Important Facts About Cancer Pain Treatment
Important Facts About Cancer Pain Treatment Cancer pain can almost always be relieved. Controlling your cancer pain is part of the overall treatment for cancer. Preventing pain from starting or getting worse is the best way to control it. You have a right to ask for pain relief. People who take cancer pain medicines rarely become addicted to them. Most people do not get "high" or lose control when they take cancer pain medicines as prescribed by the doctor. Side effects from medicines can be managed or often prevented. Your body does not become immune to pain medicine.
"Pain Control: A Guide for People With Cancer and Their Families" will help you
learn about pain control for people with cancer. You will find out how to work
with your doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to find the best method to control
your pain; about different types of pain medications and nondrug methods of
controlling pain; how to take your medicines safely; and how to talk with your
doctors and nurses about your pain and how well the treatment is working for
you.
Having cancer does not always mean having pain. For those with pain, there are
many different kinds of medicines, ways to receive the medicine, and
nonmedicine methods that can relieve the pain you may have. You should not
accept pain as a normal part of having cancer. When you are free of pain, you
can sleep and eat better, enjoy the company of family and friends, and continue
with your work and hobbies.
Only you know how much pain you have. Telling your doctor and nurse when you
have pain is important. Not only is pain easier to treat when you first have
it, but pain can be an early warning sign of the side effects of the cancer or
the cancer treatment. Together you, your nurse, and doctor can
talk about how to treat your pain. You have a right to pain relief, and you
should insist on it.
Here are some facts about cancer pain that may help answer some of your
questions.
There are many different medicines and methods available to control cancer
pain. You should expect your doctor to seek all the information and resources
necessary to make you as comfortable as possible. However, no one doctor can
know everything about all medical problems. If you are in pain and your doctor
suggests no other options, ask to see a pain specialist or have your doctor
consult with a pain specialist. Pain specialists may be
oncologists,
anesthesiologists,
neurologists, or
neurosurgeons, other doctors, nurses, or pharmacists. A
pain control team may also include psychologists and social workers.
If you have trouble locating a pain program or specialist, contact a cancer
center, a hospice, or the oncology department at your local hospital or medical
center. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Cancer Information Service (CIS)
and other organizations can give you a list of pain management facilities. The
American Cancer Society (ACS) and other organizations may also be able to
provide names of pain specialists, pain clinics, or programs in your area. See
"Resources"
for information on these organizations.
Your doctor wants and needs to hear about what works and what doesn't work for
your pain. Knowing about the pain will help your doctor better understand how
the cancer and the treatment are affecting your body. Discussions about pain
will not distract your doctor from treating the cancer.
Pain is best relieved when treated early. You may hear some people refer to
this as "staying on top" of the pain. Do not try to hold off as long as
possible between doses. Pain may get worse if you wait, and it may take longer,
or require larger doses, for your medicine to give you relief.
Not everyone feels pain in the same way. There is no need to be "stoic" or
"brave" if you have more pain than others with the same kind of cancer. In
fact, as soon as you have any pain you should speak up. Telling the doctor or
nurse about pain is not a sign of weakness. Remember, it is easier to control
pain when it just starts rather than waiting until after it becomes severe.
Addiction is a common fear of people taking pain
medicine. Such fear may prevent people from taking the medicine. Or it may
cause family members to encourage you to "hold off" as long as possible between
doses. Addiction is defined by many medical societies as uncontrollable drug
craving, seeking, and use. When
opioids (also known as
narcotics) the strongest pain relievers available
are taken for pain, they rarely cause addiction as defined here. When
you are ready to stop taking opioids, the doctor gradually lowers the amount of
medicine you are taking. By the time you stop using them completely, the body
has had time to adjust. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about how to
use pain medicines safely and about any concerns you have about addiction.
Some pain medicines can cause you to feel sleepy when you first take them. This
feeling usually goes away within a few days. Sometimes you become drowsy
because, with the relief of the pain, you are now able to catch up on the much
needed sleep you missed when you were in pain. On occasion, people get dizzy or
feel confused when they take pain medicines. Tell your doctor or nurse if this
happens to you. Changing your dose or type of medicine can usually solve the
problem.
Some medicines can cause constipation, nausea and vomiting, or drowsiness. Your
doctor or nurse can help you manage these side effects. These problems usually
go away after a few days of taking the medicine. Many
side effects can be managed by changing the medicine or
the dose or times when the medicine is taken.
Pain should be treated early. It is important to take whatever medicine is
needed at the time. You do not need to save the stronger medicines for later.
If your body gets used to the medicine you are taking, your medicine may not
relieve the pain as well as it once did. This is called tolerance. Tolerance is
not usually a problem with cancer pain treatment because the amount of medicine
can be changed or other medicines can be added.
When pain is not treated properly, you may be: |
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Tired
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Depressed
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Angry
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Worried
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Lonely
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Stressed
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When cancer pain is managed properly, you can: |
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Enjoy being active
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Sleep better
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Enjoy family and friends
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Improve your appetite
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Enjoy sexual intimacy
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Prevent depression
|
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