MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NON-CANCER PAIN....A GUIDE TO APPROPRIATE USE OF OPIOIDS

From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Mon Dec 9 20:40:10 2002


IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING AN OPIOID MEDICATION, TRY TO FIND TIME TO READ THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE.

FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW AS MUCH AS THEY CAN ABOUT OPIOID MEDICATIONS, THIS ARTICLE IS THE ONE TO READ!!!

GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO PRINTING OUT THIS ARTICLE NOT ONLY FOR YOURSELF - BUT ALSO FOR YOUR DOCTOR(S).

~ ~ ~ ~

X> MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NON-CANCER PAIN: A GUIDE TO APPROPRIATE USE OF OPIOIDS....." "Myths and fears about addiction often prevent the use of opioids in treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. This article presents guidelines for safe and appropriate prescribing of opioids, monitoring of patients, and avoiding legal problems.

http://www.jenniferschneider.com/articles/opiods.html

" Pain is one of the most common symptoms that bring a patient to the doctor's office. Recent-onset pain usually results in both a diagnostic workup to determine its cause, and prescription of whatever medications are necessary to relieve the pain. Prolonged pain, on the other hand, is all too often treated inadequately, despite the wide availability of effective medications. " In the past decade, physicians have made a distinction between pain due to cancer, especially incurable cancer, and other types of chronic pain. Whereas chronic non-cancer pain remains widely undertreated, there is now an increased willingness to provide opioid analgesia for patients with cancer.

" This artificial distinction is justified by statements such as, " It doesn't matter if the patient gets addicted -- he's dying anyway." Such statements reflect a wide misunderstanding of the nature of addiction. This article will describe the relationship between addiction and ongoing use of opioid drugs, and will describe how to assess patients who have chronic pain, determine the appropriateness of treating them with opioids, and follow them on a regular basis. Case managers can facilitate improved outcomes in chronic pain patients by becoming knowledgeable in this area."

PLEASE GO TO THE ABOVE WEBSITE TO READ THE REST OF THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE USE OF OPIOIDS.


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