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Mom's risk of addiction to prescription painkillers hard to determine

Take The First Step
Dr. Michael Levy
Published: September 26, 2008

Dear Dr. Levy:

My mother was recently given a prescription for painkillers for chronic pain. I am a little concerned about this, because I don't want her to become addicted to it. Is she at risk?

A: You ask a great question and unfortunately, I cannot give you a definitive answer.

Studies that have looked at this issue have varied in terms of quality and methodology. Some studies reported an incidence of addiction to be 1 percent, whereas others have reported a 38 percent rate. Obviously, with such varying rates, it is hard to know what it the truth.

Certainly, I have heard reports of people who struggle with opiate addiction and say their first exposure to opiates was for the treatment of chronic pain. I know others who have used opiate medication for chronic pain and have never gotten addicted.

In general, I believe the chances of getting addicted to painkillers are greater for people who have experienced prior problems with drugs or alcohol, or who have a current alcohol or other drug problem. In addition, the risk of addiction is greater among those people who have a history of addiction in their families. So if your mother has never experienced alcohol or drug problems and there is no family history of addiction, her risk is on the lower side.

Dear Dr. Levy:

Some people say marijuana is more potent and dangerous now than it was many years ago. Is there truth to that?

A: Actually, this is not a myth. Marijuana is more potent now than it was a number of years ago. Studies have demonstrated that THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has increased since the late 1970s and has increased over the last decade. In particular, current analyses of marijuana have revealed that THC levels now average about 9.6 percent, whereas in the early 1980s, they averaged about 4 percent. This is based on thousands and thousands of samples of marijuana seized over the years across the United States.

Researchers are concerned about this as higher potencies of marijuana may lead to increased rates of addiction, although more research is needed to determine whether that's true. Some researchers are also concerned that higher potency rates could lead to increased risk for various psychological impairments, although again, more research is needed to fully determine that.

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Send questions about addictions or related problems to: Take The First Step, c/o The Eagle-Tribune, 100 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA 01845; or send e-mail to michael_levy@cabhealth.org. Questions will be answered in confidence by a clinical team led by Dr. Michael Levy, director of clinical treatment services at CAB Health & Recovery Services in Peabody and author of "Take Control of Your Drinking...and You May Not Need to Quit."