Current Indian Science - Current Issue

Pain is a complex physiological and psychological response to a noxious stimulus, sometimes deteriorating a patient’s quality of life. Opioids remain the mainstay treatment modality for chronic pain. Several concerns are raised regarding the long-term use of opioids and the risks associated with their usage. Findings advocate that the longstanding practice of opioid consumption manifests in adverse effects.

Due to the physiological changes opioids instigate in the gastrointestinal tract, opioid-induced constipation remains a common complication pragmatic in patients undergoing opioid medications. Several therapeutic interventions are made available, and the review describes the overall medications with practical examples, aiding in selecting a treatment plan.

The method comprises data collection from various search engines like PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SciFinder to get coverage of relevant literature for accumulating appropriate information regarding pain management, opioids, opioid-induced constipation, and its pharmacological interventions.

The thoughtful custom of exploring several options to manage opioid-induced constipation must allow patients to benefit from opioid analgesia.

This paper reviews the role of opioids in pain management, the underlying mechanisms of their action, opioid-induced constipation, and pharmacological therapies, with experimental studies aiding clinicians to optimise treatment plans.