Renal Colic Pain Management by Tamsulosin with Morphine Versus Morphine in Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Acute renal colic is one of the most painful situations in patients’ life. The best management modality for pain alleviation is of paramount importance. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intravenously administered morphine and oral tamsulosin compared to the independent use of morphine in patients with renal colic. METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 200 patients aged 18 to 55 years with renal colic referred to the tertiary level referral hospital. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups, A and B. The subjects in group A were treated with intravenously administered morphine and oral tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules, while group B received morphine and control. The patients’ pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 35.34 ± 8.32, and 72% were males. Before the study, the mean pain intensity was higher in the tamsulosin group (8.67 ± 1.53) than in the control group (7.85 ± 2.05; P = 0.003). After four and six hours, the mean pain intensity was significantly lower in the tamsulosin group (P = 0.028 and P = 0.008, respectively). According to the results, the pain intensity was significantly reduced six hours after the treatment compared to the pre-therapy phase (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant effect of tamsulosin on pain alleviation in patients with renal colic, this medicine can be used as a complementary treatment to manage the pain in these patients and reduce the administration of narcotics.