British journal of clinical pharmacology
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Sep 2005
Oral opioid administration and hyperalgesia in patients with cancer or chronic nonmalignant pain.
Previous research has reported on reduced paw withdrawal latencies to heat and mechanical stimuli after parenteral administration of opioids in animals and on increased pain sensitivity in humans subsequent to postoperative infusions of short-acting opioids or in drug addicts. The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility that oral opioid treated patients with cancer-related or chronic nonmalignant pain differ in their pain sensitivity from patients treated with non-opioid analgesics. ⋯ These results suggest that the administration of 'commonly used' dosages of oral opioids does not result in abnormal pain sensitivity beyond that of patients receiving non-opioid analgesia.