Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Study: Duloxetine may reduce cumulative opioid use after total knee arthroplasty

In a study conducted by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), cumulative opioid use was reduced by 30% in a patient group that received duloxetine after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared with patients who received placebo.

13 May 2021

New peptide could allow cannabis to fight pain without side effects

Many people live with chronic pain, and in some cases, cannabis can provide relief. But the drug also can significantly impact memory and other cognitive functions.

12 May 2021

Opioid prescribing behavior can also be decreased by supply shortage, shows study

When evaluating the opioid crisis, research reveals that external factors - such as the volume of pre-filled syringes, or a default number of opioid tablets that could easily be ordered at discharge for the patient - can shift prescribing and compel emergency department (ED) physicians to administer or prescribe greater quantities of opioids.

6 May 2021

Patient support program for painful conditions may also help avoid use of risky opioids

A program that provides ongoing support to patients with painful conditions and complex medication regimens may also help them avoid using potentially risky opioid pain medications, or reduce the amount they use, a new study finds.

6 May 2021

Novel CBD analog alleviates pain in mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

For patients with chronic pain, ineffective treatments, lowered work productivity, and other factors often coalesce, fueling feelings of hopelessness and anxiety and setting the stage for even bigger problems, including substance use disorders.

5 May 2021

FDA approves higher dose naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray product to combat opioid overdose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of a higher dose naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray product to treat opioid overdose. The newly approved product delivers 8 milligrams (mg) of naloxone into the nasal cavity. The FDA had previously approved 2 mg and 4 mg naloxone nasal spray products.

30 Apr 2021

Study finds higher risk of overdose in patients treated with opioids to reduce dental pain

When they go to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or another procedure, patients might not think that the prescription they receive to ease their pain could put them or their family at risk of an opioid overdose.

29 Apr 2021

Study: Pharmacies can be a significant access barrier to key medication for addiction

One in five pharmacies refuse to dispense a key medication to treat addiction, according to new research.

27 Apr 2021

Survey: CDC's opioid prescribing guideline for pain treatment should be revoked

The CDC's opioid prescribing guideline has failed to reduce addiction and overdoses, significantly worsened the quality of pain care in the United States and should be revoked, according to a large new survey of patients and healthcare providers by Pain News Network, an independent, non-profit news organization.

26 Apr 2021

Opioid prescription for new mothers associated with an increased risk of serious opioid-related events

A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers finds that new mothers who receive opioids after uncomplicated vaginal births face an increased risk of serious opioid-related events regardless of the opioid dosage, a finding that could significantly impact care delivery.

26 Apr 2021

Novel non-opioid approach to relieve pain after knee surgery

A new study by Henry Ford Health System published in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery may signal a first step toward eliminating the use of opioids to relieve pain after knee surgery.

26 Apr 2021

Researchers harness the body's own ability to block pain

Fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine--these substances are familiar to many as a source of both pain relief and the cause of a painful epidemic of addiction and death.

26 Apr 2021

Study identifies higher mortality risk for women with back pain

New research from Boston Medical Center identifies elevated mortality risk for women with back pain when compared to women without back pain. Back pain was not associated with mortality among men indicating long-term consequences of back pain may differ by sex.

20 Apr 2021

Policies designed to prevent opioid misuse may limit access to pain-relieving drugs

Policies designed to prevent the misuse of opioids may have the unintended side effect of limiting access to the pain-relieving drugs by terminally ill patients nearing the end of their life, new research led by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy suggests.

20 Apr 2021

Scientists receive NIH grant to develop an adjuvant vaccine for opioid use disorder

Opioid addicts wage a daily war within over whether or not to use a drug whose side effect can be death. If those same addicts, however, had the choice to take an opioid vaccine once or twice a year, their internal struggle could be over.

20 Apr 2021

COVID-19 pandemic limits access to opioid dependency treatment, increases overdose deaths

COVID-19 has been associated with increases in opioid overdose deaths, which may be in part because the pandemic limited access to buprenorphine, a treatment used for opioid dependency, according to a new study led by Princeton University researchers.

16 Apr 2021

Nearly a quarter of pediatric patients need stronger pain treatment after surgery

After an appendectomy, a quarter (24.8%) of all children wanted a stronger pain treatment in the first 24 hours after their operation.

8 Apr 2021

Mice study points to a promising treatment for relieving colitis pain without side effects

A targeted opioid that only treats diseased tissues and spares healthy tissues relieves pain from inflammatory bowel disease without causing side effects, according to new research published in the journal Gut.

31 Mar 2021

Naloxone can save lives but stigma is preventing its use among newly abstinent opioid users

Opioids are the main driver of fatal drug overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in 46,802 deaths in 2018, usually because the person stops breathing.

26 Mar 2021

Study highlights the importance of social connections in preventing opioid misuse

As opioid use disorders and overdoses continue to skyrocket in the United States, a study by researchers from Syracuse University and Pennsylvania State University shows that unmarried young adults who do not have children are mostly likely to misuse opioids.

24 Mar 2021

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Study: Duloxetine may reduce cumulative opioid use after total knee arthroplasty

New peptide could allow cannabis to fight pain without side effects

Opioid prescribing behavior can also be decreased by supply shortage, shows study

Patient support program for painful conditions may also help avoid use of risky opioids

Novel CBD analog alleviates pain in mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

FDA approves higher dose naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray product to combat opioid overdose

Study finds higher risk of overdose in patients treated with opioids to reduce dental pain

Study: Pharmacies can be a significant access barrier to key medication for addiction

Survey: CDC's opioid prescribing guideline for pain treatment should be revoked

Opioid prescription for new mothers associated with an increased risk of serious opioid-related events

Novel non-opioid approach to relieve pain after knee surgery

Researchers harness the body's own ability to block pain

Study identifies higher mortality risk for women with back pain

Policies designed to prevent opioid misuse may limit access to pain-relieving drugs

Scientists receive NIH grant to develop an adjuvant vaccine for opioid use disorder

COVID-19 pandemic limits access to opioid dependency treatment, increases overdose deaths

Nearly a quarter of pediatric patients need stronger pain treatment after surgery

Mice study points to a promising treatment for relieving colitis pain without side effects

Naloxone can save lives but stigma is preventing its use among newly abstinent opioid users

Study highlights the importance of social connections in preventing opioid misuse

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