Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 3/2008
Tolerance associated with long-term opioid medication
Opioid tolerance is pharmacologically defined as a reduced analgesic effect following repeated application of drug or the need for increasing dosage to maintain the same therapeutic effect. In clinical practice we observe another side effect – resistance to opioids. Opioid resistance is defined as a state when pain responds slighly or doesnt respond to all opioid analgesics. It is important to treat patients according to standards for long-term opioid treatment to avoid opioid tolerance or resistance.
Keywords: opioid tolerance, opioid resistance, standards for opioid treatment.
