Primary Care Patients with Drug Use Report Chronic Pain and Self-Medicate with Alcohol and Other Drugs.

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is common among patients with drug use disorders. The prevalence of chronic pain and its consequences in primary care patients who use drugs is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To examine: 1) the prevalence of chronic pain and pain-related dysfunction among primary care patients who screen positive for drug use, and 2) the prevalence of substance use to self-medicate chronic pain in this population.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

This study included 589 adult patients who screened positive for any illicit drug use or prescription drug misuse, recruited from an urban, hospital-based primary care practice.

MAIN MEASURES: Both pain and pain-related dysfunction were assessed by numeric rating scales, and grouped as: (0) none, (1-3) mild, (4-6) moderate, (7-10) severe. Questions were asked about the use of substances to treat pain.

KEY

RESULTS

Among 589 participants, chronic pain was reported by 87% (95% CI: 84-90%), with 13% mild, 24% moderate and 50% severe. Pain-related dysfunction was reported by 74% (95% CI: 70-78%), with 15% mild, 23% moderate, and 36% severe. Of the 576 that used illicit drugs (i.e., marijuana, cocaine, and/or heroin), 51% reported using to treat pain (95% CI: 47-55% ). Of the 121 with prescription drug misuse, 81% (95% CI: 74-88%) used to treat pain. Of the 265 participants who reported any heavy drinking in the past 3 months, 38% (95% CI: 32-44%) did so to treat pain compared to 79% (95% CI: 68-90%) of the 57 high-risk alcohol users.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic pain and pain-related dysfunction were the norm for primary care patients who screened positive for drug use, with nearly one-third reporting both severe pain and severe pain-related dysfunction. Many patients using illicit drugs, misusing prescription drugs and using alcohol reported doing so in order to self-medicate their pain. Pain needs to be addressed when patients are counseled about their substance use.