Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 1/2010

Gastrointestinal adverse effects of therapy with opioids in palliative care

In palliative medicine is the treatment of pain and other symptoms of noncurable progressive disease the main goal. Every drug has its own specific undesirable effects and in this article we would like address the most common undesirable gastrointestinal effects of principal painkillers – opioids, mainly constipation. To the constipation it does not rise tolerance. We introduce also news in the treatment of the constipation.

Keywords: opioids, undesirable gastrointestinal effects, constipation.