OPIOSTOP FOR PAIN PATIENTS

Opiate dependency is not always the result of illegal drug use, as is the case with drug patients. Dependency can also result from taking legally prescribed painkillers. This type of opiate dependency has increased enormously over the last two decades. The number of such patients is growing steadily and has already reached endemic levels in North America, with the result that the USA has declared the problem a national emergency.

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Sudden dependency

Opioids such as morphine and fentanyl are often employed to treat severe pain.  This is routine in emergency units, operating theatres and outpatient clinics and the short-term administration of these drugs is not problematic. The situation is, however, different when it comes to chronic pain or a protracted painful illness. In such cases, doctors often resort to the administration of opiates (e.g. morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl). This initially brings the patient relief, but prolonged use gives rise to a habituation effect that requires a rapid increase in the dose, because there seems to be a lack of alternative options. This can, however, quickly lead to severe opiate dependency caused by these legally prescribed painkillers.

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The following phenomena are typical for pain patients:

• Persistent and only slightly diminished pain despite taking the maximum permissible doses of opiates.

• Pronounced side effects, some of which severely impact on the patient’s quality of life.

• Considerable hypersensitivity to pain at the site where the pain originated. Increasing the dose of opiates dose does not relieve the pain, but instead increases it. This phenomenon is called opioid-induced hyperalgesia.

 

OPIOSTOP can successfully treat dependency on painkillers

OPIOSTOP is suited to the treatment of this particular variant of opiate dependency, which has arisen due to chronic pain or a painful illness. In addition to numerous drug patients, Dr P. Manndorff has successfully treated more than 20 opioid-dependent pain patients at the Interlaken Hospital in recent years.

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ADDICTION VS. DEPENDENCY

To understand how OPIOSTOP treatment works, it is important that we draw a clear distinction between dependency and addiction. Dependency corresponds to the irrepressible «craving», the immediate physical dependency. Addiction, on the other hand, corresponds to the «desire» for the euphoric feel-good effects of opioids, the «kick» or «flash», which is under conscious control.

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OPIOSTOP only deals with dependency

OPIOSTOP treatment only treats the dependency. The success of the treatment is directly linked to the relative weighting of the dependency or addiction mechanisms in the patient's drug consumption behaviour.

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BEGINNING AN OPIOD-FREE LIFE

Experience has shown that dependency is the dominant phenomenon in the majority of patients, which probably explains the good results obtained as a result of the OPIOSTOP treatment. Almost all successfully treated patients have already tried in vain to reduce and stop their opioid consumption and in some cases have undergone several withdrawal treatments and therapies. They generally found that they were able to reduce the dosage to a certain degree but were unable to take the final step and stop taking the drug entirely, as the side effects of restlessness, anxiety, tension, insomnia were too overwhelming. They were only able to begin a drug-free life after OPIOSTOP treatment.

 

ARE YOU SUITABLE FOR TREATMENT?

Both prospective patients and their relatives can contact us at any time to obtain information about the procedure without any obligation whatsoever. We would be happy to answer your questions.

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Are you specifically interested in opiate withdrawal under anaesthesia? To find out whether you are suitable for OPIOSTOP treatment, please complete our medical questionnaire – we need to be able to make a realistic assessment of your situation.

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