Ouch! Abrupt Opioid Withdrawal Increases Pain Sensitivity

The abrupt withdrawal of morphine-like analgesics – opioids – can increase sensitivity to pain. Experiments have now shown that this effect is caused by a memory-like process, the long-term potentiation of synaptic strength in the spinal cord. The study, which was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, also found ways of avoiding this increase in pain sensitivity.

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