heroin and Dyspnea

Patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease have symptom control and quality of life (QoL) needs. This review aims to evaluate the evidence for the use of interventions in improving dyspnoea, other symptoms and QoL.. Eleven databases, relevant websites and key journals were hand-searched. Studies were assessed and data extracted independently by two researchers using standardised proformas. Meta-analyses were performed where possible with 95% CI.. 34 papers with 19 interventions in 3635 patients were included. Meta-analyses showed no significant effect of interferon γ-1b or sildenafil on 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) or dyspnoea. Pulmonary rehabilitation and pirfenidone had a positive effect on 6MWD (mean difference (95% CI) 27.4 (4.1 to 50.7)) and 24.0 (4.3 to 43.7), respectively), and pulmonary rehabilitation had a mixed effect on dyspnoea. Both pulmonary rehabilitation and sildenafil showed a trend towards significance in improving QoL. There was weak evidence for the improvement of 6MWD using oxygen; dyspnoea using prednisolone, diamorphine, D-pencillamine and colchicine; cough using interferon α and thalidomide; anxiety using diamorphine; fatigue using pulmonary rehabilitation; and QoL using thalidomide and doxycycline. A wide range of outcome scales was used and there were no studies with economic evaluation.. There is strong evidence for the use of pulmonary rehabilitation and pirfenidone to improve 6MWD and moderate evidence for the use of sildenafil and pulmonary rehabilitation to improve QoL. Future recommendations for research would include careful consideration of the dichotomy of radical and palliative treatments when deciding on how symptom and QoL outcome measures are used and data presented.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Colchicine; Cough; Dyspnea; Exercise Test; Fibrosis; Glucocorticoids; Heroin; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Lung; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Narcotics; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Piperazines; Prednisolone; Purines; Pyridones; Quality of Life; Sildenafil Citrate; Sulfones; Thalidomide; Tubulin Modulators

Topics: Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Child, Preschool; Chronic Disease; Double-Blind Method; Dyspnea; Exercise; Exercise Test; Female; Heart Failure; Heroin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Narcotics; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of diamorphine on breathlessness and exercise tolerance in patients with severe chronic airflow obstruction and normal arterial carbon dioxide tension (PCO2) levels ("pink puffer" syndrome). In this double-blind, cross-over, randomized study we examined both acute and chronic effects of single and multiple doses of oral diamorphine in 14 "pink puffer" patients. Their mean resting forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was 36% predicted normal, mean arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) was 9.2 kPa and mean PaCO2 was 5.2 kPa. Ten patients took either diamorphine 2.5 or 5 mg or placebo elixir 6 hourly for 2 weeks, recording on a diary card dyspnoea, sleepiness and well-being on a visual analogue scale (VAS). The final treatment was given 30 min before measuring spirometry, arterial blood gases, plasma morphine levels, 6 min walking distances, time walked on treadmill and self-assessment of dyspnoea on a VAS scale after exercise. On two further days, eight patients took two doses, 4 h apart, of either diamorphine 7.5 mg or placebo elixir. Spirometry, 6 min walking distance with a VAS score for dyspnoea were measured before and at 1 h after each dose. Morphine levels and blood gases were also measured. Whether given in single or repeated doses, oral diamorphine had no significant effect on exercise tolerance and breathlessness when compared with placebo. Diamorphine 2.5-7.5 mg produced neither sleepiness nor a deterioration in blood gases. However, plasma levels associated with analgesic efficacy were not achieved with these doses. Thus, as given in this study, oral diamorphine is unlikely to have therapeutic potential in the treatment of dyspnoea in the "pink puffer" syndrome.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Aged; Bronchitis; Carbon Dioxide; Chronic Disease; Double-Blind Method; Dyspnea; Exercise; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Heroin; Humans; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Male; Middle Aged; Oxygen; Patient Compliance; Vital Capacity

Topics: Administration, Inhalation; Adult; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Female; Heroin; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Pulmonary Emphysema; Spouses; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Topics: Aneurysm; Disease Progression; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; Heroin; Humans; Male; Methamphetamine; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Artery; Radiography; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

A 40-year-old heroin smoking man presented with acute onset severe shortness of breath. Radiological investigations revealed an unexpected loculated pneumothorax. Respiratory physicians inserted a chest drain which relieved his breathlessness. His exercise tolerance is much improved 6 months on. The side effects of smoking illicit substances are poorly understood. There is a growing trend for drug users to smoke rather than intravenously inject. It is therefore important for clinicians to be aware of the associated morbidity. The authors believe this is the first ever reported case of loculated pneumothorax associated with heroin smoking.

Topics: Administration, Inhalation; Adult; Chest Tubes; Dyspnea; Heroin; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Male; Pneumothorax; Smoking; Treatment Outcome

Strong opioids such as morphine are rarely accessible in low- and middle-income countries, even for patients with the most severe pain. The three cases reported here from three diverse countries provide examples of the terrible and unnecessary suffering that occurs everyday when this essential, inexpensive, and safe medication is not adequately accessible by patients in pain. The reasons for this lack of accessibility are explored, and ways to resolve the problem are proposed.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Developing Countries; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; Female; Health Services Accessibility; Heroin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Morphine; Neoplasm Metastasis; Ovarian Neoplasms; Pain; Palliative Care; Patient Rights; Prostatic Neoplasms; Suicide; Terminally Ill

To describe the pulmonary function and prevalence of dyspnoea among methadone patients and to study the relation with exposure to heroin by inhaling.. A sample of 100 patients from methadone maintenance treatment (84% male, average age 42 years).. Questionnaires were used to measure life-time exposure to heroin, cocaine, cannabis, tobacco, and symptoms of dyspnoea. Spirometry was performed and residual difference of measured FEV(1) from the age, sex, height and ethnicity predicted value (delta FEV(1)) was used as a main outcome parameter.. The median delta FEV(1) was -0.26 l (inter quartile range -0.70; +0.12). Twenty per cent experienced dyspnoea while 'walking at a normal pace with someone of their own age'. History of cigarette smoking was reported by 98%; heroin smoking by 88%. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between heroin-smoking and delta FEV(1), logistic regression analysis showed an association between heroin-smoking and prevalence of dyspnoea.. Chronic heroin smoking seems to be related to an impaired lung function and higher prevalence of dyspnoea. However, part of the observed lung function impairment will be caused by tobacco smoking. Further research is needed to quantify the effect of heroin smoking and disentangle the effect of smoking heroin and tobacco.

Topics: Adult; Dyspnea; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Heroin; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Lung; Male; Methadone; Narcotics; Sampling Studies; Smoking; Spirometry; Surveys and Questionnaires

Topics: Adult; Cocaine; Dyspnea; Female; Heroin; Humans; Substance-Related Disorders; Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio