Common Conditions Associated with Long Term Opioid Usage

Abstract

Opioids are drugs that are used to manage wide range of chronic painful diseases. They are classified as broadspectrum analgesics. They are frequently prescribed to manage cancer and chronic pain, post-operative pain among certain other conditions. However, there is a well-known phenomenon of psychological addiction that can develop with the use of opioids leading to prolonged use, abuse and misuse which undermines their clinical efficacy associated with their use. Although in some conditions long-term opioid therapy is needed. According to clinical recommendations, long-term opioid therapy involves taking opioids every day for more than three months. The criteria for defining long-term opioid therapy in clinical settings and research, however, vary. Certain conditions are associated with its long-term use including impaired cognitive effects, sedation, constipation, nausea, vomiting, physical dependence, tolerance, and respiratory depression which are quite common with the opioid treatment. Clinical concerns regarding addiction may hinder appropriate prescribing, resulting in insufficient pain management. Delay in stomach emptying, hyperalgesia, immunologic and hormonal abnormalities, muscular rigidity, and myoclonus are examples of less prevalent effects reported with long-term opioid use. Opioid induced constipation is commonly reported in long-term use and may get severe enough to necessitate stopping the opioids and cause underdosing and insufficient analgesia. Respiratory and sleep disorders also frequently observed in longterm users of opioids. Also, incidence of new episode of depression is quite commonly linked to the chronic use of opioid. The purpose of this research is to review the available information about common conditions associated with long term opioid usage.