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Pain medications affect endorphin production?

Page last modified on: September 19, 2008

Question from Susie: I've been told that taking codeine or morphine-like products will inhibit the brain from producing endorphins, so I allow the pain to build until I have no choice. Can you tell me if this is the case?: Answer —Neal Slatkin, M.D.: Ouch! It certainly is likely that the taking of pain medications may inhibit the body's own pain relief system. But the presence of pain is itself the clear indication that the body's own pain relief system is not up to the task of relieving the person's pain. Therefore, it is important to take strong pain medications that will provide significant pain relief.

If you wait too long to take medications—in other words, allow your pain to build up—higher doses of medication to relieve the pain are often necessary than if you'd responded in a more timely fashion and taken your medications earlier. It's easier to maintain pain control with lower doses of medications than to achieve pain control that often requires higher doses of medications.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Pain Management: Getting the Relief YOU Need. Neal Slatkin, M.D., Michelle Rhiner, N.P. and moderator Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about the best ways to deal with the physical pain and discomforts associated with breast cancer and breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Neal Slatkin, M.D. is director of supportive care services and associate professor in the department of neurology at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

Michelle Rhiner, N.P. is patient coordinator and department manager in the department of supportive care and palliative medicine at the City of Hope Cancer Center.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.