What drugs help treat cancer pain?

Cancer is a disease that causes patients to experience physical pain. Therefore, cancer patients urgently need drugs to help control pain in the body. On the other hand, the control and treatment of pain caused by cancer is also a matter of focus in medicine.

Any time a patient has pain, whether it is direct pain from the cancer or as a side effect of treatment, the patient should report it to the doctor immediately, do not try to endure the pain of the cancer. cause. It is often easier to manage pain in the early stages of cancer. The closer to the end, the more intense the pain will be, and it will often take more time and medication to control.
For most patients, cancer pain medications are very helpful, helping them sleep and eat better, and easily carry out daily activities, work, and personal hobbies. .

2.1. Common pain relievers Common pain relievers that may be enough to control mild to moderate pain include:
Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol): in normal doses, this medicine is usually safe. for everyone. However, when used in large doses to treat cancer pain, long-term use can lead to liver or kidney damage. Taking acetaminophen along with alcohol can also harm the liver. If you have been diagnosed with liver disease, talk to your doctor before taking acetaminophen for pain. NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen...: These drugs have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and can be used to treat mild to moderate cancer pain. Side effects may include stomach problems and ulcers, especially if the patient drinks alcohol or smokes. In the long term, NSAIDs can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Carefully check the patient's condition with the doctor before taking pain medication. Discuss other medications and treatments the patient is taking. These are especially important if the patient has other medical conditions (such as kidney problems). Use of NSAIDS may worsen kidney function if the patient has advanced kidney disease.

2.2. Opioid pain relievers For moderate to severe pain, your doctor may prescribe narcotic medications to relieve cancer pain. Patients can also take it on its own or in combination with other commonly used pain relievers. Opioids also have different degrees of pain relief, which can be weak or strong, including:
Weak Opioids (such as codeine). Strong opioids (such as fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone...) Common side effects of opioid analgesics in cancer treatment include:
Constipation ; Sleepy; Abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting. If the patient has any of these symptoms, tell the doctor right away as the patient may need a different medication or a change in the dosage. Your doctor may also prescribe another medication to reduce side effects, such as an anti-nausea medication.
2.3. Other prescription medications In addition to the cancer pain medications mentioned above, doctors may prescribe a number of different medications to ease cancer pain, often in combination with an opioid medicine, which helps those drugs work better or reduces side effects, including:
Antiepileptic drugs : these can reduce the tingling and burning sensation caused by nerve pain . Antidepressants: Antidepressants are also effective in treating nerve pain. Steroids: these drugs work to reduce inflammation, often used for spinal cord, brain tumors, and bone pain. Cannabis for medical use: In some states in the United States, it is legal to prescribe cannabis for cancer pain. Research shows that cannabis can help relieve pain and has been shown to help with nerve pain. Artificial versions of cannabis compounds are also available on prescription, such as Dronabinol and Nabilone that are taken in pill form.

Cancer pain medications come in a variety of dosage forms, including:
Pills, capsules or liquid: patients can take these drugs orally or can lozenge or oral spray. Suppositories: Tablets and capsules are placed in the rectum. Subcutaneous injection: Drugs are injected just under the skin or around the spine. Skin patches: These patches work to release the drug slowly through the skin. Intravenous Drugs: Drugs are injected directly into a patient's vein, which can be combined with an automated medication pump, or a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) - a device the patient has You can press the button to take a prescribed dose when it hurts.

Many people worry that they may become addicted to pain medications, especially opioid painkillers. However, this addiction risk needs to be weighed against the severity of cancer pain and its impact on the patient's quality of life.
Some medications can make patients feel sleepy at first, but this effect usually goes away after a few days.

Tell the doctor if the patient or any family member is addicted to cancer pain medications. Accordingly, it is necessary to take regular doses of cancer pain medication as prescribed. Don't wait until the pain is severe to use medication because the best way to control pain is to get it treated early.
Talk to your doctor if the cancer pain medication you're taking isn't working. Over time, patients may find that the usual dose of pain relievers do not provide the same pain relief. When the patient may need a higher dose or take other medications, do not arbitrarily increase the amount of medication that the patient is taking.

Reference source: webmd.com