When opioids become unhelpful or potentially harmful: Analysis of patient-specific variables informing opioid management decisions

Opioids are an important component of chronic pain management for some patients; however, others may develop unrelenting tolerance, unmanageable side effects, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, opioid misuse, or other challenges that demand revision of care. Options for opioid management may then include: enhanced self-regulation, tightened prescribing structure, rotation or scheduling changes, tapering to lower doses (with or without rotation), discontinuation (with or without addition of naltrexone), or transition to opioid agonist therapy of addiction (OAT).
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research