Buprenorphine-naloxone combo effective treatment of narcotic bowel syndrome
The combination of buprenorphine and naloxone should be investigated as a potential treatment for narcotic bowel syndrome. The drugs seem to work together to address the underlying pathology of the syndrome. Findings from a brief research report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Narcotic bowel syndrome (NBS) is a subset of opioid bowel dysfunction that is characterized by chronic or frequently recurring abdominal pain that worsens with continued or escalating dosages of narcotics. This syndrome is underrecognized and may be becoming more prevalent.
It is a chronic pain syndrome that occurs with opioid use and persists as opioid treatment is continued or escalated. More than half of patients with this syndrome who undergo opioid detoxification return to opioid use within a few months because of continued pain.
Opioid detoxification regimens vary between centres, but frequently include tapering or substitution of opioids and concomitant co-administration of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and psychological therapies.
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