Naltrexone is a cyclopropyl derivative of oxymorphone which behaves as a competitive antagonist of opioid receptors. Naltrexone is usually used in weaning opioid-dependent patients. The rationale behind the use of naltrexone in the treatment of chronic, diffuse and therapy-resistant pruritus is based on the fact that the opioids used in the treatment of chronic pain (in particular morphine) often cause a type of pruritus which is resistant to traditional antipruritic drugs, and that using naltrexone prevents this pruritus from appearing. Furthermore, the degranulation of basophils and mastocytes and histamine release which are caused by morphine, are inhibited by naltrexone. Naltrexone has therefore been successfully used in cholestatic and uremie pruritus. The authors present the preliminary results of a clinical study on the use of naltrexone in patients with chronic pruritus due to skin diseases.

Naltrexone in the treatment of pruritus / S. Veraldi, F. Celotti, M. Barbareschi, R. Caputo. - In: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0190-9622. - 54:3 Suppl.(2006), pp. AB104-AB104. ((Intervento presentato al 64. convegno Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology tenutosi a San Francisco nel 2006.

Naltrexone in the treatment of pruritus

S. Veraldi;F. Celotti;M. Barbareschi;R. Caputo
2006

Abstract

Naltrexone is a cyclopropyl derivative of oxymorphone which behaves as a competitive antagonist of opioid receptors. Naltrexone is usually used in weaning opioid-dependent patients. The rationale behind the use of naltrexone in the treatment of chronic, diffuse and therapy-resistant pruritus is based on the fact that the opioids used in the treatment of chronic pain (in particular morphine) often cause a type of pruritus which is resistant to traditional antipruritic drugs, and that using naltrexone prevents this pruritus from appearing. Furthermore, the degranulation of basophils and mastocytes and histamine release which are caused by morphine, are inhibited by naltrexone. Naltrexone has therefore been successfully used in cholestatic and uremie pruritus. The authors present the preliminary results of a clinical study on the use of naltrexone in patients with chronic pruritus due to skin diseases.
Pruritus ; naltrexone ; therapy
Settore MED/35 - Malattie Cutanee e Veneree
2006
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/28132
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact