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> Opioids may be a good choice for some people with long term pain (I personaly don't think they are) What do you suggest be given to people with chronic pain
by shabda 8y ago
> Opioids may be a good choice for some people with long term pain (I personaly don't think they are)
What do you suggest be given to people with chronic pain which can't be managed with lower powered pain killers, say people with cancer induced pain?
- DanBC 8y agoCan I check how you're using "chronic"? You added "which can't be managed with lower powered pain killers" -- that step often isn't tried in the US. Doctors and patients are leaping direct to large quantities of opioids. I'd prefer it if doctors followed the RCoA guidance: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/faculty-of-pain-medicine/opioids-aware https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/faculty-of-pain-medicine/opioids-awar... "2. A small proportion of people may obtain good pain relief with opioids in the long-term if the dose can be kept low and especially if their use is intermittent (however it is difficult to identify these people at the point of opioid initiation)."
- shabda 8y agoI am from India. I have two close family members who are fighting metastatic cancer. Their pain is not manageable with lower pain killers. I am thankful we have opoids to prescribe, which is making significant improvement to their quality of life.
- DanBC 8y agoChronic is a jargon word. It means "long term pain". Cancer pain is not long term pain, cancer pain is short term pain (or acute pain). I've never argued against using opioids for cancer patients or for end of life treatment.
- GordonS 8y agoCancer pain can involve both acute and chronic pain - death is not always swift.
- GordonS 8y agoThat kind of pain management is more technically referred to as "palliative care", which often involves both acute and chronic pain. I don't think anyone here would argue that palliative care is a bad use of opioids.
- criddell 8y agoDon't you think there's a danger that because of the opioid epidemic, doctors might hesitate to prescribe the drugs to people that actually need them?
- GordonS 8y agoYes, I do, and I mention this in another comment here. If you take a look at /r/ChronicPain/, you'll find lots of people who have been unfairly affected in exactly this way, some even becoming suicidal because of it.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]