ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the sedation induced by opoid drugs. Some patients associate morphine with the end stages of their illness and expect it to cause drowsiness. They mistakenly assume that starting opioids means that they can no longer expect to be alert, take part in conversation, read the newspaper, etc. There are several possible reasons why a patient becomes drowsy. One of these is an excessive dose of opioids, but there are others that must be considered. Sedation is a very common side-effect of opioid drugs. The sedative effect of opioid drugs is normally short-lived. The effect will be aggravated by the concomitant use of other sedative drugs, such as benzodiazepines. If the dose of opioid is escalated rapidly, then sedation will be a greater problem.
