Weaning From Long-term Opioid Therapy

Abstract

Opioid use for chronic noncancer pain poses a challenge to the gynecologist, and weaning opioids is often a goal for clinicians and patients. In some cases, opioid cessation can be achieved by weaning a patient’s prescribed opioid or with symptomatic management with long-acting opioids or alpha2-adrenergic medications. This review imparts a basic understanding of the physiology of opioid withdrawal, strategies for achieving opioid abstinence, medications for treating the symptoms of withdrawal, and alternatives to opioid taper.

An Approach to Opioid Use Disorder Management

“…The best approach for opioid management continues to be limiting those individuals who are placed on LTOT. Literature does not support improved outcome or function in opioids patients versus multimodal pain management [1,10].…”