Can pain medication be addicting?

There are various medications available to relieve pain. Some of the common drugs of these type are over the counter drugs such as paracetamol and aspirin, and prescription drugs such as narcotics or opoids. Out of these, only some are additive. People have a wrong notion about addiction. Sometimes, physical dependence or tolerance is also considered as addiction, but this is not so. If opoids or narcotics are taken regularly then people may develop physical dependence to them.

People who take opoids or narcotics when prescribed by a doctor may not become addictive, even if they take them for a longer period of time. But, the conditions may vary from people to people. Those people, who have been addicted to something in the past, are at a higher risk of becoming addictive to pain medication. If their parents have been addictive to smoking or alcohol, then also the risk is high. The thing that must be done in order to avoid addiction is to take the medicine as prescribed by the doctor. Don't hesitate to talk about your family history to the doctor. If you will reveal all of your family history, then doctor will give you that drug which you will not get addicted to.