Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Mar 2023
Case Series: Synergistic Effect of Gabapentin and Adjuvant Pregabalin in Neuropathic Pain.
Gabapentin and pregabalin both exert high affinity to the α2δ subunit of the voltage-gated calcium channels which inhibits excitatory neurotransmitter release. The synergistic mechanism was described in rats given combinations of gabapentin and pregabalin. ⋯ Low dose pregabalin was added to therapeutic gabapentin to achieve appreciable pain reduction in one case and improved quality of life in another case. Further research with more enrollment and longer study duration may help elucidate the appropriate dosing and potential associated side effects.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Feb 2023
Weighted Blankets for Pain and Anxiety Relief in Acutely Injured Trauma Patients.
To determine the impact of a weighted blanket on acute pain and anxiety in trauma patients, a preliminary prospective/retrospective study at a level-one trauma center (n = 24 patients) was conducted. In this study, 12 patients using weighted blankets for five consecutive days were compared to a matched retrospective cohort of 12 patients not using a blanket. The change in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) and alprazolam milligram equivalents (AME) over five days were compared. ⋯ There was no significant difference in AME change between groups (p = 0.3227). The majority of patients who took a post-intervention questionnaire reported less pain and less anxiety with blanket use compared to those without blanket use (78% and 56% of patients, respectively). To summarize, trauma patients in acute pain had less opioid use and reported less pain and anxiety when using a weighted blanket for five consecutive days compared to a control group who did not use a blanket.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2023
Outcome Expectancies, Effects, and Mechanisms of Brief Training in Mindfulness Meditation vs. Loving-Kindness Meditation vs a Control Condition for Pain Management: A Randomized Pilot Study.
This study investigated the analgesic effects of a single session of mindfulness meditation (MM) and loving-kindness meditation (LKM) relative to a control. A total of 100 adults with chronic or current problematic pain completed a survey and were randomized to a 20-minute MM, LKM, or audiobook control. Co-primary outcomes of pain intensity and unpleasantness and mediators of mindfulness and self-compassion were assessed pre- and posttraining. ⋯ Pain type was a nonsignificant covariate. Overall, MM and LKM were associated with positive expectancies and small-medium pain intensity reductions, which did not differ by pain type. Although MM and LKM were associated with changes in theorized mediators, these changes did not underlie improvement.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Dec 2022
Integration of Pharmacy Student Interns into a Naloxone Telephone Outreach Service.
Opioid overdose remains a significant public health issue in the United States and is the leading cause of accidental death. Naloxone has become increasingly accessible, with greater emphasis placed by health systems and pharmacies on distribution of the safety tool. While the utility of pharmacists in advancing this work is clear, there is limited research on the success of integrating pharmacy students into a naloxone outreach program. ⋯ Of the 118 reached by telephone, 92 (78.0%) accepted naloxone and 26 (22.0%) declined. In total, 150 (93.8%) patients received naloxone education via either telephone discussion or letter. Integrating supervised pharmacy student interns into a naloxone telephone outreach service was feasible for interns and CPPs and resulted in a high naloxone acceptance rate.