title: When medications make pain worse: opioid-induced hyperalgesia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: consultant pharmacist, Greensboro, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Caren McHenry
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid