Abstract: Objective To investigate the adverse effects of opioids for elderly patients with moderate to severe cancer pain. Methods The adverse effects of 100 elderly cancer patients with moderate to severe pain treated by opioids were analyzed retrospectively. Faces pain scale and numeric rating scale were used to assess pain intensity. Patients who used opioids initially started to titrate from small dose, and those who used opioid drugs before and did not acquire satisfactory analgesic effect, started with the dose according to opioids dose conversion. Daily pain intensity, location, nature and adverse reactions were recorded regularly. Results The median medication time was 50d, median opioids dose(converted to morphine dose) was 60mg in these 100 patients. 93%(93/100) patients achieved more than moderate ease. The incidence of adverse reactions was 61%(61/100) in these of patients. Constipation (48%) is the most common clinical adverse effect, followed by nausea/vomiting(24%). Lethargy(12%), dizziness(5%), skin itching(5%), dysuria(4%), and respiratory depression(2%) was rare adverse reaction. Conclusion The opioids can effectively release the cancer pain of elderly patients, the main adverse effects were constipation and nausea/vomiting.

Key words: opioids, cancer pain, eldly patient, analgesic, adverse effects