Self-management of pain among people who inject drugs in Vancouver

Aims: To evaluate factors and methods associated with self-management of pain among people who inject drugs (IDUs) in Vancouver (Canada). Patients & methods: This cross-sectional study used bivariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression to analyze self-reported responses among 483 IDUs reporting moderate-to-extreme pain in two prospective cohort studies from 1 December 2012 to 31 May 2013. Results: Median age was 49.6 years (interquartile range: 43.9-54.6 years), 33.1% of IDUs were female and 97.5% reported self-management of pain. Variables independently and positively associated with self-managed pain included having been refused a prescription for pain medication (adjusted odds ratio: 7.83; 95% CI: 1.64-37.3) and having ever been homeless (adjusted odds ratio: 3.70; 95% CI: 1.00-13.7). Common methods of self-management of pain included injecting heroin (52.7%) and obtaining diverted prescription pain medication from the street (65.0%). Conclusion: Self-management of pain was common among IDUs who reported moderate-to-extreme pain in this setting, particularly among those who had been refused a prescription for pain medication and those who had ever been homeless. These data highlight the challenges of adequate pain management among IDUs.