Response to hydrocodone, codeine and oxycodone in a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer

Codeine is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) to morphine. Codeine is a much weaker agonist at μ opioid receptors than morphine. Therefore, codeine analgesia is highly dependent on CYP2D6 activity. Large prospective studies in the clinical environment do not exist, but it appears reasonable to avoid codeine use in CYP2D6 poor metabolizers (PMs). CYP2D6 metabolizes other opioid analgesics, including tramadol, dihydrocodeine, oxycodone and hydrocodone, although they have been less systematically studied. It is unclear whether these other pro-drugs may be as completely dependent on CYP2D6 for their analgesia as codeine. We describe a patient identified as a CYP2D6 PM with a history of problems with opioid analgesics. The patient was an 85-year-old female Caucasian who had hip surgery. The patient had a long-standing intolerance to codeine. In her first admission, she couldn't tolerate the regimen of oxycodone combined with tramadol prns (as needed). She was genotyped as a CYP2D6 PM and after the information was provided to the treating physician in her second admission, she seemed to have a better response to hydrocodone. Large case-control naturalistic studies followed by randomized trials in patients taking opioid analgesics may be needed to definitively establish that CYP2D6 genotyping has clinical relevance in the use of several opioid analgesics.