[Treatment of severe non-cancer pain by oral morphine]

Although the pain-relieving effect of morphine and other opioid analgesics for various conditions (cancer or non-cancer) are established, many physicians hesitate to prescribe them for the patients suffering from severe non-cancer pain. To develop full efficacy of morphine (and other opioids), following procedures are essential for the therapy; detailed explanation about the drugs, careful measures to prevent the adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, constipation, sleepiness, etc.) and prescribing "analgesic dosage" of morphine for the patient. We have been engaged in the control of severe non-cancer pain by self-management of oral morphine, in which patients were supported by telephone instructions when they start the treatment (Yamagata University method). It was confirmed that this self-management of oral morphine regimen was a useful method for the early control of severe non-cancer pain. We recommend expanding application of oral morphine to the treatment of non-cancer severe pain to regain quality of life of the patients.