What Is Breakthrough Pain?
Breakthrough pain is a type of severe pain which can occur in people who are on pain management regimens. Patients who are taking medications for chronic and severe pain can occasionally experience bursts of pain which literally “break through” the pain management medications. This type of pain can be extremely debilitating, and management of breakthrough pain is an important part of any pain management plan. Cancer patients are at risk for breakthrough pain, as are people recovering from extremely painful surgeries, and people with conditions characterized by chronic pain, such as damage to the spine. In these individuals, a regular pain management regimen is carefully designed to prevent pain. However, pain can flare up suddenly and be extremely severe even with these pain medications. The treatment for breakthrough pain is a rescue medication which can be delivered rapidly for relief in five to 10 minutes. Lozenges which deliver medication through the mucosa of the mouth are an opti
For people who suffer pain all of the time, the concept of breakthrough pain addresses the fact that the level of pain experienced can vary throughout the day. The pain can vary because of different activity levels, medication wearing off, or just “because it does.” If a patient were given enough medication to treat all of these spikes in pain, they run the risk of having side effects from being over-medicated. Because pain medications are provided to help improve overall patient function, these side effects are undesirable and should be avoided. The goal is to provide enough sustained release medication to meet the patient’s baseline needs, and then add supplemental short acting medication to take when the pain spikes occur. The only study on breakthrough pain was done in cancer patients. It found that up to about three spikes in breakthrough pain occur during the day. In general, the limit on prescription of medications for breakthrough pain is about three or four doses per day. Than
Many people with chronic cancer-related pain experience intermittent flares of pain that can occur even though a person is taking medications on a schedule for pain control. This is called breakthrough pain. It can occur with or without activity, and usually occurs without warning. Breakthrough pain is pain that is present without warning that gets beyond the control of pain medication before it is time to take your next dose.
