BACKGROUND There has been an increase in overdose deaths and emergency department visits (EDVs) involving use of prescription opioids, but the association between opioid prescribing and adverse outcomes is unclear. METHODS Data were obtained from administrative claim records from Arkansas Medicaid and HealthCore commercially insured enrollees, 18 years and older, who used prescription opioids...

Parenteral opioids are commonly used for labor pain relief and have been the subject of research for many years. The objectives of this review were to determine the safety and effectiveness of parenteral opioids in this context. Of 85 trials systematically reviewed, 48 comprising more than 9800 were included, but the number of trials contributing data to individual outcome measures is very limi...

OBJECTIVE To examine the relative benefits and disadvantages of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids for the management of acute renal colic. DATA SOURCES Cochrane Renal Group's specialised register, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, Medline, Embase, and reference lists of retrieved articles. REVIEW METHODS Randomised controlled trials comparing any opioi...

Veterans, cancer patients and those in palliative care often suffer from chronic pain due injuries or complications their disease. Often is managed by either opioids, epidural steroid injection, invasive spinal taps, pumps, which involve difficult surgical procedures. Opioids, are not only addictive but like these therapies, produce temporary expensive remedies.

background substance use and affective disorders frequently co-occur, but the role of affective dysregulation in addiction is often overlooked. there is evidence shows that substance – dependent individuals have more problems in regulating their emotions. objectives this study compared two commonly used emotional regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and suppression, in opioids and metha...

Opioid analgesics are the most potent pain medications therefore they are often used for the treatment of chronic malignant and non-malignant pain. Their strong addictive potential requires close monitoring of patients on opioid therapy for possible non-compliance with prescriptions, for drug diversion, and for proof of avoidance of non-prescribed or illicit opioids. Monitoring can be performed...

BACKGROUND Chronic joint pain is common and is a leading cause of disability. Most chronic joint pain is managed in primary care. Opioid pain medication is one option for pain management, but research suggests that its use by general practitioners (GPs) may be suboptimal. There is a widespread perception that doctors' concerns about misuse and addiction limit use of opioids. OBJECTIVES To exp...

Adverse events of opioids may restrict their use in non-cancer pain. Analysis of the incidence of common adverse events in trials conducted in non-cancer pain has usually been limited to opioids used to treat severe pain according to the WHO three-step ladder. To examine the incidence of common adverse events of opioids in non-cancer pain, a systematic review and meta-analysis of information fr...

The nucleus accumbens is a key component of the reward pathway that plays a role in addiction to many drugs of abuse, including psychostimulants and opioids. The effects of withdrawal from chronic morphine were examined in the nucleus accumbens using brain slices from morphine-treated animals. Recordings were made from interneurons in the shell of nucleus accumbens, and the presynaptic inhibiti...

Opioids are the mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe cancer pain. In recent years there have been many advances in the use of opioids for cancer pain. Availability and consumption of opioids have increased and opioids other than morphine (including methadone, fentanyl, oxycodone) have become more widely used. Inter-individual variation in response to opioids has been identified as a sig...