J Alzheimer dis: pain is a big problem in Alzheimer's disease

January 21, 2020 / BIOON / -- finding the best way to reduce the pain of Alzheimer's patients is a complex and multifaceted problem Recently, Aleksi hamina, a researcher at the University of eastern Finland, used data from national health care institutions to study the use of opioids and other painkillers in more than 70000 people diagnosed with ad in Finland "The treatment of pain in the elderly is a very important issue, which will become more important in the near future Painkillers are widely used, but the evidence for their harm and benefits is not clear For people with cognitive impairments such as ad, there's more to it, and really not enough research on how to use analgesics and how to use analgesics " "We found that the use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines began to decrease after opioid analgesics were prescribed to people with AD," hamina said This may indicate that their pain is better managed, although some information cannot be determined from the data we use " The frequency of opioid prescriptions in patients with Alzheimer's disease is almost the same as that in non AD patients However, opioids are used in different ways Pills are often replaced by opioids, which last for days Long term use of drugs is also common in AD patients: once opioids are used, more than 30% of people will continue to use them for six months or more "Long term use of opioids can cause problems because of the potential for adverse reactions," hamina said In any case, regular assessment of pain and opioid use is important for all patients, whether or not they have cognitive impairment " Although opioids reduce pain and other possible pain-related symptoms in AD patients, they also increase the risk of pneumonia by about 30% Strong opioids, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, increased the risk, but it was also found in people who used buprenorphine, tramadol or codeine "Opioids reduce cough reflex and increase sedation, which may explain the increased risk of pneumonia." "On the one hand, pain should be treated, but on the other hand, all drugs have adverse reactions Non pharmacological methods should be preferred and promoted at the system level If opioids are used, low initial dose and careful monitoring studies should be followed to focus on the safest and most effective pain treatment for patients with cognitive impairment " Information source: treatment of pain i s a challenge in Alzheimer's disease original source: analog use and exports associated with incident opioid use: publications.uef.fi/pub/urn 78-952-61-3267-9.pdf