Efficacy and safety of dual opioid therapy

Abstract

There is some evidence for a partial opioid switching or an ‘add on’ approach to opioid dosing strategies. Preclinical and clinical findings suggest different activation profiles for the stimulation of the mu subtypes, raising the questions about what might occur with combinations of these substances. In the postoperative setting, it seems that the analgesic effect of the combination at equivalent doses is similar to that produced by the individual components, not adding particular advantages. However, adverse effects seem to be reduced with the combination of morphine/oxycodone, when given in doses equianalgesic to individual opioids. The reduction of opioid-induced postoperative adverse effects may have important clinical implications, given that adverse effects may prolong length of stay and hospitalization costs. Thus, in the acute postoperative setting, a reduction of adverse effects may be expected. In chronic pain, information is still in the infancy, but opioid combination therapy may have greater advantages in improving the opioid response. The possibility to clinically translate opioid combinations into practice, as demonstrated in some animal models, depends on a broad number of factors implicated in the pain process. More research is needed to better elucidate these issues in the near future.