Opioids prescribed after acute gout

There is not doubt that acute gout is a painful condition, but do we really need to treat that pain with opioids? Researchers assessed the records of 456 patients discharged from ED or hospital after an episode of gout, and 129 (28.3%) received an opioid at discharge; in about 80% the patient had not been treated with an opioid before this time. The average dose of prescription was 37.9±17.2mg of morphine equivalent for a median duration of 8 days, and those with a polyarticular gout attack, co-morbid diabetes and those using opioids prior to admission had higher odds of receiving opioids at discharge. There are other effective ways to treat the pain associated with acute gout: prescribers need to bear in mind that once commenced, opioids may persist for longer than intended, with serious adverse consequences. Read more here