Tag: Injection route

Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) affects an estimated 40% to 80% of patients taking chronic opioid therapy. For those seeking relief, a key question is: what is the route of injection for methylnaltrexone? This medication is administered via subcutaneous injection.

Medical professionals administer hundreds of millions of injections annually, making the choice of administration route critical for therapeutic success. The question of why many injections are given intramuscular (IM) instead of subcutaneous (SC) is foundational to pharmacology and hinges on the specific properties of the medication being delivered.

While pain perception is subjective, intramuscular (IM) injections are widely considered to be among the most painful common injection routes, largely due to the needle piercing tight muscle fibers. This discomfort is influenced by multiple factors beyond just the route, including the needle's characteristics, the medication itself, and patient-specific anxieties.