Opioids were one of the earliest classes of medications used for pain across a variety of conditions, but morbidity and mortality have been increasingly associated with their chronic use. Despite these negative consequences, chronic opioid use is increasing worldwide, with the USA and Canada having the highest rates. Chronic opioid use for non-cancer pain can have particularly negative effects in the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, including opioid-induced constipation, narcotic bowel syndrome, worsening psychopathology and addiction.
Paradoxically, these individuals have worse pain and keep going to the emergency room—and the vicious cycle continues if they are prescribed more opioids. While OIC and be treated with certain medications, NBS needs to be identified and then the patients must be taken off narcotics to achieve pain control
Dr. Drossman is the Founder of the Rome Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Foundation for Functional GI Disorders (IFFGD). He is President, Drossman Center for the Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care LLC; President, Drossman Consulting LLC; Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine; and Former Co-Director, UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders
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