New York is among the states affected severely by the opioid crisis. In a survey by the Sienna College Research Institute in 2020, they found that 68% of the Empire State’s population has felt the impact of opioid addiction.
These are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and friends who know someone who is engaging in or has died from dangerous opioid abuse.
Like other kinds of addiction, opioid use disorder (OUD) is characterized by compulsive drug use, regardless of the person’s desire to stop. Over time, it rewires the brain and leads to many physical and mental health consequences.
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is a rare but seriously dangerous effect of long-term and heavy opioid abuse.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid-induced hyperalgesia in Long Island, educating yourself about the disorder and how it’s treated can be the first step to finding support.
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What Is Hyperalgesia?
Hyperalgesia is a serious condition where an individual experiences an increased sensation of pain. “Hyper” comes from the Greek word for “over” or “excessive,” while “algesia” was derived from “algos,” which means “pain” or “suffering.”
Pain is a normal reaction of the body when it feels like something is wrong. When we feel pain, we react by finding its source to stop it. Without this function, we become vulnerable to all sorts of injuries.
However, when someone has hyperalgesia, they become extremely sensitive to pain. The body overreacts to uncomfortable stimuli, which makes them feel more pain than normal.
What may not hurt as much for most people can be excruciating to a person diagnosed with hyperalgesia.
Think of a pinch, a pinprick, a minor bump, or a sudden temperature change. For a healthy individual, these things can hurt but are not unbearable. An individual with hyperalgesia, on the other hand, may reel from these sensations.
Types, Causes, & Symptoms
Although rarely life-threatening, the sensitivity disorder can significantly affect someone’s quality of life. It can prevent the individual from working and interfere with their ability to care for themselves.
Several reasons may cause or increase someone’s risk of developing hyperalgesia, including the following:
- Injury-induced Hyperalgesia: The most common type of hyperalgesia. Injuries, such as severe burns or surgical incisions, can cause the tissues around the wounded area to become extremely sensitive.
- Neuropathic Pain Disorders: Certain health conditions like diabetic neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy can induce heightened pain sensitivity. Shingles, a viral infection also called herpes zoster, can sometimes produce hyperalgesia.
- Opioid-induced Hyperalgesia: A form of secondary hyperalgesia, OIH can happen to people who take opioids like morphine, heroin, and fentanyl habitually and in huge amounts.
Hyperalgesia can either be primary or secondary. Primary hyperalgesia refers to heightened pain localized in the injured area, while secondary hyperalgesia spreads to non-injured tissues and organs.
The severity of symptoms can depend on the type of hyperalgesia. OIH can sometimes be confused with the withdrawal symptoms of opioid tolerance and physical dependence.
While closely related and often confused together, hyperalgesia is different from allodynia, in which a person feels acute pain from things that shouldn’t hurt at all.
How Hyperalgesia Is Treated or Managed
The good news is that hyperalgesia is rarely permanent. Once the root cause of the exaggerated nervous system response is resolved, the body will return to its typical sensitivity levels.
Treatment and management approaches vary based on the type of hyperalgesia.
If caused by injury, nerve damage, or inflammation, healthcare providers can prescribe medications, such as tramadol and oxyContin, to address ongoing mild to severe pain levels.
Anticonvulsants and antidepressants are used to calm affected nerves, while NSAIDS and steroids reduce inflammation.
Physical therapy can reduce muscle spasms, improve mobility, and rehabilitate damaged tissues from injuries, incisions, and burns.
Hyperalgesia as a result of heavy and frequent opioid misuse is highly treatable. Clinicians and rehab centers usually combine tapering methods, opioid rotations, medications, and behavioral therapies.
Addiction and pain management specialists will design your treatment programs depending on your unique needs.
How Does Opioid Abuse Cause Hyperalgesia?
Hyperalgesia is often considered a paradoxical condition, as its symptoms are the opposite of what an opioid, a pain reliever, does.
Opiates, including synthetic opioids like fentanyl, work by binding specific proteins in the brain called opioid receptors. Once attached, they block painful signals and cause a surge of dopamine and endorphins.
Intense euphoria and relief often follow after opioid use, accompanied by drowsiness.
When OIH develops, it means the drug has significantly altered the brain’s pain signal reception. Instead of providing pain relief, it intensifies it to the point where even everyday activities become intolerable.
Experts are still unsure how OIH develops. We only know it involves the activation of NMDA receptors, an alteration of the body’s pain-relieving pathways, and a buildup of excitatory neurotransmitters.
