was conducted in Norway by the University of Exeter, King’s College London, and the University of Bergen. 162 randomized individuals were observed during the study to ensure the accuracy of the results. All individuals were residents in care homes.

 

Painkillers impact people with dementia in a more negative way than people without dementia.

 

The fact that these individuals lived in care homes is significant. Other research in this area has shown that about half of people with dementia receiving institutionalized care experience chronic pain. Opioids are a commonly prescribed drug for those with chronic pain, but this research indicates that when dementia is involved, opioids might not be the best choice. More research is needed here, of course, but things like this have been very helpful for guiding the decisions that doctors all over the world need to make when looking out for the best interests of their patients.

 

One of the great difficulties in this finding is that people with dementia do not have the same cognitive abilities that they once had and are far less likely to be able to self monitor and bring these issues to a medical professional’s attention.

 

We need to continue to be advocates for the people that we love. If a parent has dementia, then we need to be an even stronger advocate because they will not be able to make their own decisions with the same amount of clarity. When it comes to doctors and medications, knowing that dementia can cause serious issues in other areas of health is important. Even if you don’t have a medical doctorate, you can still be a voice for the wellbeing of people that you love.

 

Having a loved one with dementia is difficult, both emotionally and physically. If you have questions about memory care, please give us a call today. We’ll schedule a free consultation and help you to give your loved one the care and supervision that they need to live a better life.

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