Opioid-Induced Constipation on the Rise in J&K, Say Doctors

With an increasing number of patients across Jammu and Kashmir using opioid-based painkillers for chronic pain, post-surgery recovery and cancer treatment, doctors say opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is becoming one of the most common yet least discussed side effects.

- Observer News Service

Health experts told KNO that OIC affects a large proportion of patients on long-term opioid therapy and often leads to abdominal discomfort, bloating, reduced appetite and, in severe cases, dependency on laxatives.

They explain that OIC occurs when opioids - medicines prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain - slow down the movement of the intestines. These drugs act on the same receptors in the gut as in the brain, causing the bowel muscles to contract less effectively and reducing fluid secretion into the intestines.

"This results in stools becoming hard, dry and difficult to pass. Many patients feel embarrassed to talk about it, so the problem worsens," said a senior gastroenterologist at GMC Srinagar.