Study reports how opioids cause gastric inflammation
Opioids are the gold standard for the treatment of chronic and acute pain; however, their use can cause significant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and constipation. The reasons behind these side effects are not well understood. A new study in American Journal of Pathology published by Elsevier, is the first report on how opioids such as morphine cause stomach inflammation and how this condition can be reversed through treatment with proton pump inhibitor drugs such as omeprazole, an over-the-counter drug commonly used to reduce stomach acid. Due to the lack of better alternatives, morphine is still considered one of the best pain management drugs despite its association with significant comorbidities. Several research groups, including our own, have worked for a long time to understand this phenomenon and to decipher the mechanisms underlying the gastrointestinal side effects of morphine.” Sabita Roy, PhD, Principal Investigator, Department of Surgery, M