Alleviating Symptoms of Withdrawal from an Opioid

Introduction Patients who are discharged following surgery on an oral opioid, and who have taken the drug for 2 or more weeks often experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to discontinue the drug. Case Report Three weeks after discharge, a 44-year-old female patient decided to reduce her oxycodone (OxyContin ® ) dosage from 20 mg three times a day to 20 mg two times a day. She experienced severe withdrawal symptoms. Method To assist her in withdrawing from the remainder of the drug, a protocol using ondansetron was developed. Results After 10 days, the patient was opioid and withdrawal-symptom free. Conclusion Use of ondansetron along with tapering of the opioid was safe and effective in preventing further withdrawal symptoms. This case should stimulate research with a larger, more diverse population including those with both short-term and chronic opioid dependence.