A new study has shown that with chronic pain being common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), nearly 20% of patients reported using opioid medications to manage it, despite warnings that these drugs are generally not recommended for chronic pain management and ongoing concerns about addiction.
The study's authors wrote: "This high level of opioid use supports the need for better treatment options for pain management, including non-drug alternatives, for people suffering from multiple sclerosis and its associated chronic pain." Several previous studies and research have shown that over 50% of individuals with multiple sclerosis report significant chronic pain that negatively impacts their daily activities, employment, and quality of life. The authors noted that many individuals with multiple sclerosis reported pain as one of their worst symptoms, and with surprisingly few studies evaluating opioid use among MS patients, Dr. Sinda L. Hogos, assistant professor of neurology at the Portland Health Care System and the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University, and her colleagues investigated a sample of patients participating in a U.S. trial for managing multi-site fatigue, conducted between 2013 and 2014. Among 281 participants with multiple sclerosis in the study, 58 patients (20.6%) reported using prescribed opioids continuously to deal with the severe pain associated with the disease. Additionally, 76% reported regular daily use, while 17% used opioids as needed, and 5% used them for short periods, including after minor injuries or dental issues. Those who reported permanent or semi-permanent opioid use were notably worse on fatigue impact scales and also reported higher pain scores.
There were no statistically significant differences regarding age, with the average age of participants being 53 years, or gender, with approximately 69% of participants being female, or race, with around 76% of participants being white. Additionally, researchers noted no statistically significant differences in disability or depression scores between opioid users and non-users. The study's authors stated: "In this sample of individuals with multiple sclerosis who self-reported fatigue and volunteered to participate in a research study on managing MS fatigue, more than one in five reported using prescribed opioids, and about one in six used opioids daily, with opioid users experiencing more pain and fatigue than non-users."
