Opiate drugs, when used chronically, can unleash a cascade of debilitating symptoms that often go unrecognized. Chronic abdominal pain, unrelenting vomiting, weight loss, and signs of intestinal pseudo-obstruction are just some of the distressing manifestations associated with prolonged opiate use or abuse. Astonishingly, these symptoms can rapidly vanish once opiate administration is ceased. It is crucial to shed light on this frequently overlooked condition known as narcotic bowel syndrome (NBS), which stands as a significant and clinically impactful cause of chronic abdominal pain.

Opiates have well-documented effects on gastrointestinal function, causing delays in stomach emptying and slowing down the normal activity of the small intestine and colon. NBS emerges as a subset of opioid bowel dysfunction, characterized by chronic or recurrent abdominal pain that worsens as opiate doses continue or escalate. Unfortunately, this syndrome often goes unnoticed and might be on the rise, possibly due to the increased use of opiates for chronic pain management and addiction treatment in the United States. Uninformed physicians prescribing high doses of opiates may unwittingly contribute to the development of NBS, as chronic opiate use can paradoxically induce hyperalgesia, a state where opiates themselves cause pain.

The hallmark of NBS is chronic or intermittent colicky abdominal pain that intensifies as the effects of opiates wear off. While opiates may initially provide relief, the pain-free intervals progressively shorten, leading to higher opiate doses. Paradoxically, escalating doses exacerbate the adverse effects on pain perception and intestinal motility, thereby perpetuating the development of NBS.

NBS can be misleading, as abdominal X-rays may show signs resembling a partial intestinal obstruction, when in reality, it is an adynamic ileus or pseudo-obstruction. Fecal retention can also be observed. Laboratory tests, including blood count, amylase, lipase, liver chemistry, and urine analyses, typically yield normal results.

Crucially, the key to diagnosing NBS lies in recognizing that chronic or escalating opiate doses do not alleviate symptoms but rather perpetuate or worsen them. Unfortunately, since the symptoms are nonspecific, and many healthcare providers are unaware that narcotic medications can sensitize patients to pain experiences, continued opiate treatment leads to a vicious cycle of pain, increased opiate usage, and further aggravation of symptoms.

NBS remains largely under-recognized due to limited knowledge about the long-term effects of opiates on visceral pain and gastrointestinal disturbances. Additionally, clinical differentiation of abdominal pain caused by opiates from pain that benefits from opiates presents a significant challenge.

You’re Not Alone in the Battle of Addiction:

Narcotic bowel syndrome serves as a stark reminder of the hidden perils of chronic opiate use. If you are struggling with addiction towards opiates, call 866-399-2967 or visit our Contact Page to book an appointment for drug detox treatment. We want to live a free and high-quality life and are here to help.

Why would men and women suffering from drug addiction come from all over the world to a small town in the U.S. to put an end to their drug addiction? Perhaps because the Rapid Drug Detox (RDD) Center there has developed a “detox” method that works. It’s fast, it’s effective, and it’s almost pain free. So it’s not surprising that nearly 98% of their patients cross at least one border to get there.

At the RDD Center, the medical procedure takes place under anesthesia, and that eliminates most of the withdrawal symptoms. After a brief, painless series of tests, you’ll be admitted to the operating room (O.R.). There, an experienced, board certified anesthesiologist gives you medication to relax, and then administers a light, general anesthesia, while you rest comfortably for approximately 60 minutes. While you rest, a team of experienced doctors “scrubs” the opiate receptors in your body, using an infusion of intravenous medications.

After the procedure, you recover under direct medical supervision. The RDD Center team of experienced medical professionals monitors your vital signs and your overall physical and mental reactions. In the days that follow the procedure, you may sleep more than usual.

Administered by experienced medical professionals as part of a long-term drug-addiction recovery strategy, the RDD Method™ has proven to be significantly more effective than older methods.

Because patients who undergo RDD treatment leave the Center clean and free of any opiates, they are free of their addiction and their former cravings. If you’re considering detox treatment, it’s important to question any treatment centers you’re considering. Learn the truth about their programs. Trading one opiate drug for another should never be an acceptable treatment. The RDD Center’s physicians consider it misleading and the patients we see have rarely found it successful.

Will the RDD Method™ work for you? The answer starts with a phone call. When you call, you get to talk to a professional nurse or an experienced intake coordinator. The call is toll-free. Click here now to contact the Rapid Drug Detox Center or call Rapid Drug Detox at 866-399-2967 now and take the first step toward a lifetime of freedom from addiction.

The RDD Center makes sure that nurses are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that the Center’s knowledgeable, licensed medical professionals are always available to answer all of your questions.