Management of Chronic Pain in Adults Living With Sickle Cell Disease in the Era of the Opioid Epidemic: A Qualitative Study
The hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD) is vaso-occlusive pain that may be acute and episodic or may progress to chronic, persistent pain with unpredictable and disabling exacerbations. Patients with SCD rely on opioids almost exclusively for acute and chronic pain management. Participants reported that recently their opioid prescriptions had become more restrictive, were more closely monitored, and were increasingly difficult to fill in pharmacies. There was an emerging interest among adult patients in the consideration of the use of alternative therapies, including marijuana, to manage pain.
