Cancer is a life-threatening issue when you can’t treat it in time. There are many kinds of cancer. Some will show symptoms quite late, and some will start showing symptoms quite early.
Your cancer might not cause any pain at all, while other kinds of cancer bring with them intense and chronic pain. The chances of dealing with pain are quite high if your cancer has spread far.
You can either have an achy, sharp, dull, or burning pain. It might come and go, or stay constant. This can make your quality of life go down tremendously and even affect your chances of survival.
Here are some ways to help you deal with cancer pain.
Pain relievers
Pain relievers can be used for mild to moderate pain that can be dealt with easily. These medications will mostly be available over the counter. These include medicines made with the salt Acetaminophen, for example, Tylenol, Panadol, Mapap, and Anacin.
You could also take a class of pain relievers called NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These would usually include ibuprofen and aspirin. Some of these require a prescription but most can be easily gotten.
It is important to check with your doctor before taking any of these since they might react to the kind of treatment you are receiving and might have adverse effects on your health.
Use herbs
You might be surprised to know that herbs like cannabis are actually quite effective in relieving pain for a ton of people. There have been numerous studies conducted on patients dealing with cancer pain and their significant improvement after taking cannabis.
The chemicals in cannabis bind to our neuroreceptors in the endocannabinoid system. This system helps control our pain levels, homeostasis, and sleep.
If you do not want to smoke but still want the benefits, you find out more about what kind of cannabis would be beneficial in treating pain and acting as a pain reliever. You can also try out different forms of weed such as edibles and shatter.
Ask your doctor to prescribe some medication
In case your pain is quite severe, you might want to consider the use of narcotic pain relievers. These can include a wide array of things such as morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol, fentanyl, or even hydromorphone.
These will definitely require a prescription and even a consultation to ensure that it does not interfere with your treatment. These can also be quite addictive which is why your doctor will probably not prescribe them for more than two weeks at a time.
Other medications
In case of serious tingling or burning pain that will not go away, your doctor might try giving you antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Certain antidepressants also help treat pain even when the patient is not depressed.
As for anticonvulsants, these are also used to control tingling and burning pain other than managing seizures. These are mainly for handling nerve damage.
There are also the options of using certain corticosteroids such as prednisone. This can help lower swelling in any area of your body that might be causing pain.
Final Words
Living with cancer is tough, living with cancer pain is tougher. Use this article to help you become aware of the various pain management treatments that you can use.
This article is published by our independent team of health and wellness pundits that publish original and informative content to empower readers to take charge of their health and embark on a physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced lifestyle.
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