Treatment of Pain in Cirrhosis: Advice to Caregivers of Those with Rock Livers

Purpose

When one considers the significant role of the liver in medication absorption and metabolism, clinicians must appreciate the important ramifications for medication dosing and monitoring in patients with cirrhosis. For many medications, dose adjustments may be necessary to minimize toxicities or avoid adverse effects from drug accumulation. Clinicians could be well served if they can understand in some detail how pharmacokinetic properties are altered in cirrhosis.

Methods

A PubMed search of the English medical literature starting with 1980 using keywords cirrhosis, pain management, and analgesics was performed, and additional papers were found using references from the first round of papers.

Findings

Patients with cirrhosis often have significant reductions in first-pass metabolism, altered volumes of distribution, and marked reductions in both renal and hepatic elimination of drugs. These factors may contribute to much higher levels of drug exposure compared to the general population. In terms of drug dosing, FDA labeling is often ambiguous and even incongruous with observed pharmacokinetic changes.

Implications

This article may provide guidance for clinicians to optimize pain management in people living with cirrhosis.

Key Message

Current FDA labeling for dosing analgesic drugs in patients with cirrhosis is either vague or not consistent with findings from newer pharmacokinetic research. With this review, we hope to provide insight and guidance to clinicians on how to dose-adjust medications commonly utilized in pain management in these patients.