Opioid Pseudoaddiction in a Patient with Long-Term Oxycodone Use for Chronic Pain

Abstract

Pseudoaddiction is a term to describe drug-seeking behaviors in a patient that has inadequate pain control. It is the result of the medical undertreatment of pain, which poses iatrogenic harm to patients by withholding analgesic treatment [1]. The case presented is of a 26-year-old female with chronic back pain from a motor vehicle accident who was unable to find a physician to prescribe opioids after leaving the care of her primary care physician. She resulted to drug-seeking behaviors and alcohol use to relieve her severe pain.