Which symptoms are common adverse effects of opioid administration that antihistamines and antiemetics can help relieve?

Which symptoms are common adverse effects of opioid administration that antihistamines and antiemetics can help relieve?

• A. Itching and nausea
• B. Hypertension and tachycardia
• C. Weight gain
• D. Enhanced alertness

Answer: (B)

Opioid medications frequently cause itching (pruritus) and nausea. Antihistamines help relieve itching by blocking histamine H1 receptors released in response to opioids, reducing the itch sensation. Antiemetics counteract opioid-induced nausea and vomiting by blocking pathways in the brain that trigger the vomiting center and by supporting gastric motility. The other options don’t fit because hypertension and tachycardia aren’t typical opioid adverse effects, and antihistamines/antiemetics wouldn’t be the primary means to address them. Weight gain and enhanced alertness aren’t common acute adverse effects of opioids; opioids more often cause sedation (not increased alertness) and sometimes constipation or respiratory depression rather than weight change.

Opioid medications frequently cause itching (pruritus) and nausea. Antihistamines help relieve itching by blocking histamine H1 receptors released in response to opioids, reducing the itch sensation. Antiemetics counteract opioid-induced nausea and vomiting by blocking pathways in the brain that trigger the vomiting center and by supporting gastric motility.

The other options don’t fit because hypertension and tachycardia aren’t typical opioid adverse effects, and antihistamines/antiemetics wouldn’t be the primary means to address them. Weight gain and enhanced alertness aren’t common acute adverse effects of opioids; opioids more often cause sedation (not increased alertness) and sometimes constipation or respiratory depression rather than weight change.