Opioid Painkiller Users Experience 2 Weeks of Constipation; Doctors Urge Early Discussion of Alternative Therapies

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Half of patients taking opioid painkillers experience constipation, with some cases involving two weeks of inability to defecate and severe abdominal pain. A nurse from Tri-Service General Hospital reported a case where an anal cancer patient's quality of life significantly deteriorated due to opioid-induced constipation (OIC), which improved after switching to peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs). The president of the Taiwan Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine pointed out that OIC can lead to increased depression and low self-esteem, recommending early use of PAMORAs. It was also revealed that patients often find it difficult to discuss this issue with their doctors.