Pancreatic Cancer Pain And Its Medications
Pancreatic cancer pain usually occurs only after the malignant pancreatic tumor has advanced to a late-stage cancer. Before it reaches this stage, if pancreatic cancer displays any symptoms, they will be non-specific: nausea, weight loss, abdominal discomfort and upper and/or lower back pains. Pain is what prompts most people to visit the doctor. This is the same with pancreatic cancer sufferers. Even if the cancer is diagnosed early, pain is a common complication of the disease and usually appears later.
There are a number of ways to control pancreatic cancer pain. The most common option is pain-killer medication. Doctors usually start with the least-powerful drugs to treat patients suffering pain. The weakest category of pain drug is the non-opioid. They have few symptoms, but they are also of little help when a patient experiences a great deal of pain. While some non-opioid drugs can be purchased over the counter, the most effective require a doctor's prescription.
There are three sub-types of non-opioids: NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory), Anticonvulsants, and Acetaminophen. NSAIDS come in several flavors, but the most common are Vioxx and Celebrex. They have few gastrointestinal side effects, which increases their desirability. Anticonvulsants, or anti-seizure drugs, are medications that decrease or prevent seizures by dulling nerve impulses. They can be effective in treating pancreatic cancer pain because tumors sometimes compress nerve ganglia. The drug dampens the signals from theses nerves. The main type of anti-seizure drug is Neurontin. Acetaminophen is usually combined with narcotic pain medication. They provide mild to moderate pain relief. Percocet is a common type of acetaminophen.
The more effective category of pancreatic cancer pain medication is narcotic/opioid. They are doctor's prescription only and are the most common treatment for managing cancer pain. But the tradeoff for their effectiveness is side effects more serious than those of non-opioids, primarily nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, constipation, and drowsiness. With some drugs in this category, drowsiness is a powerful side-effect. And with others, high doses can alter mental status and cause vivid hallucinations and nightmares. In patients where nausea is serious and prevents them from taking oral pills, skin patches are used. The medication is absorbed through the skin over a period of time. To find the effective dose amount, doctors prescribe the medications in small amounts, increasing them as needed. The common types and brands of narcotics are Morphine (Vicodine), Percocet, Oxycodone, and Fentanyl (via patch). If the cancer or tumor is found early, the Whipple procedure is used to remove the tumor and much of the pancreas and surrounding organs. To control the pain experienced by most people who undergo the operation, patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is used. This uses an IV to deliver morphine or morphine type medication when the patient presses an injector. This works well in most cases by deadening the pain as needed. Another type of pain control is the epidural catheter. In patients where the pancreatic cancer pain is especially intense, a small tube that carries pain medication is inserted into the spine to numb the spinal nerves. It provides excellent pain control for people after surgery, though it is not used often after the patient has recovered. Though other methods like radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery exist, medication is the most common and effective treatment for pancreatic cancer pain is medication. Many types exist, but you should always talk to your doctor to select the best for you. Also, most are available only through prescription.
|
