Many people who take pain medicine worry about getting addicted. Addiction to pain medicine is rare if you have not had a problem with addiction in the past and you take your medicine as directed under your doctor’s care. Do not let your fear about becoming addicted get in the way of pain relief. Ask for pain relief if you need it. Pain is easier to control when you treat it as soon as it starts.

is discussed elsewhere on this site, people who take opioid medications for cancer pain relief are not "addicted." Addiction is a psychological need for drugs. Pain relief is a physical need, and that makes an enormous difference in this situation. When you no longer need your opioid pain medication, your physician or nurse will help you slowly reduce the amount you are using, all the way to zero, and you will not want to take this medication any more. See similar questions...

Patients in pain need medication to make them comfortable. This is very different from people taking drugs to get high. Many studies have been done on patients who have had to take pain medication for long periods of time, and none of these patients became addicted to the drugs. With addiction, there is a craving for a drug to get high, which has nothing to do with the prevention or control of pain. See similar questions...

No, if the pain medication you are taking is not providing you enough relief, Dr. Stanley recommends taking an over the counter anti-inflammatory. See similar questions...

You will be given a prescription for pain medicine when you leave the hospital. Have this filled at your local pharmacy. Please take this as directed. That means that you may take the pills every 3-4 hours as needed. You do not have to take the pills if simple rest, arm repositioning or the Cryo Cuff ice pack controls the pain. When you need more medication, contact your pharmacy and they will call the office so that we may refill the prescription. See similar questions...

Acetaminophen (known as the medication in Tylenol) is a medication used for mild pain of any kind. Acetaminophen does not usually cause severe side effects. No more than 4,000 mg should be taken in a day to avoid liver damage. Persons consuming heavy amounts of alcohol should limit their intake of acetaminophen. See similar questions...

Patients who have chronic pain are best treated with medications given on a regular basis throughout the day. Usually doctors prescribe long-acting pain medicines that work for 8 to 12 hours. Research has shown that treating chronic pain with doses around the clock prevents the pain from building up to the point in which it is much more difficult to control. Return to Top See similar questions...

Not necessarily, if you take your medication exactly as prescribed. A person's likelihood of becoming addicted depends, in part, on his or her addiction history. Addiction is less likely if you have never had an addictive disorder. Ask your doctor about any concerns you may have. See similar questions...

We use opioid (narcotic) pain medicines for certain pain conditions, especially after surgery and for patients with cancer pain. The number of children who become addicts is extraordinarily small. Most people of any age will become tolerant to opioid medications. They may need more and more to get the same effect; they may say "this medicine doesn't work for me any more. See similar questions...

Addiction is defined as the use of a medicine even if it causes harm, having cravings for a drug, feeling the need to use a drug and a decreased quality of life. If you are taking your pain medication in accordance with the instructions, the chances of becoming addicted is very low. The development of addiction has been reported rarely in medical journals and is much more common in a person who has a family or personal history of addiction. Physical dependency is not the same as addiction. See similar questions...

Yes, this is by far the most common sex addiction that I have treated in working with sex addiction. This usually is the first sexual behavior many of us will have on a repeated basis. This is usually where the sexual compulsion starts with sex addicts and this behavior, regardless of other acquired behaviors, usually stays active. See similar questions...

If you have pelvic pain, your health professional will consider a broad range of possible causes. Female pelvic pain is typically caused by a medical condition involving the reproductive organs, the urinary tract, or the lower gastrointestinal tract. Some causes are always short-term (acute), and others can become long-lasting (chronic) unless successfully treated. Female pelvic pain can be a difficult-to-solve medical mystery. See similar questions...

I was on Pain medicine for the 1st week after my surgery. The doctor refused to give me anything else after that, he told me to take Advil.. Well, am almost 10 weeks post op, have had aweful infections in my vagina, and I have a tear in my vaginal cuff. See similar questions...