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.

Study explores obstacles to treating opioid use disorder with an effective medication

In an effort to find ways to improve long-term outcomes for people with opioid use disorder, University of Massachusetts Amherst epidemiology researcher Elizabeth Evans set out to study the obstacles to treating this chronic condition with an effective medication, buprenorphine-naloxone.

22 Aug 2019

UNM researchers find strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain

Using the largest database of real-time recordings of the effects of common and commercially available cannabis products in the United States, researchers at The University of New Mexico found strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain, with the average user experiencing a three-point drop in pain suffering on a 0-10 point scale immediately following cannabis consumption.

21 Aug 2019

Patients who start long-term buprenorphine treatment are less likely to use opioids

In a first-ever randomized trial, patients at a short-term inpatient program began long-term outpatient treatment with buprenorphine before discharge, with better outcomes than detox patients.

21 Aug 2019

Drug-related emergencies prevalent among people who attend electronic dance music parties

People who frequent electronic dance music parties often use multiple drugs simultaneously and experience adverse effects with some ending up in the emergency department, say researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Rutgers University.

21 Aug 2019

Study reaffirms importance of empathy and understanding in treating patients with chronic pain

Osteopathic medicine's emphasis on physician empathy and understanding leads to higher patient satisfaction, a study by researchers at UNTHSC's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine indicates.

20 Aug 2019

Researchers find biological system that manages cells' response to opioid drug exposure

A team at Scripps Research in Florida has discovered a biological system that manages cells' response to opioid drug exposure. The unexpected discovery offers new ideas for improving the safety of the one of the most effective, and most abused, group of pain medications.

19 Aug 2019

Study finds no harm to newborns from opioid maintenance treatment during pregnancy

A new Pharmacology Research & Perspectives study found no harm to newborns from opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) during pregnancy compared with no treatment.

16 Aug 2019

Doctors can change opioid prescribing habits, but progress comes in small doses

When they started practicing medicine, most surgeons say, there was little or no information about just how many pain pills patients needed after specific procedures.

14 Aug 2019

Using cannabis and opioids for pain increases mental health issues

Opioid misuse has become a significant public health problem. Despite efforts to control its use, opioid is still the most widely prescribed class of medicines. Now, a new study shows that when adults mix prescription opioids for pain with marijuana or cannabis, they report higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms.

13 Aug 2019

Adults who combine opioids and cannabis have more mental health issues

A researcher from the University of Houston has found that adults who take prescription opioids for severe pain are more likely to have increased anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues if they also use marijuana.

12 Aug 2019

60% of privately insured children received opioids after tonsillectomy, study finds

Sixty percent of privately insured children undergoing tonsil removal received opioids –with average prescriptions lasting about six to 10 days – a new study finds.

9 Aug 2019

Over $1.6 million grants to support research on opioid pain medication use during pregnancy

An interdisciplinary team of experts from Indiana University, along with other researchers across the U.S. and Sweden, have received grants totaling over $1.6 million to study the effects that opioid pain medications prescribed during pregnancy have on children.

8 Aug 2019

New method can more accurately gauge pain in mice

For decades, biomedical researchers have used mouse behavior to study pain, but some researchers have questioned the accuracy of the interpretations of how mice experience pain.

8 Aug 2019

Survey shows increasing use of opioids to treat migraine headaches

An increasing number of Americans are using opioids to treat their migraine headaches, despite the fact that opioids are not the recommended first-line therapy for migraine in most cases.

7 Aug 2019

Marijuana access leads to reductions in opioid-related deaths, study finds

A new Economic Inquiry study finds that marijuana access leads to reductions in opioid-related deaths

7 Aug 2019

If you smoke pot, your anesthesiologist needs to know

When Colorado legalized marijuana, it became a pioneer in creating new policies to deal with the drug.

2 Aug 2019

Evidence shows ketamine is not opioid and can treat depression easily

Ketamine’s reputation as an antidepressant is restored; it’s not an opioid.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 1 Aug 2019

Astrocytic MORs in the hippocampus responsible for conditioned place preference

If somebody asks me "are you a coffee addict?" I may say, "Yeah it seems like, but on the one condition, only in my office." I don't have that much craving for coffee at home, but just being in the office, where I used to drink coffee all the time seeking to get caffeine jitters, seems to trigger my caffeine-addicted brain.

31 Jul 2019

Penn State researchers explore how the opioid epidemic affects society

The devastating consequences of the opioid crisis are far-reaching in the United States, impacting public health as well as social and economic welfare.

30 Jul 2019

Physicians more likely to recommend antihistamines for respiratory infections in children

For respiratory infections in children under 12, physicians are increasingly more likely to recommend antihistamines and less likely to recommend cough and cold medicines, a Rutgers study found.

29 Jul 2019

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Study explores obstacles to treating opioid use disorder with an effective medication

UNM researchers find strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain

Patients who start long-term buprenorphine treatment are less likely to use opioids

Drug-related emergencies prevalent among people who attend electronic dance music parties

Study reaffirms importance of empathy and understanding in treating patients with chronic pain

Researchers find biological system that manages cells' response to opioid drug exposure

Study finds no harm to newborns from opioid maintenance treatment during pregnancy

Doctors can change opioid prescribing habits, but progress comes in small doses

Using cannabis and opioids for pain increases mental health issues

Adults who combine opioids and cannabis have more mental health issues

60% of privately insured children received opioids after tonsillectomy, study finds

Over $1.6 million grants to support research on opioid pain medication use during pregnancy

New method can more accurately gauge pain in mice

Survey shows increasing use of opioids to treat migraine headaches

Marijuana access leads to reductions in opioid-related deaths, study finds

If you smoke pot, your anesthesiologist needs to know

Evidence shows ketamine is not opioid and can treat depression easily

Astrocytic MORs in the hippocampus responsible for conditioned place preference

Penn State researchers explore how the opioid epidemic affects society

Physicians more likely to recommend antihistamines for respiratory infections in children

Event guide: The Non-Opioid Pain Therapeutics Summit eBook

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