Mesothelioma Pain Management

Unfortunately, those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma often suffer chronic and severe pain. Many times, this pain can be controlled effectively with a combination of different medications. However, pain management for mesothelioma is prescribed based on different aspects, such as what is causing the pain and what type of pain it is.

Pain from the actual tumors themselves is usually one of the first types of pain that a person will experience with mesothelioma. The pain can occur even before diagnosis is obtained. This pain due to the tumor pressing on nerves or other structures and organs around the area. Pain can also come from some of the treatment methods themselves. Recovery from surgical procedures can often be painful, and chemotherapy and radiation also cause different levels of pain in some people. Pain can also come from other problems not related to mesothelioma itself, or it can be caused by psychological factors related to the disease.

In addition to where the pain emerges from, there are three different classifications of pain: Acute, chronic, and breakthrough. Acute pain is that which comes on and disappears rapidly. It�s usually in the form of a stabbing, immobilizing pain that will come and go. Chronic pain lasts for long periods of time and usually does not subside without the help of medications or other treatments. Breakthrough pain is defined as moments of pain in patients whose chronic pain is usually controlled. There are different medications to treat each different type of pain.

The three different types of medications available for pain control are nonopioids, opioids, and rapid-onset opioids. Nonopioids are usually available over the counter and are used to treat low-level pain. Tylenol and ibuprofen are two examples of nonopiod medication. Opioids treat moderate to severe pain and are narcotics; they are not available without a prescription from a doctor. Rapid-onset opioids treat breakthrough and acute pain. These, also, are narcotics and are usually more sedative than regular opioids. Unfortunately, nearly all medications have the tendency to produce side effects, especially narcotics. Dizziness, sedation, nausea, and constipation can all occur as a result of being on opioid medications.

Many times, it is necessary to see a specialist in pain management in order to effectively control the pain of mesothelioma. These physicians offer new or state-of-the-art techniques in managing pain, and some of these modalities do not include the side effects a person would experience from medications. Neurosurgery has been used in some mesothelioma patients to reduce pain by blocking or altering the nerve pathways along which pain messages are sent.

Nerve blocks, also called epidurals, are also used to help treat the chronic pain of mesothelioma. Epidurals deliver pain through a catheter that is inserted into the spinal cord. The medications are delivered directly to where the pain is located, thus providing more immediate and long-term relieve. Epidurals are usually used in cases where palliative treatment, which simply addresses the symptoms and not the disease, is the only option left. They make it possible for people to spend their remaining days at home rather than in the hospital.

One of the last, and possibly most important, ways to control pain is through psychological approaches. For many people, the stress, grief, and trauma of being diagnosed with mesothelioma can greatly increase the amount of pain that they feel. Through counseling, therapy, and forms of relaxation (such as meditation), accepting the course of the disease can often help reduce pain symptoms felt.

For more news on Mesothelioma Pain Management visit CancerTrials.gov - Mesothelioma Pain Management or Mesothelioma Pain Management.