Relistor
Meaning of Relistor: Relistor is a medication that relieves opioid induced constipation by blocking opioid effects in the gut without reducing pain relief.
Definition of Relistor
Relistor is a brand name for methylnaltrexone bromide, a medication used to treat constipation caused by opioid pain medications when other laxative approaches have not been sufficient.
Relistor works by blocking opioid receptors located in the digestive tract, which are responsible for the slowed bowel movement that opioids commonly cause. Because the drug is designed not to cross into the brain in significant amounts, it blocks this side effect in the gut without reversing the pain relief that opioids provide elsewhere in the body.
Relistor is given by injection or, in some formulations, by mouth, and is intended specifically for constipation caused by opioid medications rather than constipation from other causes, since its mechanism targets the opioid effect directly rather than bowel function in general.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Relistor was prescribed to treat the patient's constipation related to ongoing opioid pain medication.
Good to know
Relistor is designed to block opioid effects in the gut without crossing into the brain, distinguishing its targeted action on constipation from a general laxative that does not address the opioid mechanism directly.