A peripherally acting oral μ-opioid receptor antagonist is superior to placebo in treating opioid-induced constipation (OIC) and doesn’t reduce the analgesic effect of opioids, a new phase 3 study shows. If approved, the new drug, naldemedine (Shionogi Inc), will provide another option for physicians and patients to treat OIC, which is common in patients taking […]
Read MoreAs opioid-related deaths across the country skyrocket, more and more state, national, and international groups are calling for widespread community access to naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdose. While naloxone has traditionally been administered in a hospital or medical setting by trained emergency responders, the drug is now available as a “take-home” product that […]
Read MoreWith more pain patients turning to medical marijuana (and recreational cannabis) to ease their discomfort, clinicians might want to consider issues pertaining to driving and working while under the influence. Gerald Aronoff, MD, medical director, Carolina Pain Associates, and medical director, North American Pain & Disability Group, Charlotte, North Carolina, doesn’t prescribe opiates to his […]
Read MoreA noninvasive, easy-to-administer sphenopalatine ganglion block relieves postdural puncture headache (PDPH) faster than an epidural blood patch in obstetric patients and has fewer adverse effects, new research shows. The block works so well in patients with PDPH that it should the considered the first line treatment in this population, said Preet Patel, MD, Department of […]
Read MoreAdding the atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine to a patient’s therapeutic regimen might help ease their refractory pain, a new systematic review suggests. Although not US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved for pain, and not traditionally considered an analgesic, olanzapine has the strongest evidence for pain control of all the atypical antipsychotics, according to the review. […]
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