RESEARCH - Opioid switching from oral slow release morhine to oral methadone may improve pain control in chronic nonmalignant pain

[Guest guest]

Palliat Med. 2006 Jan;20(1):35-41.

Opioid switching from oral slow release morphine to oral methadone may

improve pain control in chronic non-malignant pain: a nine-month follow-up

study.

Pain and Palliation Research Group, Institute of Circulation and Medical

Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and

Technology, Trondheim. olavmagn@...

Twelve patients with poor pain control or unacceptable side effects during

treatment with morphine were switched to methadone and followed for nine

months in this open prospective study. Primary outcomes were patient

preference for opioid and pain control while physical, cognitive and role

functioning were secondary outcomes. The morphine dose was decreased by 1/3

daily and was replaced with an equianalgesic dose of methadone over a

three-day period. During switching and a one-week dose titration period,

patients were given additional methadone if required. During dose titration

one patient experienced sedation requiring naloxone. Four patients were

switched back to morphine due to poor pain control, drowsiness or sweating.

Seven patients preferred long-term (>nine months) treatment with methadone

and reported reduced pain and improved functioning while cognition was not

improved. This study brings novel information on the long-term consequences

for pain control, health-related quality of life and cognitive functioning

with a switch from morphine to methadone in the treatment of chronic

non-malignant pain.

PMID: 16482756

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstra\

ctPlus & list_uids=16482756

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org