Changes in Psychological Outcomes after Cessation of Full Mu Agonist Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.

Improved understanding of psychological features associated with full mu agonist long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) cessation may offer advantages for clinicians. This preliminary study presents changes in psychological outcomes in patients with chronic, non-cancer pain (CNCP) after LTOT cessation via a 10-week multidisciplinary program which included treatment with buprenorphine. Paired t-tests pre- and post-LTOT cessation were compared in this retrospective cohort review of data from electronic medical records of 98 patients who successfully ceased LTOT between the dates of October 2017 to December 2019. Indicators of quality of life, depression, catastrophizing, and fear avoidance, as measured by the 36-Item Short Form Survey, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9-Item Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaires revealed significant improvement. Scores did not significantly improve for daytime sleepiness, generalized anxiety, and kinesiophobia, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. The results suggest that successful LTOT cessation may be interconnected with improvements in specific psychological states.

Prolonged cessation of chronic opioid analgesic therapy: a multidisciplinary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To contribute to the literature of best-practice approaches to promote full mu agonist chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT) cessation in a population with chronic, noncancer pain by describing initial and extended follow-up outcomes from a limited group program that utilized a standardized, multidisciplinary curriculum containing robust complementary care access in a private practice setting. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of data from electronic health records and the California Prescription Drug Monitoring Program for program participants between October 2017 and December 2019. METHODS: Daily oral morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dose use upon entry, at program graduation, at 6 months post graduation, and at extended follow-up of 7 to 24 months post graduation were compared and reported for program participants. RESULTS: A total of 109 program participants with incoming daily COAT use amounts as high as 600 MME (median, 60 MME; 25% quartile, 36.5 MME; 75% quartile, 90 MME; interquartile range, 53.5 MME) had a successful COAT cessation rate of 90% at program graduation, which was maintained at 6 months and extended follow-up at 95% and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study contributes to the literature by documenting a successful and potentially generalizable strategy to promote COAT cessation, and by providing unusually lengthy follow-up for postintervention COAT cessation monitoring.

Anxiety and Fear Avoidance Beliefs and Behavior May Be Significant Risk Factors for Chronic Opioid Analgesic Therapy Reliance for Patients with Chronic Pain-Results from a Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe differences between patients with chronic, non-cancer pain (CNCP) who were successfully able to cease full mu agonist chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT), and those who exhibited refractory COAT reliance, among those who participated in a multidisciplinary program designed for COAT cessation. DESIGN: A retrospective review of electronic medical records (EMR) data was organized for preliminary analysis. SETTING: A multicenter private practice specializing in CNCP, which received patient referrals from the surrounding geographical area of primary and specialty care offices in Northern California. SUBJECTS: Data from 109 patients with CNCP who participated in a multidisciplinary program to cease COAT between the dates of October 2017 to December 2019 were examined. METHODS: EMR data, pre-COAT cessation, of oral morphine milligram equivalence (MME) and validated questionnaire responses assessing anxiety and fear-based beliefs and behavior, as well as opioid misuse, were extracted and compared between those who successfully ceased COAT and those who did not. RESULTS: Patients who were unsuccessful at COAT cessation reported significantly higher Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FAB) scores. No significant differences were found based on incoming MME amounts, Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) or Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) scores. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) scores showed a split pattern with unclear significance. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that fear avoidance beliefs and behavior, as measured by the FAB, play a significant role in refractory COAT reliance for patients with CNCP.

The escalation of the opioid epidemic due to COVID-19 and resulting lessons about treatment alternatives.

Factors worsening the opioid epidemic during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provide valuable insight for strategy change where we have historically suffered great loss, bodily and financially.

Continuous Perioperative Sublingual Buprenorphine.

Buprenorphine, a semisynthetic thebaine derivative, is a unique opioid, as it has activity at multiple receptors, including mu (partial agonist), kappa (antagonist), OLR-1 (agonist), and delta (antagonist). Because buprenorphine's pharmacology is relatively complex, misconceptions about its actions are common. Most other opioids act solely or predominately as full mu receptor agonists. Common practice at many institutions calls for the cessation of regular buprenorphine use 48-72 hours prior to surgery. This practice is based on three foundational theories that have come from scant data about the properties of buprenorphine: (1) that buprenorphine is only a partial mu agonist and therefore is not a potent analgesic; (2) because buprenorphine has a ceiling effect on respiratory depression, it also has a ceiling effect on analgesia; and (3) that buprenorphine acts as a "blockade" to the analgesic effects of other opiates when coadministered due to its strong binding affinity. However, several recent studies have called this practice into question. At our institution, we continue buprenorphine perioperatively, whenever possible, in order to provide superior pain control, discourage potentially problematic use and the more dangerous side effects of full mu agonist opiates, and avoid putting recovery at risk for those with opiate dependency issues. We present a unique case comparing two different outcomes for the same surgical course performed at two different times on the same chronic pain patient. These differences may be attributable to the variable of buprenorphine being present for one perioperative course and not the other. Pain control was easier to achieve, and functional recovery was greater when buprenorphine was maintained throughout the perioperative period when compared with using a full mu agonist opioid for chronic pain preoperatively. This is an outcome that much of the literature heretofore suggests would be unlikely. We review some aspects of buprenorphine's unique pharmacology that may explain why remaining on buprenorphine perioperatively may be preferable, which contradicts many practice guidelines.