A randomized double-blind study of nalbuphine as an analgesic for colonoscopy

Forty-five patients having ambulatory colonoscopic examinations were randomly assigned to receive premedication with meperidine or with nalbuphine. Both treatment groups received equivalent amounts of intravenous diazepam as an additional sedative. Approximately half of the patients tolerated the procedure well in either treatment arm, but a significantly greater number of patients receiving nalbuphine tolerated the procedure poorly, even with large doses of medication. Nalbuphine does not appear to be as effective as meperidine for relieving the discomfort induced by colonoscopy.