“Everybody looks at it as drug use instead of pain management”: Experiences of chronic pain and its management among older people living with HIV who use drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 262; p. 111399
• Main Authors: Chayama, Koharu Loulou, Ng, Cara, Ivsins, Andrew, Small, Will, Knight, Rod, McNeil, Ryan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01-09-2024
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; British Columbia - epidemiology; Chronic pain; Chronic Pain - drug therapy; Comorbidities; Drug use; Female; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Management - methods; Prospective Studies; Social Stigma; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Substance-Related Disorders - therapy; British Columbia; Aging; HIV; Comorbidities; Drug use; Chronic pain
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111399

Chronic pain is a common comorbidity among people living with HIV (PLHIV) who use drugs. However, in-depth understanding of how chronic pain is managed among PLHIV who use drugs remains limited, especially in the aging population. We sought to explore how older PLHIV who use drugs manage chronic pain and situate these experiences within their social and structural contexts.
This study draws on semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with 27 PLHIV who use drugs and were living with chronic pain in Vancouver, Canada. Participants were recruited through outreach at an integrated HIV care facility and from an open prospective cohort study of PLHIV who use drugs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Salient themes were identified using an inductive-deductive approach to coding.
Three themes emerged from our data analysis. First, chronic pain influenced daily life and functioning, including ability to manage HIV and other health conditions. Second, provider-related barriers, including anti-drug stigma and discrimination, impeded access to pain management. Third, illicit drugs were often used to self-manage pain.
This study advances our understanding of the everyday experiences of living with chronic pain among older PLHIV who use drugs. Inadequately managed pain may contribute to an array of health- and drug-related harms among this population. Our findings underscore the need for equitable access to pain care, and safer alternatives to the toxic illicit drug supply in the context of the illicit drug poisoning epidemic, to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for older PLHIV who use drugs.
•Chronic pain influenced daily life and functioning of older people living with HIV.•Chronic pain affected their ability to manage other health conditions (e.g., HIV).•Provider-related barriers impeded their access to pain management.•Illicit drugs were often used to self-manage their pain.