Because its exact causes remain unclear, healthcare providers generally discourage prolonged use of opioid pain medications.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in particular, has issued strict guidelines on the use of opioids in palliative care and chronic non-cancer pain management.
Some of the opioid medications and drugs associated with hyperalgesia are illegal fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, vicodin, and remifentanil.
Treatment Options For Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia
People diagnosed with opioid-induced hyperalgesia often struggle with opioid use disorder. In these cases, resolving the addiction or dependence would be key to treating the abnormal pain sensitivity.
Depending on the severity of OUD and OIH, your healthcare provider may recommend one or a combination of the following:
Supervised Medical Detox
Stopping opioid abuse is the first step to treating OIH. But most experts wouldn’t recommend doing it “cold-turkey” or by yourself.
Detoxification while supervised by professionals is the safest way to manage opioid withdrawal. Ceasing or reducing opioid intake after regular use can result in highly uncomfortable and distressing symptoms, such as:
- Gastrointestinal issues (constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps)
- Psychological effects (anxiety, agitation, restlessness, and insomnia)
- Physical symptoms (fatigue, sweating, chills, muscle aches, and headaches)
Medical detox in a reliable rehab facility can make the experience comfortable and safe. Clinicians monitor your situation 24/7, provide medication, and resolve health complications that may arise.
Opioid Tapering
Tapering is a highly recommended technique when hyperalgesia is caused by opioid misuse. By reducing the patient’s opioid dose slowly, doctors can minimize withdrawal symptoms and prevent adverse effects.
Abruptly stopping can lead to severe and intensified withdrawal, which is not ideal for someone with hyperalgesia who can experience pain spikes.
Opioid tapering requires close collaboration with an experienced healthcare team for precise reductions and effective pain management strategies. Long Island Treatment Centers offers this service.
Opioid Rotations
Medications may be prescribed to treat both OUD and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. These FDA-approved drugs can help normalize brain chemistry, relieve cravings, and alleviate uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
For comorbid hyperalgesia and opioid addiction, clinicians can prescribe:
- Methadone: A long-acting synthetic opioid, methadone can serve as an alternative to opiates like heroin and fentanyl. It latches to the same receptors but doesn’t cause a “high,” and can be used to manage intense cravings and hyperalgesia.
- Naloxone: An opioid antagonist, naloxone attaches to the brain’s opioid receptors and blocks the effects of other opiates. This medication is essential in rapidly reversing overdose by restoring normal breathing.
- Buprenorphine: Unlike naloxone, buprenorphine blocks the body’s central sensitization of pain. This makes it significantly effective in reversing increased pain sensations caused by hyperalgesia.
- Naltrexone: In addition to being an opioid antagonist, healthcare providers may recommend micro-dosing naltrexone to manage pain sensitivity and reduce inflammation.
- Ketamine: An analgesic adjunct, ketamine, primarily used as an anesthetic and sedative, can be prescribed during opioid and OIH rehab to block the central nervous system (CNS) sensitization that is amplifying physical pain.
- Acetaminophen: Over-the-counter acetaminophen works by interacting with the spinal pathways and elevating the body’s pain threshold. It’s particularly effective for secondary hyperalgesia.
Your healthcare provider can rotate these medications and adjust their doses accordingly.
Behavioral Therapy
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is, in many cases, essentially rooted in opioid abuse. Healthcare providers understand this and extend treatment beyond pain management.
In conjunction with medications, many rehab centers offer behavioral therapies to address the underlying causes of addiction.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is standard in many drug rehab programs. Facilitated by a licensed therapist or counselor, CBT guides recovering patients in identifying and resolving unhealthy thinking patterns that contribute to their condition.
Healthcare providers may also incorporate stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.
Rehab For Chronic Opioid Use Disorder in New York
Long Island Treatment Centers is a trusted provider of OUD treatment services in Hicksville, New York. We offer day and night services for individuals and families struggling with opioid addiction and hyperalgesia.
Accredited by the Joint Commission (TJC) and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), we work with qualified staff and deliver personalized care that meets safety, quality, and industry standards.
Find Pain Management Support In Long Island
You don’t have to fight opioid use disorder and hyperalgesia alone. Reach out to Long Island Treatment Centers and let our team create a specialized pain management and OUD treatment plan that matches your unique needs.
Call us today or visit our office at 100 W Nicholai St, Hicksville, NY 11801.