A painkiller that makes pain worse. That is the reality for thousands of sickle cell patients

A painkiller that makes pain worse. That is the reality for thousands of sickle cell patients, and most have never been told.

Akanji Studio Wellness recently published educational content exploring the long-term mental and physical impact of opioids prescribed to sickle cell patients from childhood. Morphine. Oxycodone. Drugs given during pain crises that can last days or weeks — with side effects that are rarely explained to patients or families.

The response was immediate. Over 16,000 people reached. 700 likes. 80 comments, many from patients sharing experiences they had never had validated by a healthcare professional.

Patients described years of depression, brain fog, and emotional numbness they had never connected to their medication. A mother discovered for the first time that her son's changes in behaviour may be linked to long-term prescriptions. Multiple people raised opioid-induced hyperalgesia, a condition where pain medication actually increases pain sensitivity, something they had identified themselves, without clinical guidance.

This is the gap the Foundation was built to address. Not replacing clinical care, but sitting alongside it. Through creative workshops, advocacy, and partnerships with medical institutions, we work to ensure chronic illness communities are informed, supported, and heard.

We are actively seeking partnerships with healthcare institutions, researchers, and organisations working in chronic pain, sickle cell care, and patient advocacy.

If this aligns with your work, we would welcome the conversation.