Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis
<b>Introduction:</b> Although opiate narcotics may worsen gastroparesis(GP), patients can take these for abdominal pain (AP) or other chronic pain syndromes. This study aims to evaluate medications patients with gastroparesis use for AP and compare patients who use opiate analgesics for...
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MDPI AG
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Gastrointestinal Disorders |
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| author | Abraham Ifrah John Ebeid Henry P. Parkman |
| author_facet | Abraham Ifrah John Ebeid Henry P. Parkman |
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| description | <b>Introduction:</b> Although opiate narcotics may worsen gastroparesis(GP), patients can take these for abdominal pain (AP) or other chronic pain syndromes. This study aims to evaluate medications patients with gastroparesis use for AP and compare patients who use opiate analgesics for AP to those using opiate analgesics for non-abdominal pain. <b>Methods:</b> Patients at a tertiary academic center gastroenterology clinic completed the Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Disorders–Symptom Severity Index (PAGI-SYM) and Quality of Life Short-Form 8 (QOL SF-8) surveys between 10/2021 and 03/2023. Patients recorded gastroparesis treatments, pain treatments and indication, and any hospitalizations/emergency department (ED) visits within 3 months of a clinic visit. <b>Results:</b> A total of 53 patients were enrolled: 72% reported having AP. Patients were using the following medications for AP: 25% heating pad, ice or hot showers, 20.8% acetaminophen, 14.6% hyoscyamine, 13% opiate use, 13% marijuana use, 10.4% dicyclomine, 8.3% Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 4% benzodiazepine, and 2.1% gabapentin. The reported reasons for using opiates were 58% AP, 16.6% chronic back pain, 16.6% Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and fibromyalgia, and 8.3% osteoarthritis. All opiate users reported daily scheduled use. AP severity scores (4.1 vs. 2.8; <i>p</i> = 0.041), morphine equivalent usage (77 ± 44 vs. 32 ± 28; <i>p</i> = 0.037), and the number of ER visits (1.0 vs. 0 over 3 months) were higher in patients using opiates for AP than those using opiates for non-abdominal pain. <b>Conclusions:</b> In this series, 72% of patients with gastroparesis had abdominal pain, and 13% of patients were taking opiates. Patients who used opiate analgesics for abdominal pain had a higher average abdominal pain severity score and used a higher amount of opiate analgesia than patients using opiates for musculoskeletal pain. Abdominal pain in patients with gastroparesis can be harder to control with opiate analgesia compared to non-abdominal pain, supporting the concept of avoiding chronic opiate usage for abdominal pain in gastroparesis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2d79faf7f07240d38e26410fb38229e0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2624-5647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Gastrointestinal Disorders |
| spelling | doaj-art-2d79faf7f07240d38e26410fb38229e02025-08-20T01:55:27ZengMDPI AGGastrointestinal Disorders2624-56472024-08-016376577310.3390/gidisord6030052Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with GastroparesisAbraham Ifrah0John Ebeid1Henry P. Parkman2Department of Internal Medicine, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USASection of Gastroenterology, Temple University Hospital, Parkinson Building, 8th Floor, 3401 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA<b>Introduction:</b> Although opiate narcotics may worsen gastroparesis(GP), patients can take these for abdominal pain (AP) or other chronic pain syndromes. This study aims to evaluate medications patients with gastroparesis use for AP and compare patients who use opiate analgesics for AP to those using opiate analgesics for non-abdominal pain. <b>Methods:</b> Patients at a tertiary academic center gastroenterology clinic completed the Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Disorders–Symptom Severity Index (PAGI-SYM) and Quality of Life Short-Form 8 (QOL SF-8) surveys between 10/2021 and 03/2023. Patients recorded gastroparesis treatments, pain treatments and indication, and any hospitalizations/emergency department (ED) visits within 3 months of a clinic visit. <b>Results:</b> A total of 53 patients were enrolled: 72% reported having AP. Patients were using the following medications for AP: 25% heating pad, ice or hot showers, 20.8% acetaminophen, 14.6% hyoscyamine, 13% opiate use, 13% marijuana use, 10.4% dicyclomine, 8.3% Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 4% benzodiazepine, and 2.1% gabapentin. The reported reasons for using opiates were 58% AP, 16.6% chronic back pain, 16.6% Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and fibromyalgia, and 8.3% osteoarthritis. All opiate users reported daily scheduled use. AP severity scores (4.1 vs. 2.8; <i>p</i> = 0.041), morphine equivalent usage (77 ± 44 vs. 32 ± 28; <i>p</i> = 0.037), and the number of ER visits (1.0 vs. 0 over 3 months) were higher in patients using opiates for AP than those using opiates for non-abdominal pain. <b>Conclusions:</b> In this series, 72% of patients with gastroparesis had abdominal pain, and 13% of patients were taking opiates. Patients who used opiate analgesics for abdominal pain had a higher average abdominal pain severity score and used a higher amount of opiate analgesia than patients using opiates for musculoskeletal pain. Abdominal pain in patients with gastroparesis can be harder to control with opiate analgesia compared to non-abdominal pain, supporting the concept of avoiding chronic opiate usage for abdominal pain in gastroparesis.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5647/6/3/52abdominal painopiatesgastroparesis |
| spellingShingle | Abraham Ifrah John Ebeid Henry P. Parkman Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis Gastrointestinal Disorders abdominal pain opiates gastroparesis |
| title | Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis |
| title_full | Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis |
| title_fullStr | Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis |
| title_short | Abdominal Pain and Chronic Opiate Use in Patients with Gastroparesis |
| title_sort | abdominal pain and chronic opiate use in patients with gastroparesis |
| topic | abdominal pain opiates gastroparesis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5647/6/3/52 |
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