Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

USC study sheds light on nationwide naloxone awareness and use

A new USC-led study provides the first nationwide picture of who knows about, carries, and uses naloxone to reverse deadly opioid overdoses.

3 Mar 2025

Strong synthetic opioids linked to poor postoperative pain experience

The use of powerful synthetic opioids, such as sufentanil and remifentanil, during surgery is linked to a subsequent poor 'pain experience'---a composite of emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of pain- suggests research published in the open access journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

26 Feb 2025

Opioid cash grab: As federal funding dries up, states turn to settlement money

At a recent Nevada legislative committee hearing, lawmakers faced off with members of the governor's administration over how to fill gaping holes in the state's upcoming budget.

25 Feb 2025

Telemedicine adoption leads to fewer low-value medical tests

Low-value care-medical tests and procedures that provide little to no benefit to patients-contributes to excess medical spending and both direct and cascading harms to patients.

24 Feb 2025

Co-prescribing stimulants and opioids may fuel the twin epidemic of overdose

The combination of prescribed central nervous system stimulants, such as drugs that relieve ADHD symptoms, with prescribed opioid medications is associated with a pattern of escalating opioid intake, a new study has found.

22 Feb 2025

Study finds lack of consensus on how to treat chronic non-cancer pain

Chronic pain is complex and difficult to treat. Prescribing opioid pain medications has become controversial but may help some patients.

22 Feb 2025

An ice rink to fight opioid crisis: Drug-free fun vs. misuse of settlement cash

A Kentucky county nestled in the heart of Appalachia, where the opioid crisis has wreaked devastation for decades, spent $15,000 of its opioid settlement money on an ice rink.

20 Feb 2025

Hydrodissection may offer hope for post-amputation pain relief

A reliable method to treat post-amputation pain remains elusive, but a new Northwestern Medicine study conducted in collaboration with Ukrainian physicians suggests that hydrodissection - a simple procedure that injects fluid around nerves - may reduce residual limb pain and opioid dependence.

19 Feb 2025

Pain clinics made millions from ‘unnecessary’ injections into ‘human pin cushions’

Each month, Michelle Shaw went to a pain clinic to get the shots that made her back feel worse — so she could get the pills that made her back feel better.

18 Feb 2025

Study reveals surge in sports betting and gambling addiction help seeking

A new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers from the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine, reveals a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking since the landmark Murphy v. NCAA Supreme Court decision in 2018 paved the way for states to legalize sports betting.

17 Feb 2025

Brain's opiate pathway triggers dessert cravings even after fullness

Who hasn't been there? The big meal is over, you're full, but the craving for sweets remains. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have now discovered that what we call the "dessert stomach" is rooted in the brain.

14 Feb 2025

Insilico Medicine announces preclinical drug discovery benchmarks from 2021 to 2024

Insilico Medicine ( "Insilico") , a clinical stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology company today announced a set of preclinical drug discovery benchmarks from the 22 developmental candidate nominations achieved by its platform from 2021 to 2024.

11 Feb 2025

Opioid prescriptions in emergency rooms linked to later health risks

Opioid prescriptions in the emergency department (ED) were associated with small increases in later opioid prescriptions and hospital admissions, found new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241542.

10 Feb 2025

Pain coping skills training reduces pain and improves quality of life for dialysis patients

People undergoing hemodialysis treatment for kidney failure often experience chronic pain related to their condition, but it can be difficult to manage with opioid medication and other conventional treatments.

31 Jan 2025

Chiropractic spinal manipulation reduces opioid risks for sciatica patients

A new study led by researchers at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that adults with newly diagnosed sciatica who initially received chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) were significantly less likely to experience opioid-related adverse drug events (ORADEs) such as overdose and poisoning over a one-year follow-up compared to those receiving usual medical care.

29 Jan 2025

Researchers identify brain circuit to reduce anxiety without side effects

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have identified in a preclinical model a specific brain circuit whose inhibition appears to reduce anxiety without side effects.

28 Jan 2025

University Hospitals introduces endoscopic spine surgery for back pain patients with herniated discs

University Hospitals is now offering endoscopic spine surgery for patients needing treatment for back pain due to herniated discs in their spine.

24 Jan 2025

Low-dose initiation of buprenorphine for people using fentanyl fails to deliver expected results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when fentanyl overdoses surged, doctors were desperate to find ways of helping their patients.

24 Jan 2025

Benefits and risks of popular weight-loss drugs revealed

Demand for weight-loss medications sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy continues to surge, with a recent study reporting one in eight Americans has taken or is currently using the drugs to treat diabetes, heart disease or obesity.

20 Jan 2025

The impact of fall-risk medications on injuries in COPD patients

People with COPD experience more falls and related injuries requiring medical care when using common fall-risk increasing drugs, according to a new study. The study is published in the November 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.

15 Jan 2025