In a new study from Purdue University, researchers found some opiates may reduce fear and anxiety in people with chronic pain, leading to better pain management and patient outcomes.
Pharmacologists are working to help mitigate the detrimental side effects of opiates, including addiction, respiratory depression, constipation and alcohol use.
Many scientists are doing this by developing drugs that target the G-protein pathway, rather than the β-arrestin pathway, which historically has been associated only with adverse effects of opioids.
In the study, the team found that the β-arrestin pathway may help mitigate fear and anxiety in patients with chronic pain. This can lead to better pain management and patient outcomes.
The results indicate that the current strategy pharmaceutical companies are taking to make opioids safer may make them less effective for chronic pain.
The team says by ignoring the β-arrestin pathway, scientists may be missing out on some important therapeutic benefits, especially with anxiety.
The study is the first to show that the new direction the field is heading—away from the β-arrestin pathway—is shortsighted.
The researchers suggest the need to further fine-tune the opioid molecules to maintain all the therapeutic benefits while weeding out the detrimental side effects.
This study points out the pitfalls of focusing solely on the G-protein pathway and emphasizes the importance of the β-arrestin pathway for the effective treatment of chronic pain.
If you care about anxiety and fear, please read studies about this natural food supplement may help relieve anxiety and findings of anxiety linked to faster Alzheimer’s disease development.
For more information about anxiety and your health, please see recent studies about depression and anxiety linked to lower levels of heart health and results showing that one dose of this drug may lower anxiety and depression for 5 years.
The study is published in Science Signaling. One author of the study is Richard van Rijn.
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