Abstract
Take care when considering pharmacotherapy for spine-related pain in elderly patients as drug-related adverse events are more likely to occur and to do harm in this population. In general, first-line pharmacotherapy for spine-related pain is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, although acetaminophen can be considered due to its favourable safety profile. Other drugs, such as muscle relaxants, opioids, anticonvulsants and antidepressants, have shown efficacy in clinical trials, but benefit must be balanced with their potential for harm.
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S Fung is a salaried employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature and declares no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to the review and are responsible for the article content.
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Fung, S. Be wary of adverse events when considering pharmacotherapies for spine-related pain in elderly patients. Drugs Ther Perspect 39, 178–182 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-023-00994-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-023-00994-2