What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 5

…Continued What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 4 What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 3 What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 2 What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 1  

One of the ways of treating cancer pain is by using non-opioid medication.

What are Non-Opioid Medication? Non-opioids are used for pain score 1-4.  They can be bought over the counter, but should still be discussed with your doctor. –  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Aspirin) control inflammation which relieves pain. However, it is associated with a number of side-effects, which should be discussed with your doctor. NSAIDs can cause upset stomach/ indigestion and also affects the way your blood clots, resulting in a longer time taken to stop bleeding and can also cause bleeding in your stomach.

Make sure you consult your doctor if you have any of the following: –  Dark stools –  Bleeding from your rectum –  Upset stomach –  Heartburn –  Coughing up of blood

NSAIDs should be avoided if you have any of the following: –  Allergies to aspirin –  Have or had stomach ulcers –  Bleeding disorders –  Heart or kidney problems –  On blood thinning medication     Prepared by: Dr Thiruselvi Subramaniam Helped by IMU students: LEE RUEY-YI, CHONG SHWEN NEE, SIVASANGGARI A/P SELVANATHAN, VIDHYA A/P VIJAYAN  

What is Cancer Pain? Why suffer from it? – Part 6