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- Posted December 10, 2025
Opioid Use Linked to Higher Risk of C. Diff Infection, Study Finds
Taking opioids may make some patients more likely to develop a dangerous infection, new research suggests.
The infection is called Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff. It affects the colon and can spread easily, especially in hospitals and nursing homes. The illness can cause severe diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. In serious cases, it can lead to life-threatening complications.
About 500,000 Americans get C. diff each year, data shows.
University of Georgia researchers analyzed data from almost 120,000 patients across four studies. They found that about 31% of people taking opioids developed C. diff, compared with 17% of those not using opioids.
“There is mixed evidence on the association between these medications and C. diff,” study co-author Lorenzo Villa-Zapata, an assistant professor of pharmacy, said in a news release. “The main thing for us is to provide evidence that doctors can use when prescribing medications so they can weigh the benefits and side effects.”
Opioids are often used to treat pain, especially after surgery or injury.
But past research shows opioids can weaken the immune system and disrupt healthy bacteria in the gut. These changes may make it easier for harmful bacteria, like C. diff, to grow.
“Opioids mess with the gut microbiome, and that creates an environment that is more likely to support C. diff colonization,” lead author Pooja Gokhale, a doctoral candidate in pharmacy, explained. “And because opioids can lead to immunosuppression, you’re more susceptible to infections in general, and of course, C. diff is a highly infectious disease.”
The researchers stressed that opioids can still be the right choice for some patients, however.
“It has to be case by case. Each patient has a very different history,” Gokhale said. “If it’s a healthy young patient, physicians may not be as concerned about the risk, but hospitalized or immunocompromised patients are already at high risk.”
The findings were recently published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has more on C. difficile.
SOURCE: University of Georgia, news release, Dec. 8, 2025
