Pain Management - Pain Medication and Addiction

Are you worried about addiction to pain medications?

ARTICLE SUMMARY

Fear that a patient may become addicted to pain medication has prevented some doctors and hospitals from controlling pain. As a result, many people believe that pain may not be controllable. This is because a few doctors are not well educated on modern pain management techniques, and thus do not have the proper knowledge.

What about addiction?

Addiction is a psychological craving and dependence on drugs taken for pleasure
Rare that a person taking pain medications for pain management will experience addiction.
Mental addiction is not a problem in pain management of a dying patient. And even if it were, why would one worry about addiction for a dying patient?
Dose of pain medication should be adjusted until the pain is controlled to your loved one’s satisfaction.
As the disease progresses, the pain medications may need to be increased.
No minimum or maximum dose for opioids for pain control.

Some require small doses of opioids, some much larger. Doctors tell of a patient on intravenous morphine at 900mg per hour. This would be enough to knock most people out, yet the women in this case was still in severe pain and agony – sedation was required in her case, and she died peacefully at home surrounded by her family. With today’s medicine, there is no fear of addiction, and no reason that anyone should suffer without good pain management.

Are you worried about addiction to pain medications?

FULL ARTICLE

Fear that a patient may become addicted to pain medication has prevented some doctors and hospitals from controlling pain. As a result, many people believe that pain may not be controllable. This is because a few doctors are not well educated on modern pain management techniques, and thus do not have the proper knowledge.

Addiction is a psychological craving and dependence on drugs taken for pleasure, It is very rare that a person taking pain medications for pain management will experience addiction. Mental addiction is not a problem in pain management of a dying patient. And even if it were, why would one worry about addiction for a dying patient?

When pain management is initiated, the dose of pain medication should be adjusted until the pain is controlled to your loved one’s satisfaction. The pain medications may not need to be increased for some time, but as the disease progresses, the pain medications may need to be increased. Tolerance also can be mistaken for addiction. This means that the dose of the pain medication must be increased to keep the pain controlled, because the body has become used to having the drug in the bloodstream. As the body becomes accustomed, doses may need to be increased.

There is no minimum or maximum dose for opioids for pain control. Some require small doses, some much larger. Doctors tell of a patient on intravenous morphine at 900mg per hour. This would be enough to knock most people out, yet the women in this case was still in severe pain and agony – sedation was required in her case, and she died peacefully at home surrounded by her family. With today’s medicine, there is no fear of addiction, and no reason that anyone should suffer without good pain management.