TY - JOUR A1 - Petzke, Frank A1 - Klose, Petra A1 - Welsch, Patrick A1 - Sommer, Claudia A1 - Häuser, Winfried T1 - Opioids for chronic low back pain: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis of efficacy, tolerability and safety in randomized placebo‐controlled studies of at least 4 weeks of double‐blind duration JF - European Journal of Pain N2 - Background and Objective This updated systematic review evaluated the efficacy, tolerability and safety of opioids compared to placebo in non‐malignant chronic low back pain. Databases and Data Treatment Clinicaltrials.gov, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched from October 2013 to May 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing opioids with placebo and at least 4 weeks of double‐blinded duration were analysed. Primary outcomes were pain relief of 50% or greater, disability, tolerability and safety. Effects were summarized by a random effects model using risk differences or standardized mean differences. We added nine new studies with 2,980 participants for a total of 21 studies with 7,650 participants. Study duration ranged between 4 and 15 weeks. Studies with a parallel and cross‐over design: Based on very low to low‐quality evidence, opioids provided no clinically relevant pain relief of 50% or greater, but a clinically relevant reduction of disability compared to placebo. Enriched enrolment randomized withdrawal (EERW) design: Based on very low to low‐quality evidence, opioids provided a clinically relevant pain relief of 50% or greater, but not a clinically relevant reduction of disability compared to placebo. There was no clinically relevant harm with regard to serious adverse events by opioids compared to placebo in studies with parallel/cross‐over and EERW design. There was a relevant harm with regard to drop out rates due to adverse events in studies with parallel/cross‐over, but not in studies with EERW design. Conclusions Opioids may provide a safe and clinically relevant pain relief for 4–15 weeks in highly selected patients. Significance Within the context of randomized controlled trials of 4–15 weeks, opioids provided a clinically relevant pain relief of 30% or greater and a clinically relevant reduction of disability compared to placebo in non‐malignant chronic low back pain. Number needed to treat for an additional drop out due to side effects was 11 (95% confidence interval: 6–33). Assessment of abuse and addiction was incomplete. The frequency of serious adverse events including deaths did not differ from placebo. KW - opioids KW - back pain KW - systematic review Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-218498 VL - 24 IS - 3 SP - 497 EP - 517 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sommer, Claudia A1 - Klose, Petra A1 - Welsch, Patrick A1 - Petzke, Frank A1 - Häuser, Winfried T1 - Opioids for chronic non‐cancer neuropathic pain. An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis of efficacy, tolerability and safety in randomized placebo‐controlled studies of at least 4 weeks duration JF - European Journal of Pain N2 - Background and Objective This updated systematic review evaluated the efficacy, tolerability and safety of opioids compared to placebo in chronic non‐cancer neuropathic pain. Databases and Data Treatment Clinicaltrials.gov, CENTRAL, PubMed and PsycINFO were searched from October 2013 to June 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing opioids with placebo and at least 4 weeks double‐blinded duration were analysed. Primary outcomes were pain relief of 50% or greater, disability, tolerability and safety. Effects were summarized by a random effects model using risk differences (RD) or standardized mean differences (SMD). We added four new studies with 662 participants for a total of 16 included studies with 2,199 participants. Study duration ranged between 4 and 12 weeks. Studies with a parallel and cross‐over design: Based on low to moderate quality evidence, opioids (buprenorphine, hydromorphone, morphine, oxycodone, tramadol) provided a clinically relevant pain relief of 50% or greater and reduction of disability compared to placebo. There was no clinically relevant harm with regards to the drop out rate due to adverse and serious adverse events by opioids compared to placebo. Enriched enrolment randomized withdrawal design: Based on low to moderate quality evidence, tapentadol provided a clinically relevant pain relief of 50% or greater and reduction of disability compared to placebo in diabetic polyneuropathy. There was no clinically relevant harm with regards to the drop out rate due to adverse and serious adverse events by tapentadol compared to placebo. Conclusions Some opioids provided a short‐term substantial pain relief in highly selected patients in some neuropathic pain syndromes. Significance Some opioids (buprenorphine, morphine, oxycodone, tramadol, tapentadol) provide substantial pain relief compared to placebo in postherpetic neuralgia and peripheral neuropathies of different aetiologies for 4–12 weeks. There is insufficient evidence to support or refute the suggestion that these drugs are effective in other neuropathic pain conditions. The safety of opioids with regards to abuse and deaths in the studies analysed cannot be extrapolated to routine clinical care. Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-218487 VL - 24 IS - 1 SP - 3 EP - 18 ER -