Targeted Dietary Supplement Solutions For

Chronic Pain and Opioid Pain Therapy


Chronic pain is a condition in which pain progresses from an acute to chronic state and persists beyond the illness or the injury healing process. It's now recognized in the United States as a major health concern with extremely negative consequences to individuals and families that include profound physical, mental, emotional, economic and societal costs.1,3,10,14,16 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 million adults in the U.S. have chronic daily pain, and 19.6 million adults experience "high impact" chronic pain that interferes with daily life, the ability to work, and normal daily activities.3,8

With the current national focus on the Opioid Crisis, the still-routine prescribing of opioids to treat chronic pain remains in the spotlight. The failure of physicians to effectively manage chronic pain and the resulting complications of opioid treatment are also now identified as a national public health crises.1,10,12,15,16  Annual pain-related expenses (including pain management and opioid dependence) now currently exceed the costs of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined in the U.S.2,4

Today, opioids continue to be one of the most extensively prescribed medications for clinical treatment of chronic pain despite the potential for long-lasting harmful effects.  Clinicians treating patients for chronic pain must carefully balance patients' pain care while also managing the side effects of opioid medications, opioid tolerance, opioid dependency and opioid abuse. 16, 32

Pills In Hand From Bottle

The Opioid Pain Therapy Dilemma:  Opioids Are Not Harmless Drugs

Opioid treatment may be prescribed to reduce pain and improve function but it may result in just the opposite where nutrition is concerned. 2,18,19, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 31

  • Appetite is suppressed
  • Nutrient intake is decreased
  • Absorption of nutrients is impaired
  • Nutrient deficiencies cause inflammation
  • Inflammation decreases gut function
  • Inflammation alters normal brain functions
  • Brain changes cause depression and anxiety
  • Sleep patterns and memory are impaired
  • Inflammation suppresses the immune system 
  • Susceptibility to infectious diseases is increased
  • Hormone levels are negatively affected
  • Bone density is diminished

Opioid Pain Therapy and the Impact on Patients'
Nutritional Health

Chronic pain can literally impact every facet of a person's life and can especially affect nutrition. And in turn, compromised or poor nutrition affects every part of the body.

While chronic pain is often accompanied by side effects like depression and anxiety, opioid pain therapy often adds cascading side effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, fatigue, and more.2,4,8,21,23 During opioid pain therapy, the brain and body are under the constant stress of pain and also having to endure functional and psychological changes caused by opioids: metabolic inflammation, malnutrition, disruption of cell metabolism, microbiome disruption, organ disfunction, and interruption of normal brain function and sleep patterns.2,18,19,22,24 

During this time, intestinal and stomach discomfort and the constant stress and systemic inflammation in the body can block the normal metabolism and absorption of vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids and other nutrients needed for the healing process.17   To make matters worse, opioid medications suppress and even eliminate once-normal appetites.2, 29        

It's no surprise that people with chronic pain often report having difficulty taking daily care of themselves while taking opioid pain medication.28  The constant fatigue and feeling ill often make something as simple as meal planning, grocery shopping or preparing a meal seem like an exhausting self-care task.18,19, 20   Not surprisingly, many people end up ordering fast food, grabbing sugary, high-fat snacks, or skipping meals altogether.  Trying to maintain a balanced diet or even a minimally nutritious diet can be a very difficult, if not an impossible challenge for patients undergoing opioid pain therapy.8  

 

Woman Leaning on Stove

Replenishing Essential Nutrients During Opioid Pain Therapy

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, fatty acids, fiber, and other macronutrients and micronutrients have demonstrated well-known roles in human nutrition and ongoing studies continue to confirm the many benefits of dietary supplementation.5,7,11,13,33  That's why we believe that every patient-centered approach to chronic pain treatment should include a targeted dietary supplementation plan to help improve clinical outcomes during opioid pain therapy and help restore and rebalance the quality of life for every patient.2,3,5,8,9 

Personalized nutrition can be a viable tool to help chronic pain patients by improving pain relief, functionality and quality of life. Nutritional factors associated with opioid use can hinder treatment outcomes and emerging studies suggest certain nutrients may help to alleviate chronic pain and underscore the fact that insufficient dietary and nutrient intake adds to the burden of disease. Several nutritional supplements have been shown to reduce inflammation which can also mitigate pain sensitivity. As an example, ginger along with Omegas 3 and 6 have been studied extensively for their anti-inflammatory properties and in clinical trials, magnesium has alleviated post-op pain and reduced opioid consumption. Other data demonstrate that low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased pain sensitivity and deficiencies of Vitamin B12 are known to contribute to neurologic dysfunction and chronic pain.5,6,8

