Opioid antagonists may be useful in control of intractable pain in advanced disease. A case series
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Opioid antagonists may be useful in control of intractable pain in advanced disease. A case series Opioid antagonists naloxone and naltrexone administered in ultra low doses are able to control pain which originates from opioid induced pain facilitation or hyperalgesia. In this article we describe a series of pa-tients with intractable pain treated compassionately with ultra low doses of naloxone or naltrexone. Most of the patients suffered of advanced cancer disease and were treated with high doses of opioids. However, one patient suffered of non-malignant pain and did not tolerate exogenous opioids at all. She responded to ultralow doses of naloxone and naltrexone alone suggesting that endogenous opioids may also play a role in pathological pain conditions. Basing on this case series we discuss current literature, trying to make sense out of plethora of negative and positive findings.
Source: Via Medica Journals
Language: English
Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2114714532