Opioid & Pain
Combatting the Opioid Epidemic
Working across disciplines to minimize pain and reduce the impact of addictive opioid drugs
One of the basic tenets of medicine is the lessening of pain, and unfortunately for many, has led to an epidemic in the use of powerful and addicting analgesics known as opioids.
Michigan Medicine researchers are leading the field in researching evidence-based ways to more responsibly prescribe these drugs and to help patients living with opioid use disorders. Our scientists are also actively exploring effective alternative pain relievers that can help people live lives with less suffering.
Featured News & Stories
Health Lab
Psychoactive substances and adverse side effects for patients with multiple sclerosis
Psychoactive substances can give immediate relief to people living with multiple sclerosis, but some come with adverse side effects. Research led by University of Michigan Health looks at the positive and negative impacts of using psychoactive substances to manage symptoms.
Medicine at Michigan
Managing pain one (super-thin) needle at a time
Neil Nixdorff, M.D. (Fellowship 2024), promotes and teaches auricular acupuncture as a way to manage pain.
Health Lab
To reduce chronic pain, a new digital program could help
A new study tested a program called Promoting Resilience with Innovative Self-Management, which combines traditional cognitive behavioral therapy skills for pain with additional activities intended to promote resilience and positive emotion.
Recent Podcast Episodes in Opioid & Pain
Health Lab Podcast
7-OH, kratom and the emerging public health crisis for sale across the country
A patient, his doctor and other experts warn of dangers of 7-OH, which is touted as a derivative of kratom and is widely available, but packs far more opioid danger.
The Fundamentals
Researching Psychedelics for Potential Therapeutic Use
Recently, interest in psychedelic research has seen a resurgence, strengthened by better designed and controlled clinical trials and the use of neuroimaging, examining psychedelics' potential therapeutic use for PTSD, addiction, anxiety, and depression. On today’s episode, we talk with Dr. George Mashour, professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology and founder of the Michigan Psychedelic Center about using rigorous scientific methods to unlock the mysteries of psychedelics and investigate their potential as therapeutics.
The Fundamentals
Opioids and Respiratory Depression
The main cause of death due to opioid overdose is respiratory depression. In other words, the brain of a person under the influence of opioids can simply forget to breathe. In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Erica Levitt, associate professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology at University of Michigan Medical School, who is trying to explain this connection, with the hope of maintaining the powerful pain relieving effects of opioids without their potentially deadly effects.
Opioid & Pain Researchers
Meet the Experts
Michigan Medicine researchers are tackling the complexities of opioid use and pain management to address one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.
Latest Publications
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signal Variability Is Associated With Neuromodulation in Fibromyalgia
Lim, M,
Kim, DJ,
Nascimento, TD,
Ichesco, E,
Kaplan, C,
Harris, RE,
DaSilva, AF,
Neuromodulation, 2023 Jul; DOI:10.1111/ner.13512 Knowledge, Perceptions, and Use of Psychedelics among Individuals with Fibromyalgia
Glynos, NG,
Pierce, J,
Davis, AK,
McAfee, J,
Boehnke, KF,
J Psychoactive Drugs, 2023 Jan; DOI:10.1080/02791072.2021.2022817 Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation Improved the Quality of Life in Patients With Diarrhea-Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Hu, P,
Sun, K,
Li, H,
Qi, X,
Gong, J,
Zhang, Y,
Xu, L,
Lin, M,
Fan, Y,
Chen, JDZ,
Neuromodulation, 2022 Dec; DOI:10.1016/j.neurom.2021.10.009 Cortical mechanisms of visual hypersensitivity in women at risk for chronic pelvic pain.
Kmiecik, MJ,
Tu, FF,
Silton, RL,
Dillane, KE,
Roth, GE,
Harte, SE,
Hellman, KM,
Pain, 2022 Jun; DOI:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002469 Impacts of an Opioid Safety Initiative on US Veterans Undergoing Cancer Treatment
Vitzthum, LK,
Nalawade, V,
Riviere, P,
Marar, M,
Furnish, T,
Lin, LA,
Thompson, R,
Murphy, JD,
J Natl Cancer Inst, 2022 May; DOI:10.1093/jnci/djac017 Patient Perspectives on Improving Patient-Provider Relationships and Provider Communication During Opioid Tapering
Kosakowski, S,
Benintendi, A,
Lagisetty, P,
Larochelle, MR,
Bohnert, ASB,
Bazzi, AR,
J Gen Intern Med, 2022 May; DOI:10.1007/s11606-021-07210-9 A phase 1 study to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and anti-tumor activity of the androgen receptor n-terminal domain inhibitor epi-506 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Maurice-Dror, C,
Le Moigne, R,
Vaishampayan, U,
Montgomery, RB,
Gordon, MS,
Hong, NH,
DiMascio, L,
Perabo, F,
Chi, KN,
Invest New Drugs, 2022 Apr; DOI:10.1007/s10637-021-01202-6 Pain Management and Risks Associated With Substance Use: Practice Recommendations
Turner, HN,
Oliver, J,
Compton, P,
Matteliano, D,
Sowicz, TJ,
Strobbe, S,
St Marie, B,
Wilson, M,
Pain Manag Nurs, 2022 Apr; DOI:10.1016/j.pmn.2021.11.002 