Why the huge difference between a single small dose vs. what we typically know as dependency inducing? Is there even a slight risk of dependency after surgery? (Assuming the analgesic is only used during surgery, and not taken afterwards for postoperative pain)
Note: Harmful is not the word I was looking for, but I had to reword my post several times to stop it from being deleted
In: 63
I assume you mean opioids? “Harmfull” is not a good term, opioid don’t do any harm at correct dosages. That’s why they are absolutely ubiquitous in medicine and considered an essential medication to have. They are even less harmful than OTC medication like acetaminophen which is rougher on the liver. They require careful control of dose, but at that dose they are very safe and not damaging whatsoever.
If you also just mean “potential for tolerance, dependence, and addiction”, all that has to do with extended use over time and only addiction itself is technically harmful. There is basically no chance for you to.build any of those from a single event, whatever the dose. Opioids can’t magically force addiction on you, and dependence needs time to physiologically happen.
There are also weird beliefs about specifically fentanyl due to the issues with street drugs, where people act like it is a scary poison or something, but I won’t assume you meant that.
If you meant some other analgesic or some other definition of harm though let me know.
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