Abnormally Increased Pain Associated With Long-Term Administration Of Opioids

Use of opioid pain medications could contribute to an increase in sensitivity to some types of pain says an Australian study.

Researchers sought to examine the effect of long-term opioid use in chronic non-cancer pain patients and opioid-maintained patients to determine if the medications can cause hyperalgesia or allydonia.

More Than 10 Million Americans are Hooked to Opioids for Pain Relief
A new research has confirmed that more than 10 million Americans are taking opioids, with nearly 4 million using it regularly.

They examined three groups of subjects: chronic pain patients receiving treatment with methadone or morphine, methadone-maintained patients and healthy drug free individuals.

The research reported several significant findings.

First, it confirmed that methadone-maintained patients demonstrated hyperalgesia and not allydonia when pain sensitivity was measured with the cold pressor test.

Opioid Pain Relievers Linked to Sexual Issues
People taking opioid pain relievers for more than a month to relieve chronic pain may be prone to hormonal disturbances leading to sexual dysfunction, warn researchers.

This did not occur after electrical stimulation, however.

A second finding showed that similar nociceptive profiles are found in chronic pain patients treated with methadone.

Common Nausea Drug May Reduce Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
A drug commonly used for treating nausea and vomiting can help prevent severe withdrawal symptoms from opioids, according to a new study.

Third, the study showed that pain sensitivity associated with methadone administration also is found in morphine-treated patients.

The researchers said that the study demonstrated that hyperalgesia but not allydonia is associated with the long-term administration of opioids.

The study appears in The Journal of Pain.

Source-ANI
ARU/L