The Truth About Redheads and Pain Meds

For decades, the "redheads require more pain medication" myth was a kind of medical tale that was passed down from seasoned nurses to new nurses. After decades of this “knowledge” being passed down from seasoned healthcare providers and nurses to newer ones, a small study was done in 2004 to see if there was any truth to the idea. What the study revealed was this: Redheads in the study required more pain medication than the brunettes studied.

The study was a small one, but the authors stated that there was a “significantly higher” requirement for pain medication in the redheads. Now, keep in mind that this study pertains to true redheads, not brunettes with auburn highlights, but the natural “gingers” of the world and hair dye certainly doesn't change one's pain tolerance.

Managing Pain Is More Challenging for Natural Redheads

The study states not that redheads have more pain, but that more pain medication is required to control the pain they do have. So science says that this former urban legend is actually fact, that pain management can be more challenging in natural redheads. More recent research provides more information: a variation in the MC1R gene is responsible for the vast majority of redheads being, well, red. 

Here's the other interesting finding: Individuals who don't have red hair can also have this gene variation and in the same study were found to have far greater anxiety when anticipating pain—in this case, a dental procedure—than the average individual. It was the presence of the MCR1 gene variation that predicted anxiety and the avoidance of (potentially painful) dental procedures. 

In essence, it isn't being a redhead that makes individuals more anxious about pain; it is the presence of the MCR1 gene variation. Being a redhead just makes the gene variation far more likely to be present, with 65 of the 67 red-haired participants having the variation. Contrasted with 20 out of 77 dark-haired individuals studied having MCR1 variation, it is understandable why observers thought the phenomenon was a red hair issue.

What This Means for Redheads

It means that your healthcare providers and nurses will need to be diligent about controlling your pain, just as they should be with all of their patients. There is a “pain scale” that is commonly used to identify and rate pain from 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever had in your life. There is also the possibility that your anxiety about the procedure contributes to your pain, as anxiety makes it more difficult to cope with pain. 

Be honest about your pain and about your pain level after the medication takes effect. This will help your nurses and practitioners determine the right dose of pain medication for you. In addition, don’t try to “tough it out” without pain medication unnecessarily and you should be fine!

How Much Pain Medicine You Should Take

Ideally, you take just enough pain medication to be able to move, walk, cough and do the necessary things in life and decrease the amount as your pain improves. When your pain is minimal to moderate, you can switch to over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen. This is when most people return to their normal activities and find that they no longer need pain control. 

Continuing pain medication longer than absolutely necessary is not a good idea, as there are serious side effects when using pain medication, such as constipation, fatigue, the risk of physical dependence and other annoying issues, such as itching.

Here's the good news: Some redheads need more pain medication, but that does not mean that they need a huge amount more than other patients. The study doesn't say that redheads need twice a much, just more than average. 

A Word From Very Well

Having red hair does not mean that you will suffer after having surgery or a procedure that is known to be painful. It may (or may not) mean that you need a larger dose of pain medication than the typical patient, but that doesn't change the timeline for your recovery, nor does it mean you will need a dramatic change in your pain management plan.