Articles: opioid.
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To discuss the phenomenon of opioid induced hyperalgesia (OIH) and investigate the data and clinical recommendations available on this topic. ⋯ As more opioids are prescribed, especially to treat chronic nonmalignant pain, OIH becomes more of a relevant and significant issue. Although the exact mechanisms of OIH are not clearly understood further research is required to broaden and develop our knowledge of this topic.
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Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is common in people treated with opioids and poses risks for physical sequelae, analgesic discontinuation, and decreased quality of life. ⋯ Physicians need a better understanding of the negative impacts of OIC for patients and better OIC-specific methods to assess, treat, and monitor it.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyOpioid Concentrations in Oral Fluid and Plasma in Cancer Patients With Pain.
Measuring opioid concentrations in pain treatment is warranted in situations where optimal opioid analgesia is difficult to reach. ⋯ OFL analysis is well suited for detecting the studied opioids. For morphine and fentanyl, an approximation of the plasma opioid concentrations is obtainable, whereas for oxycodone, the OFL/plasma concentration relationship is too variable for reliable approximation results.
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Opioids may alter immune function, thereby potentially affecting cancer recurrence. The authors investigated the association between postdiagnosis opioid use and breast cancer recurrence. ⋯ This large, prospective cohort study provided no clinically relevant evidence of an association between opioid prescriptions and breast cancer recurrence. The current findings are important to cancer survivorship, because opioids are frequently used to manage pain associated with comorbid conditions.
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To determine if patients receiving chronic opioid therapy can be tapered to lower opioid doses without a subsequent increase in pain. ⋯ Patients in the population studied can be successfully tapered to lower opioid doses and may not necessarily experience more pain.