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One week – that’s how long it can take for a prescription painkiller to turn into an addiction to opioids.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 1 million adults age 65 and older have a substance use disorder, 2-3 million abuse prescribed medications or alcohol. Aging leads to physical, mental and social changes that increase the risk of developing a drug addiction.
Older adults tend to metabolize substances slowly, making their bodies and brains more sensitive to drugs. Adding to the risks are the physical changes and shifts in metabolism that make it harder for a senior’s body to handle medications.
National Institute on Drug Abuse stated, “How the body distributes a drug, how it dissolves, and how it is absorbed changes with age. A dosage that has only a slight effect on a younger person could be lethal for an elderly person.”
Elderly adults are especially vulnerable because so many are struggling with chronic pain. About 50% of those who live on their own and 75% of those in nursing homes endure pain daily.
The median age in Cherokee County is 52 years, much greater than in the state (39 years). The large older population increases the supply of prescription opioid pills in the county due to the higher prevalence of chronic pain issues among older adults. Older adults can also be more susceptible to lung and heart problems, mood disorders, and memory issues – conditions that worsen with substance use.
Some drugs also impair elderly adults coordination, judgment and reaction time, which can result in accidents like falls and car crashes. Thus, the cycle continues with a new, stronger prescription.
Patients believe opioids – a class of pain-killing drugs that can produce morphine-like effects – are safe and effective because their physician prescribed them, said Annesha White, PharmD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacotherapy at UNT Health Science Center. But they are very dangerous, especially when elderly people take them along with all their other drugs.
“We’re talking about sudden, instant death,” she said.
This silent epidemic has been growing. Some 17% of adults 65 and older are abusing prescription medications, according to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. There are 55 senior adults (65-plus) for every 100 working-age people in the county. Cherokee County’s estimated 2025 population is 297,418 – you do the math.
We can get so caught up in crimes and drug busts in the news, we may overlook that many adults age 65 and older engage in illicit and prescription drug abuse, although alcohol remains the most widely abused among the elderly; abuse of opioids, prescription drugs and marijuana is also common.
Dr. Herb Clark of Murphy is an expert in the field of addiction with 33 years of experience. He served on the N.C. Professional Practice board, adjunct professor for two universities and was a U.S. Marine serving 25 years, through two wars and three conflicts traveling the world, seeing the effects of addiction firsthand worldwide. Send questions or comments to him at hypno321@hotmail.com.