Dr Gerald Sacks Considers It His Responsibility to Educate Patients and Practitioners in the Treatment of OIC

1. Dr Gerald Sacks Considers It His Responsibility to Educate Patients and Practitioners in the Treatment of OIC Dr Gerald Sacks, MD, Pain Institute of Santa Monica, shares his personal experience in approaching and openly communicating the management of opioid-induced constipation patients. He understands how difficult it is for a practitioner as well as the patient to open up about this issue. Both are reluctant to discuss this problem and they end up worsening it. Dr Sacks has visited many patients who are on opioids and are suffering with OIC. He asks them whether they have ever with

2. discussed their problem with their practitioners, and the answer is no. Either the practitioners are reluctant or they can address any other issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic pain, but issues associated with the opioids. He considers that it should be compulsory for all the practitioners to treat any adverse effects that may be caused by the medications being prescribed. They need to discuss with every patient who is on opioids about their bowel function. Overall, Dr Gerald Sacks states, every practitioner should focus on helping patients return to their baseline level of bowel function by utilizing medications enhancements so that they are able to and lifestyle

3. maintain their baseline level of bowel function to maintain their level of activity. Dr Sacks has considered it his responsibility to educate each patient and the practitioner in the appropriate treatment of constipation using medications, lifestyle changes, increased hydration, increased intake of fruit and vegetables, and also the appropriate usage of peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor antagonists. opioid over-the-counter induced