Although tapentadol and oxycodone both increase colonic volume, tapentadol treatment resulted in softer stools and less constipation: a mechanistic study in healthy volunteers

Objectives Opioids are often used in treatment of severe pain, although many patients experience gastrointestinal side-effects like constipation. The aim of the current study was to investigate changes in colonic volume, as the result of both colonic motility and fluid transport, in healthy volunteers during opioid treatment with tapentadol as compared with oxycodone and placebo. Methods In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study, 21...