The guidelines, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also suggest that patients question whether they need such strong drugs to control their chronic pain.
The short take on the CDC guidelines:
- Don't use opioids first. Try other methods such as Tylenol, ibuprofen or ice
- Talk to the patient about what they can expect. 100 percent pain-free may not be realistic or desirable
- Make sure the patient knows the risks
- Never start with the long-acting opiates and use the lowest possible dose
Opioid drugs, which are related to morphine and heroin, are dangerous, said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden.
"For the vast majority of patients, the risks will outweigh the benefits for chronic pain," Frieden told reporters in a conference call.