Will I become addicted to pain medicine for cancer?

It's common for people with cancer to worry about becoming addicted to pain medicine. According to the National Cancer Institute, most people with cancer who take strong pain medicine, such as opioids, use them safely and effectively.

It helps to understand three different things. Drug tolerance happens when your body gets used to a medicine and it works less well. Physical dependence means the body gets used to a certain level of medicine and has unpleasant symptoms if it's suddenly stopped—this can happen even when a drug is taken as instructed. Addiction is different: it involves compulsive drug seeking and being unable to stop despite harmful consequences.

Importantly, needing a higher dose of pain medicine, or having symptoms when the dose is decreased or stopped, is not the same as addiction.

Your doctor will carefully prescribe your pain medicine and monitor you so your pain is safely treated, and each person's plan is tailored to them. Ask your health care team about tolerance, dependence, and addiction, especially if you were prescribed opioids. And never stop taking pain medicine without talking to your doctor first.