Pain is one of the most common and complex symptoms experienced by cancer patients. Not only can cancer itself can cause pain, but treatments for cancer, 比如手术, 化疗, 或辐射, 也会引起疼痛.
Cancer pain can have a major impact on quality of life. It can affect a person’s physical, emotional, psychological, social health. If you have cancer and you are dealing with pain, it is important your medical providers have the training and knowledge to find and treat cancer-related pain.
的 支持肿瘤 and 生存 (SOS) service at Huntsman Cancer Institute has a team of experts specially trained in treating cancer-related pain and its many side effects. 痛苦的医生, 护士, palliative care specialists, 精神科医生, 医疗肿瘤学家, 社会工作者, nurses work with patients to manage cancer-related pain using medicine and non-medicine treatments.
I’m worried about taking opioids because I don't want to get addicted.
Any patient who is prescribed opioids is closely monitored by our team. We frequently visit with patients to assess their pain, medication use, side effects. We also ask patients to complete a "pain management agreement.在这份文件中, patients agree to take controlled pain medications as prescribed, store them in a safe place, only receive controlled substance medications from SOS medical providers (except in the event of another illness, 受伤, 或手术).
It is also important to understand that addiction is very different from physical dependence and tolerance. Physical dependence happens when your body gets used to a certain medicine and quickly stopping or lowering the medication causes stress to your body. This is also known as withdrawal.
Physical dependence is a normal and expected response to taking opioids. When you don’t need the medicine anymore, your pain management providers will help you slowly lower the dose to give your body time to adjust.
Tolerance is a process where your body adapts to taking a medication in such a way that the drug has less of an affect over time and you may require higher doses to achieve the same response.
Addiction is a behavioral disease characterized by overuse, 滥用, or compulsive use of a medicine despite negative impacts on your physical health or relationships.
I don’t want to be part of the opioid problem.
It’s true that there is a major problem in the United States with people misusing opioid medications. But when used as prescribed, opioids can be very appropriate for treating moderate to severe cancer-related pain. Uncontrolled pain can affect you physically, emotionally, psychologically. When cancer pain is under control, patients can better handle cancer treatment such as 化疗 and radiation, have improved quality of life, 活得更久.
What are the biggest side effects of taking opioid medications?
的se are the most common side effects:
- 便秘
- Sedation (feeling relaxed and sleepy)
的se are some other possible side effects:
- 恶心想吐
- 皮肤瘙痒
- 头晕
Most side effects get better over time. 下载大发娱乐的简报 about the side effects and risks of opioid use.
Taking too much opioid medicine can be dangerous. That is why it is very important to take pain medicine only as prescribed. If you still have pain after taking the prescribed amount of medicine, talk to your doctor.
Is medicine the only way to control my pain?
No. 许多 complementary and integrative health treatments have been shown to reduce and help manage pain:
- 按摩
- 针灸
- 热和冰
- Gentle stretching and movement
- Deep breathing exercises
- 冥想
- 图像
- 分散注意力
许多 of these treatments are available to our patients.
- 的 健康 and Integrative Health Center provides 按摩, 针灸, 运动类 like tai chi and yoga to help manage side effects including pain.
- 的 Mind-Body Skills Group helps patients learn mindfulness and meditation skills to reduce stress and pain, 恢复健康, feel calm and relaxed.
Other treatments, such as nerve injections, nerve surgery, pain pumps, can also help manage pain. Your pain doctor can discuss whether these options may be right for you.
Even severe cancer pain can usually be treated. If you are experiencing cancer-related pain, ask your health care team for a referral to SOS, or call the SOS patient coordinator at 801-213-4246.