Open AccessA case of opioid-induced hyperalgesia
Author(s) -
Herman Bami,
Jordan Ho
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
uwomj/medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2560-8274
pISSN - 0042-0336
DOI - 10.5206/uwomj.v87i1.1814
Subject(s) - medicine , hyperalgesia , opioid , malignancy , cancer pain , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , cancer , nociception , receptor
This article presents a previously reported case of a 44-year-old woman receiving opioids for malignancy-related pain who presented with increasing pain symptoms. After a detailed examination of the patient’s medical history, the pain was determined to be unrelated to her cancer and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) was diagnosed. The patient was eventually treated through a gradual tapering of opioids, in addition to complementary therapy and counseling. Following the case description, a concise review of the pertinent literature on OIH is conducted, emphasizing distinguishing factors between OIH and other similar syndromes as well as potential molecular targets. Finally, a brief summary of current recommendations is provided, although further research into this area is required to better evaluate the significance and treatment of OIH.