Nutrient deficiencies that occur during chronic use of opioid medications can be addressed with very specific micronutrients, vitamins and natural ingredients that have been studied and relied on for decades. Increased attention to personal nutrition to address the nutritional consequences of using opioids is critical in restoring energy production, immune function, neurotransmitter production, fluid balance, bone health and gut function.2,6,13,29,32,33 

Collins Care Provides Nutrition, Probiotics, and Mineral Pill Supplements

Studies conducted by the World Health Organization show the lack of even one single vitamin or mineral can cause serious metabolic imbalances.27 

Our Unique Ingredient Combinations Are Personal

 

After years of research, CollinsCare has developed a suite of nutritional products to address the specific nutrient depletions that occur during the chronic use of opioid medications. Focusing on effectiveness, convenience, and affordability, each product formula was developed with maximum efficacy and over-the-counter convenience in mind. Our products contain specific combinations and doses of both macronutrients and micronutrients, to be taken at the most beneficial times during the day.5,25

Daily doses of specific combinations of essential vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, amino acids, probiotics, and other micronutrients and macronutrients can help restore metabolic and digestive function, reduce chronic inflammation, replenish neurotransmitters, increase normal gut function and increase the body's ability to repair the ongoing biochemical damage caused by opioids.2,3,5,9,18 

By combining specific nutrients in the most effective amounts in our beverages, tablets, and gelcaps, our patent-pending products provide a convenient and cost effective way for people to start restoring their health and enjoy the quality of life they deserve.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

 

CollinsCare developed OTC Nutritonal Supplements to help restore critically important nutrients during:
• Prescribed opioid therapy for acute or chronic pain
• Opioid tolerance and dependency during long-term chronic pain care
• Recovery treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
 Ingredients
CollinsCare Nutritional Supplements are affordable and convenient in any setting:
• Private At-Home Recovery
• In-Patient Recovery (Private Treatment Centers and Retreats, Specialized Treatment Facilities, Hospitals and Clinics)
• Out-Patient Recovery (Methadone or other Medication-AssistedTreatment Clinics, 12-Step Programs, and Holistic Recovery Programs)

 

 

References


  1. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Washington, DC: HHS, November 2016.

  2. Chavez MN, Rigg KK. Nutritional implications of opioid use disorder: A guide for drug treatment providers. Psychol Addict Behav. 2020;34(6):699-707. doi:10.1037/adb0000575

  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2019, May). Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations.  Retrieved from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website:  https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/reports/index.html

  4. Dydyk, A., Sizemore, D., Haddad L., Lindsay L., Porter B. NP Safe Prescribing Of Controlled Substances While Avoiding Drug Diversion. StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan–. PMID: 33232099.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564518/

  5. De Gregori, M., Muscoli, C., Schatman, M., Stallone, T., Intelligente, F., Rondanelli, M., Franceschi, F., Arranz, L., Lorente-Cebrián, S., Salamone, M., Ilari, S., Belfer, I., & Allegri, M. ( 2016 ). Combining pain therapy with lifestyle: the role of personalized nutrition and nutritional supplements according to the SIMPAR Feed Your Destiny Approach, Journal of Pain Research, Volume 9, 1179-1189.

  6. Wright, K.C. (2019). Pain - The Role of Nutrition. Today's Dietitian, Vol. 21, No. 10, P.38, October 2019.

  7. Miller, Rebecca. (2010). Nutrition in Addiction Recovery. http://mhof.net/sites/default/files/Addiction%20and%20Recovery%20Report.pdf#overlay-context=articles/nutrition-addiction-recovery.  Accessed 10 April 2020.

  8. Dragan, S., Serban, M., Damian, G., Buleu, F., VAlcovici, M., & Christodorescu, R. (2020). Dietary Patterns and Interventions to Alleviate Chronic Pain. Nutrients, Vol. 12(9).

  9. Philpot, U., Johnson, M. (2019). Diet Therapy in the management of chronic pain: better diet less pain?, Pain Management, 9(4), 335-338.

