Use of Methadone as an Adjuvant Medication to Low-Dose Opioids for Neuropathic Pain in the Frail Elderly: A Case Series.

Palliative care clinicians are increasingly involved in the care of elderly patients suffering from chronic malignant and nonmalignant illnesses, of which neuropathic pain is a prevalent problem. As a person becomes more frail, pain medications such as opioid analgesics and adjuvant pain medications can result in unwanted effects such as sedation, confusion, and increased risk of falls. Treating pain in patients with advanced dementia or neurodegenerative diseases that can affect swallowing is particularly challenging because most adjuvant pain medications used to ameliorate neuropathic pain must be taken orally.