The Consultant pharmacist : the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
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Opioid medications are commonly used to treat moderate-to-severe pain. While these medications are generally an effective means of pain control, they can, in rare cases, actually exacerbate the pain. This paradoxical reaction is called opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Patients experiencing OIH may benefit from decreasing or discontinuing the opioid, switching to an alternative opioid, and/or using a nonopioid medication for pain.