Long-Term Opioid Treatment Seems Only to Add Complications to Polyneuropathy

By Joe Elia

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Patients taking long-term opioids for polyneuropathy are at increased risk for numerous complications without experiencing improved functional status, according to a retrospective study in JAMA Neurology.

Researchers examined the records of some 2900 patients with polyneuropathy and 14,000 matched controls without polyneuropathy between 2006 and 2010. Polyneuropathy patients were about four times more likely than controls to receive long-term (more than 90 days) opioid treatment — 19% versus 5%.

Among those with polyneuropathy, long-term opioid treatment was associated with greater risks for lower functional status (including continued pain), depression, overdose, and substance dependence, relative to those receiving shorter-term treatment.