Most drugs used to treat pain have a number of side effects and complications, beyond addiction. Studies have shown that people suffering with fibromyalgia have a defect in opioid receptors in their brain and spinal cord that makes them far less responsive to the painkilling effects of these drugs than unaffected people.

This explains why so many of these patients do not respond to this class of pain medication.

Some people suffering from chronic pain overdose in an effort to get some relief. Fortunately, a tremendous amount of research is now being done to study natural plant extracts that can reduce both acute and chronic pain, based mainly on their ability to reduce immunoexcitotoxicity.