Abstract: A method of preventing or treating an opioid-induced side effect in a patient who has been chronically taking opioids, the method comprising administering a quaternary derivative of noroxymorphone in an amount sufficient to prevent or treat the side effect in the patient, but which amount would be insufficient to treat a patient with the same opioid-induced side effect who had not chronically been administered opioids.

Abstract: A method for preventing or treating opioid induced side effects including dysphoria, pruritus and urinary retention and non-opioid induced changes in gastrointestinal motility. The method comprises administering methylnaltrexone or another quaternary derivative of noroxymorphone to a patient prior to the administration of an opioid or after the onset of side effects induced by the administration of an opioid, wherein the methylnaltrexone or quaternary derivative is administered by the route selected from the group consisting of intravenous, intramuscular, transmucosal, transdermal, and oral administration, preferably administered orally in an enterically coated form.

Abstract: A method for treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis comprises administering azaribine to the patient at a dosage level of 10 to 50 mg/kg/day for an initial period of from about 1 to about 3 weeks and then administering azaribine to the patient at dosage levels of at least 50 mg/kg/day and preferably at least 100 mg/kg/day.