How the opioid crackdown is backfiring

[janterry]

60. Opioids Don't Beat Other Medications For Chronic Pain

Opioids Don't Beat Other Medications For Chronic Pain
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/06/590837914/opioids-dont-beat-other-medications-for-chronic-pain

The study involved 240 veterans with chronic back pain or pain from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. They also all had pain that was ongoing and intense. Half were treated with opioids and half with nonopioid medications — either common over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen or naproxen, or prescription drugs like topical lidocaine or meloxicam.

Doctors and patients knew what group they were in, says Krebs, and that was intentional because people's expectations can influence how they feel. If you expect something to work, it's more likely to work. "We found at the beginning of the study that patients who were enrolled really thought that opioids were far more effective than nonopioid medications," she says.

But after about nine months, even with those expectations, the nonopioid group reported their pain was slightly less severe than the opioid group. At the end of the year, "there was really no difference between the groups in terms of pain interference with activities. And over time, the nonopioid group had less pain intensity and the opioid group had more side effects," such as constipation, fatigue and nausea, Krebs says.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2673971