Can taking cancer pain medication result in drug addiction?
Many cancer patients and some health professionals are afraid that taking opioids (narcotic drugs used to treat moderate to severe pain) will lead to drug abuse or addiction. These problems are very rare. They happen in about one in 10,000 patients. A more significant problem among cancer patients is that pain is often left untreated or not treated early enough. It is best to treat cancer pain when it begins, even if narcotics are needed. This will make it easier for the doctors to control the patients pain later. For more information, call the National Cancer Institutes Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER and ask for a free copy of Understanding Cancer Pain.
Related Questions
- I am on high blood pressure medication as well as arthritis, allergy and pain medications. Should I keep taking them while on the Lemonade Diet or abstain until the 10 days are up?
- I have chronic pain and my pain gets worse when I increase my activity. I’m taking pain medication which helps me to do more, but how do I know that I’m not causing more damage?
- What should I expect when taking Cobroxin pain medication?
