Expert opinion on investigational drugs
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Opioid analgesics are the mainstay in the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain, yet their use is frequently associated with adverse effects, the most common and debilitating being constipation. Opioid-induced motor stasis results from blockade of gastrointestinal peristalsis and fluid secretion, and reflects the action of the endogenous opioid system in the gut. ⋯ Clinical studies have proved the concept that these drugs prevent opioid-induced bowel dysfunction without interfering with analgesia. As reviewed in this article, opioid receptor antagonists with a peripherally restricted site of action also hold therapeutic promise in postoperative ileus and chronic constipation due to the fact that they have been found to stimulate intestinal transit.