The doctor should discuss the side effects with patients before starting opioid treatment.

Sleepiness and nausea are usually experienced when opioid treatment is started and tend to improve within a few days.

Somnolence and nausea are more often encountered with initiation of opioid treatment but tend to resolve within a few days.

Clinicians who follow patients during long-term opioid treatment should watch for potential side effects and manage them as the need arises.

One use is as a last line of opioid treatment for terminal cancer patients with intractable cancer pain.

An epidemiological study indicated that opioid treatment during early pregnancy results in increased risk of various birth defects.

Q: What advice do you give patients who are looking for possible opioid treatment?

This need is amplified when they are on opioid treatment.

It is not surprising that patients, families, and staff become very concerned about the outcome of opioid treatment when this term is applied.

This side effect can be severe enough to warrant discontinuation of opioid treatment.