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Secondary adrenal insufficiency induced by long-term use of opioid analgesics.

Emad S AliAlan N Peiris
Published in: Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center) (2019)
The effects of long-term use of opioid analgesics on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are not well recognized. We report a 41-year-old woman on chronic opioid therapy hospitalized for cardiovascular collapse following a right stellate ganglion nerve block. She developed severe hypotension after the procedure. Morning cortisol was low. The results from the cosyntropin test were consistent with secondary adrenal insufficiency. Her secondary adrenal insufficiency was likely due to long-term use of opioid analgesics for pain in the absence of other etiologies.
Keyphrases
  • chronic pain
  • pain management
  • neuropathic pain
  • postoperative pain
  • early onset
  • minimally invasive
  • spinal cord injury
  • drug induced
  • cell therapy
  • optic nerve