Chinese medicine for cancer pain relief

Pain is the main manifestation of many malignant tumors in the terminal stage, and drug treatment is the main way to relieve cancer pain. Cancer pain medication must follow the following standards:

1. Take medicine in steps: Choose painkillers according to the pain level from weak to strong, and increase gradually. The first choice is non-opioid analgesics, which means that the therapeutic drug is aspirin, which is used for mild pain and is a first-level pain relief.

2. If the first-step analgesic effect is not ideal, the second-step analgesic drugs should be used (typical drugs are codeine, Zimantin, OxyContin, etc.), that is, adding weakened opioid analgesics to non-opioid analgesics.

3. If the second-step analgesia is not ideal, use the third-step analgesic (meaning the therapeutic drug is morphine), that is, strong opioid analgesics plus non-opioid analgesics. Non-opioid analgesics can enhance the analgesic effect of opioid analgesics, especially for patients with bone pain and neuropathic pain, and can reduce the use of opioid analgesics. Adjuvant therapy drugs can improve other symptoms that cancer pain patients often experience.

Three-step pain relief method

Pain generation

One step

Uremia

Central non-opioid drugs for mild pain ± adjunctive medications

Uremia

Suboptimal pain control

Uremia

Second step

Mild to moderate pain Central weak opioid Non-opioid ± adjunctive medication

Uremia

Suboptimal pain control

Uremia

Three steps

Moderate to severe pain Central strong opioid Non-opioid ± adjunctive medication

2. Take medicine on time: Analgesics need to be given regularly and on time, and there is no need to wait until the patient feels pain again before giving them. The drug should be administered before the efficacy of the last treatment wears off to maintain a reasonable blood drug concentration and to provide reasonable pain relief and pain control.

3. Oral administration is preferred: Patients who receive long-term analgesic treatment should prefer oral administration. Oral medication is economical, convenient, easy to use, has little side effects, and patients can control it themselves without the help of others. Opioids are slowly digested and absorbed when taken orally, have low peak values, and are less likely to cause drug dependence. If the patient has severe vomiting, coma, dysphagia, and cannot take the medicine orally, external application methods such as rectal administration can be chosen.