New-onset depression following stable, slow, and rapid rate of prescription opioid dose escalation
Recommended Citation
Salas J, Scherrer JF, Schneider FD, Sullivan MD, Bucholz KK, Burroughs T, Copeland LA, Ahmedani B, Lustman PJ. New-onset depression following stable, slow, and rapid rate of prescription opioid dose escalation. Pain 2017; 158(2):306-312.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2017
Publication Title
Pain
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that longer durations of opioid use, independent of maximum morphine equivalent dose (MED) achieved, is associated with increased risk of new-onset depression (NOD). Conversely, other studies, not accounting for duration, found that higher MED increased probability of depressive symptoms. To determine whether rate of MED increase is associated with NOD, a retrospective cohort analysis of Veterans Health Administration data (2000-2012) was conducted. Eligible patients were new, chronic (>90 days) opioid users, aged 18 to 80, and without depression diagnoses for 2 years before start of follow-up (n = 7051). Mixed regression models of MED across follow-up defined 4 rate of dose change categories: stable, decrease, slow increase, and rapid increase. Cox proportional hazard models assessed the relationship of rate of dose change and NOD, controlling for pain, duration of use, maximum MED, and other confounders using inverse probability of treatment-weighted propensity scores. Incidence rate for NOD was 14.1/1000PY (person-years) in stable rate, 13.0/1000PY in decreasing, 19.3/1000PY in slow increasing, and 27.5/1000PY in rapid increasing dose. Compared with stable rate, risk of NOD increased incrementally for slow (hazard ratio = 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.42) and rapid (hazard ratio = 1.58; 95% confidence interval: 1.30-1.93) rate of dose increase. Faster rates of MED escalation contribute to NOD, independent of maximum dose, pain, and total opioid duration. Dose escalation may be a proxy for loss of control or undetected abuse known to be associated with depression. Clinicians should avoid rapid dose increase when possible and discuss risk of depression with patients if dose increase is warranted for pain.
Medical Subject Headings
Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analgesics, Opioid; Chi-Square Distribution; Chronic Pain; Cohort Studies; Depression; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electronic Health Records; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Probability; Time Factors; United States; United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Young Adult
PubMed ID
28092649
Volume
158
Issue
2
First Page
306
Last Page
312
