Choosing the Right Cancer Pain Relief Medications

Dealing with an ailment such as cancer is such an agonizing and devastating experience. There will be a lot of frightening thoughts that can run through the mind of a person who had just been diagnosed with cancer. In addition to the anxiety which hounds the patient, living with cancer exposes him or her to physical and emotional stress. The patient has to deal with the physically painful and emotionally demanding process of treatment. Many of these treatments also have unawanted side effects.
Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
Having cancer means having to deal with pain. Cancer pain takes many forms. Some are short-lived or long-lasting, mild or severe, or affect one or few organs, bones or organ systems.
Cancer pain can come from the primary cancer itself. It can come from where the cancer started or from other areas in the body where the cancer has spread. A growing tumor causes pain by putting pressure on the nerves, bones or other organs affected by the disease.
Recent research has shown that cancer pain may not just be from the physical effect of the cancer on a region of the body, but also due to chemicals that the cancer may secrete in the region of the tumor. Treatment of the cancer can help ease the pain in these situations.
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are another potential source of cancer pain. Surgery can be painful, and it may take time to recover. Radiation may leave behind a burning sensation or painful scars. And chemotherapy can cause many potentially painful side effects, including mouth sores, diarrhea, and nerve damage.
There are many different ways for cancer pain relief. The ideal way is to remove the source of the pain, through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or some other form of treatment. If that cannot be done, pain medications can usually control the pain. These medications include:

Analgesics, such as aspirin or acetaminophen such as Tylenol
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin)
Weak opioid (derived from opium) medications, such as codeine
Strong opioid medications, such as morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl or methadone
Controlling pain is an important part of care for cancer patients. There are many different medicines and methods available for cancer pain relief. A doctor can seek all information and resources necessary to make a cancer patient as comfortable as possible. However, no one doctor can know everything about all medical problems. If a cancer patient is in pain or pain relief medications are not working, and the doctor suggests no other options, try to see a pain specialist or have the doctor consult with another pain specialist. Patients should consult doctors who specialize in oncology, anesthesiology, and neurology. The work of the pain control team may also include psychologists and social workers.