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 well.
It helps to keep three different things apart. 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. It then has unpleasant symptoms if the medicine is suddenly stopped. That 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 results.
So needing a higher dose of pain medicine is not the same as addiction. Neither is having symptoms when the dose is lowered or stopped.
Your doctor will prescribe your pain medicine carefully and watch how you do, so your pain is treated safely. Each person's plan is built for 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.
Want the full picture? Read our complete explanation: Cancer Pain: Causes and How It's Managed
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