Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40599116›Full record

ArticleAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2025

Pain and Sedative Medication Use Among Individuals With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Samantha Baillie, Sonia Saxena, Nishani Jayasooriya, Alex Bottle, Irene Petersen, Jonathan Blackwell, Richard Pollok

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Samantha BaillieInstitute for Infection and Immunity, City St George's University of London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3280-0347
Sonia SaxenaSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3787-2083
Nishani JayasooriyaInstitute for Infection and Immunity, City St George's University of London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1343-2446
Alex BottleSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Irene PetersenResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.
Jonathan BlackwellEdinburgh Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
Richard PollokInstitute for Infection and Immunity, City St George's University of London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6452-6763

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR) NIHR 204000
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often experience pain, mood disturbances, and sleep disruption, which may lead to greater use of pain-relieving and sedative medications compared with the general population. These are associated with increased mortality, paradoxical worsening of pain, and inappropriate IBD treatment discontinuation. Chronic prescribing and co-prescribing increase the risk of respiratory depression, dependence, and overdose.

methodsUsing Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a large nationally representative dataset, we examined the annual prevalence of total, chronic (> 90 days opioids; > 28 days sedatives), and co-prescribed opioids, gabapentinoids and sedatives in adults with incident IBD from January 2010 to December 2019. Multivariable regression identified predictors of chronic or co-prescribing.

resultsAmong 17,388 individuals, over 20% were prescribed a pain or sedative medication each year. Annual prevalence for opioids and gabapentinoids increased (13.6%-14% and 2.5%-5.6%, respectively) while sedative prevalence remained stable (8.4%). Chronic prescribing increased for strong opioids (3.6%-4.6%), weak opioids (3.6%-3.7%) and sedatives (4.2%-4.4%). Between 4.2% and 6.9% of individuals per year were co-prescribed opioids, gabapentinoids, and/or sedatives. Female sex, smoking, older age at diagnosis, Crohn's disease, and a diagnosis of inflammatory arthropathy, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, or anxiety/depression were significantly associated with chronic and/or co-prescriptions of opioids or sedatives.

conclusionA substantial proportion of individuals with IBD are prescribed pain and sedative medications, including long-term and co-prescriptions. Identifying high-risk patients is essential to ensure they are prioritised for limited resources, such as psychological therapies, as alternatives to harmful prescriptions.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidHypnotics and SedativesInflammatory Bowel DiseasesPainPractice Patterns, Physicians'AdolescentAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleGabapentinHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultAnalgesics, OpioidGabapentinHypnotics and Sedativesabdominal painCrohn's diseaseepidemiologygeneral practiceguidelinesinflammatory bowel diseaseulcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID40599116
PMCPMC12422721

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.