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.