Australian study reveals dangers of this ineffective painkiller which lead to addiction

New study shows some painkillers are highly addictive and ineffective
© Ksenia Yakovleva / Unsplash
New study shows some painkillers are highly addictive and ineffective
More under this ad

Taking the right tablets can work wonders to relieve pain, but caution is advised in any case, especially with regard to strong painkillers. Here is what you need to know.

Everyone may know this: In the case of more or less severe physical pain, taking certain medications is often the logical step and can quickly relieve you of any pain. However, certain drugs also harbor a high potential for addiction.

Discover our latest podcast

This is particularly true in the US, where addiction to opioids, extremely strong painkillers, is a real problem. What's more, many of these drugs don't even really work. A study by the University of Sydney in Australia has now found this out.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Study examines effect of painkillers

As reported by the BILD newspaper and the magazine t-online, the study included 347 patients who had been suffering from painful back and neck problems for some time.

In the course of the study, half of the subjects were treated with a strong painkiller called oxycodone. The other half was treated with placebos, i.e. tablets without any active components. However, neither the patients nor the researchers knew which patient received which tablet.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Read more:These common painkillers could actually make suffering worse, study shows

Placebos work better than opioids

The result: in the end, paradoxically, the placebos actually had a better effect, while the patients who were treated with the real painkiller showed a strong tendency towards addiction.

Expert Dr. Martin Marianowicz also confirmed to BILD that the strong drugs with their highly addictive potential don't actually help at all. According to him, opioids merely inhibit pain signals in the central nervous system, but do not combat the cause of the pain.

More under this ad
More under this ad
thumbnail
Be extra careful when taking these painkillers Julia Zyablova / Unsplash

Read more:Beware of these dangerous side effects of taking common painkillers

Addiction is a real problem in the UK

The fact that, despite the high risk of addiction, opioids are obviously still prescribed too lightly, is shown by further figures from the Australian study: according to the research, more than 40 percent of patients with back pain worldwide are prescribed opioids at some point.

More under this ad
More under this ad

In Germany, the dispensing of opioids is supposed to be strictly regulated. However, according to the Priory Group, around 250,000 people are addicted to opioids in the UK. These figures show how easily people are prescribed strong painkillers, despite their high addiction risk.

Read more:Here's the medication you should be careful of taking during a heatwave

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

Sources used:

t-online: Studie warnt: Diese Schmerzmittel wirken nicht und können schnell abhängig machen

BILD: Erschreckende Studie zu wichtiger Arznei: Schmerzmittel wirken schlechter als Placebos

The Priory Group: Opioids: understanding the current state in the UK

More under this ad