Study Assesses Pain Drug Side Effects

A new study reports the side effects of oxycodone, a widely used opioid pain medication, are similar in healthy older adults as in younger age groups, therefore, clinicians should not shy away from prescribing the drug to relieve pain in older patients. The article appears in The Journal of Pain, the peer review publication of the American Pain Society.

Researchers at the University of Washington measured objective and subjective neurocognitive side effects of a single 10-mg dose of oxycodone in healthy adults 65 and older and compared the outcomes with a group of healthy adults 35 to 55 years old. Seventy-one subjects participated in the blinded study.

The study noted that oxycodone and other opioid pain relievers have become more widely prescribed for treating persistent noncancer pain that impairs overall function and quality of life. Even though the medications are known to be effective for managing moderate to severe pain, fear of side effects often is cited as a reason clinicians are reluctant to prescribe opioids for pain relief.

Results showed that both groups experienced cognitive side effects at peak medication levels, evidenced by deficiencies in attention and verbal memory. The researchers noted their results provide insight for clinicians treating older adults for pain with occasional doses of oxycodone. Belief that healthy older adults are more susceptible to oxycodone’s cognitive side effects than younger patients was not supported by the research, and clinicians should not hesitate to prescribe opioids for them appropriately.

Source:  American Pain Society