Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone

Opioids are a mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe cancer pain. At present, oxycodone has fewer adverse effects compared to morphine and is widely used for cancer pain therapy. The adverse effects of oxycodone are similar to morphine and include constipation, nausea, and sedation. However, a...

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Main Authors: Naomi Kishine, Atsunobu Tsunoda, Seiji Kishimoto, Tomohisa Shoko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/858672
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author Naomi Kishine
Atsunobu Tsunoda
Seiji Kishimoto
Tomohisa Shoko
author_facet Naomi Kishine
Atsunobu Tsunoda
Seiji Kishimoto
Tomohisa Shoko
author_sort Naomi Kishine
collection DOAJ
description Opioids are a mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe cancer pain. At present, oxycodone has fewer adverse effects compared to morphine and is widely used for cancer pain therapy. The adverse effects of oxycodone are similar to morphine and include constipation, nausea, and sedation. However, acute abdominal pain is rarely seen. Here, we describe a cancer patient presenting with acute abdomen with stercoral diarrhea. A 54-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal had been taking oxycodone for pain relief. The patient had taken oxycodone for several months and had never complained of either diarrhea or constipation. After an increase in the dosage of oxycodone, he complained of abdominal distension and constipation. After being administered a laxative, he complained of diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. He visited the emergency department and was diagnosed with acute colonic obstruction caused by severe constipation. He self-medicated with oxycodone at dosages of up to 180 mg/day, and this abrupt increase of oxycodone caused stercoral diarrhea. Finally, total blockage of stool developed, resulting in acute abdomen.
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spelling doaj-art-5bca8c3fb3254068910a604d0dafac4d2025-08-20T02:05:13ZengWileyCase Reports in Medicine1687-96271687-96352011-01-01201110.1155/2011/858672858672Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on OxycodoneNaomi Kishine0Atsunobu Tsunoda1Seiji Kishimoto2Tomohisa Shoko3Department of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, JapanDepartment of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, JapanHead and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, JapanER Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, JapanOpioids are a mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe cancer pain. At present, oxycodone has fewer adverse effects compared to morphine and is widely used for cancer pain therapy. The adverse effects of oxycodone are similar to morphine and include constipation, nausea, and sedation. However, acute abdominal pain is rarely seen. Here, we describe a cancer patient presenting with acute abdomen with stercoral diarrhea. A 54-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal had been taking oxycodone for pain relief. The patient had taken oxycodone for several months and had never complained of either diarrhea or constipation. After an increase in the dosage of oxycodone, he complained of abdominal distension and constipation. After being administered a laxative, he complained of diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. He visited the emergency department and was diagnosed with acute colonic obstruction caused by severe constipation. He self-medicated with oxycodone at dosages of up to 180 mg/day, and this abrupt increase of oxycodone caused stercoral diarrhea. Finally, total blockage of stool developed, resulting in acute abdomen.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/858672
spellingShingle Naomi Kishine
Atsunobu Tsunoda
Seiji Kishimoto
Tomohisa Shoko
Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
Case Reports in Medicine
title Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
title_full Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
title_fullStr Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
title_full_unstemmed Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
title_short Acute Abdomen in a Patient with Cancer Pain on Oxycodone
title_sort acute abdomen in a patient with cancer pain on oxycodone
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/858672
work_keys_str_mv AT naomikishine acuteabdomeninapatientwithcancerpainonoxycodone
AT atsunobutsunoda acuteabdomeninapatientwithcancerpainonoxycodone
AT seijikishimoto acuteabdomeninapatientwithcancerpainonoxycodone
AT tomohisashoko acuteabdomeninapatientwithcancerpainonoxycodone