Mesothelioma is undoubtedly a horrific condition, more so in the later stages of the disease. Pain Management for mesothelioma is one of the most challenging parts of treating this disease in order to improve the quality of life for victims. Part of the trouble stems from the fact that the drugs required to treat mesothelioma pain can cause almost as much discomfort as the disease itself or can negatively interact with pain-relieving drugs.
Basic types of pain management
Victims of early mesothelioma can treat their pain with a number of over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin), and Tylenol. Unfortunately mesothelioma quickly progresses past the point where it is easily managed by simple analgesics. Pain management for mesothelioma is different depending on the type of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma can cause mild pain at first in the chest and back and peritoneal mesothelioma can cause abdominal or pelvic discomfort and bowel obstruction.
Advanced mesothelioma pain management
Advanced mesothelioma is far more complicated to treat. Doctors usually use one of two routes to attempt to bring relief to victims enduring the agony of advanced malignant mesothelioma. Increasingly powerful opiate drugs such as morphine fentanyl, vicodin, oxycodone, and hydromorphone are strong enough to eliminate a great deal of pain, but have to be strictly monitored by a doctor.
Epidural drug treatment
Another way doctors manage pain is through epidural implants. Doctors install a permanent catheter into the spinal column, where a machine introduces preset amounts of strong pain killers directly into the nervous system. Epidural implants also reduce the number of hospital visits because patients can easily manage their pain while at home or from caregiving facilities.
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