Nausea
Back to Misconceptions About Opioids
Correct! This is a myth. Opioids rarely cause nausea that limits their use.
Nausea and vomiting from opioids is the result of direct stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone. Because of this, patients may believe that they are allergic to opioids, but that is almost never the case. This can be treated by prescription of a scheduled antiemetic, which can often be withdrawn after several days or weeks. Prescribing a different opioid is another alternative.