Survey Results

Effects of medication

• The experience of medication side-effects can have a major influence on patients’ attitude to pain management. Almost half of all patients taking prescription medication report side-effects.
• The most common side-effect is constipation, experienced by 45% of patients, 49% of whom are receiving treatment with opioids. Although highly effective in controlling pain, opioids can be associated with opioid-induced constipation (OIC). (NB In the PainSTORY study, constipation incorporated bloating, stomach ache and stomach cramps.)
• 26% of patients taking opioids turn to laxatives to help relieve their constipation, which may alleviate symptoms of OIC, but will not address the cause of the problem.
• Side-effects have a substantial impact on patients’ quality of life. Although people experience a variety of side-effects, the ones impacting most of their daily lives are sleep deprivation and tiredness.



• Due to the impact of side-effects, 1 in 5 patients did not take their medication as prescribed.