Opioid Trial Periods for Management of Chronic Non-cancer Pain
Author | : |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 16 |
Release | : 2012 |
Genre | : Chronic pain |
ISBN | : |
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While opioid analgesics are widely used to treat chronic pain associated with cancer and end of life, controversy exists regarding the use of chronic opioid therapy (COT) for treating chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, chronic pain is defined as pain that persists beyond the normal tissue healing time of three months. CNCP affects approximately 25% of Canadians and is often associated with common conditions including back pain, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and headaches. While some physicians are reluctant to prescribe opioids for CNCP due to the risk of harms, there was a 50% increase in Canadian prescriptions between 2000 and 2004. Increased prescribing is associated with increased misuse, abuse, injury and overdose-related deaths among opioid users. A national study found that most Canadians who inject opioids are now injecting prescription opioids, such as morphine (51%), and hydromorphine (50%), rather than street-derived heroin. A National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG) was formed in 2007 to provide evidence-based guidance on COT for CNCP. The Canadian guideline is intended to inform physicians about starting trials of opioid therapy for patients with CNCP and guide monitoring of long-term therapy. A trial of opioid therapy includes initiation, titration, and maintenance phases. Initiation involves selecting an appropriate opioid and dose based on a comprehensive patient assessment. During titration, the dosage is adjusted to maximize pain relief while minimizing unmanageable side effects. When the daily dose stabilizes, the patient has entered the maintenance phase. If pain gets worse after a period of stable maintenance, it may indicate disease progression, increased activity, tolerance, or an increased sensitivity to pain. If no response is found despite increasing the dosage, the opioid is discontinued. This review summarizes the clinical effectiveness, and guidelines and recommendations regarding opioid trial periods for the management of CNCP to determine the optimal duration.