  10. U.S. HHS, Surgeon General Priority, 2020. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/opioids-and-addiction/index.html

  11. Hakimian JK, Dong TS, Barahona JA, et al. Dietary Supplementation with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduces Opioid-Seeking Behaviors and Alters the Gut Microbiome. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1900. Published 2019 Aug 14. doi:10.3390/nu11081900

  12. World Drug Report 2020 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.20.XI.6).

  13. Wiss DA. A Biopsychosocial Overview of the Opioid Crisis: Considering Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Health. Front Public Health. 2019;7:193. Published 2019 Jul 9. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00193

  14. Lyden J, Binswanger IA. The United States opioid epidemic. Semin Perinatol. 2019;43(3):123-131. doi:10.1053/j.semperi.2019.01.001

  15. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids. Washington, DC: HHS, September 2018.

  16. American Academy of Family Physicians, 2021. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/chronic-pain-management-opiod-misuse.html

  17. Jeynes KD, Gibson EL. The importance of nutrition in aiding recovery from substance use disorders: A review. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;179:229-239. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.07.006

  18. Stratton, Disease-Related Malnutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach To Treatment: edited by Rebecca J Stratton, Ceri J Green, and Marinos Elia, 2003, 824 pages, hardcover, $175. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, United Kingdom, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 79, Issue 6, June 2004, Pages 1128–1129, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/79.6.1128

  19. Forrester JE. Nutritional Alterations in Drug Abusers With and Without HIV. Am J Infect Dis. 2006;2(3):173-179.

  20. Mobasher, Maha W., Rania M. Mohamed, Mohamed A. Khalil, and Mohamed E. Akl. "Eating Attitudes in Egyptian Male Patients With Opioid Dependence." Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment 16.1 (2017): 28-35.

  21. O’Sullivan SJ, Malahias E, Park J, Srivastava A, Reyes BAS, Gorky J, Vadigepalli R, Van Bockstaele EJ and Schwaber JS (2019) Single-Cell Glia and Neuron Gene Expression in the Central Amygdala in Opioid Withdrawal Suggests Inflammation With Correlated Gut Dysbiosis. Front. Neurosci. 13:665. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00665

  22. Tsai YL, Lin TL, Chang CJ, et al. Probiotics, prebiotics and amelioration of diseases. J Biomed Sci. 2019;26(1):3. Published 2019 Jan 4. doi:10.1186/s12929-018-0493-6

  23. Schroeder RD, Higgins GE. You Are What You Eat: The Impact of Nutrition on Alcohol and Drug Use. Subst Use Misuse. 2017;52(1):10-24. doi:10.1080/10826084.2016.1212603

  24. Cerdó T, García-Santos JA, G Bermúdez M, Campoy C. The Role of Probiotics and Prebiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. Nutrients. 2019;11(3):635. Published 2019 Mar 15. doi:10.3390/nu11030635

  25. Rogers A, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Examining Special Nutritional Requirements in Disease States: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25164

  26. NIDA. Prescription Opioids DrugFacts. National Institute on Drug Abuse website. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-opioids. May 27, 2020 Accessed March 24, 2021.

  27. Cotruvo, J., Bartram, J., (2009).  Calcium and magnesium in drinking-water: public health significance. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2009. 

  28. American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), Inc., and Stanford University Division of Pain Medicine, (2021). ACPA-Stanford Resource Gide to Pain Management. 

  29. Virmani, A., Binienda, Z., Ali, S., & Gaetani, F. (2006). Links between Nutrition, Drug Abuse and the Metabolic Syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1074(1), 303-314. 

  30. Plaza-Diaz J, Ruiz-Ojeda FJ, Gil-Campos M, Gil A. Mechanisms of Action of Probiotics [published correction appears in Adv Nutr. 2020 Jul 1;11(4):1054]. Adv Nutr. 2019;10(suppl_1):S49-S66. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy063

  31. Palmer CM. Diets and Disorders: Can Foods or Fasting Be Considered Psychopharmacologic Therapies?. J Clin Psychiatry. 2019;81(1):19ac12727. Published 2019 Jul 9. doi:10.4088/JCP.19ac12727

  32. Nabipour S. Ayu Said M, Hussain Habil M. Burden and nutritional deficiencies in opiate addiction - systematic review article Iran J Public Health 2014, 43(8): 1022-1032

  33. Ii, Suzanne Sayuri, Lisa Ryan, and Joanne Neale. "Diet and nutrient intake of people receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT): implications for recovery." Drugs and Alcohol Today 16.1 (2016): 59-71.