Why would my doctor prescribe me two different time-sensitive pain medications? Because chronic pain and sudden onset pain are two different types of pain, two different types of pain medications are needed. Chronic pain usually requires a long-acting pain medication that is taken regularly to control the pain as much as possible. Medication for chronic pain usually needs to be taken several times, but it may keep you pain-free for hours or even all day. In contrast, medications for sudden pain are only taken temporarily when the pain flares up. These short-acting pain medications work quickly to quickly suppress episodic pain. The combination of these two types of medications can be effective in controlling both your chronic and sudden onset pain. If I have sudden onset pain, does this mean that the medications I take for chronic pain are not working well? No. Sudden pain is mostly a paroxysm of pain that is more severe than chronic pain. It’s important to remember that sudden onset pain is common in cancerous pain, even when you’re properly using medications for chronic pain. Also, tell your doctor’s nurse if you have sudden onset pain and how you are taking medications for this pain. Sometimes they will adjust the dose and number of times you take your medication for chronic pain. How can I be confident that the current dose of medication for my sudden onset pain is appropriate? Your pain medication should relieve most of your sudden onset pain without causing unpredictable side effects, like severe drowsiness. If your medication is not relieving your sudden pain or if you are having more than 4 episodes of sudden pain per day, talk to your doctor’s nurse, who may be able to adjust your medication dosage or the number of times you take your medication to help you get better results. Can I take medication for chronic pain and sudden onset pain at the same time? Yes, you can take them that way if you need to. You may have a sudden onset of pain just before or after taking your chronic pain medication. In this case, you can take the medication for sudden onset pain and take the medication for chronic pain as prescribed by your doctor. If you notice sudden pain often just before you are about to take your medication for chronic pain, you should tell your doctor’s nurse, who may adjust the dose, time of day, and number of times you take your medication for chronic pain. When do I need another type of pain medication If your current medication and dose are not working very well, we will always consider trying another treatment medication. This will also need to be changed if the time and way you are currently taking your medication is not working well for you. Always tell your doctor’s nurse what medication and dose works best for you. You may need other pain medicines, combinations of medicines will adjust the dose of medicines and the way you take them if you are 1) your pain is not relieved 2) the medication is not working for as long as your doctor told you it would 3) your pain medication is not staying effective as long as your doctor told you it would 4) your sudden pain is getting worse more than 4 times a day or the medication used to treat sudden pain is not effective in controlling your pain 5) side effects of the medication occur. Drowsiness, nausea, itching, and other such medication side effects usually go away after your body adjusts to them. Tell your doctor promptly if these problems are bothering you. 6)If you have serious side effects appearing, such as difficulty breathing, dizziness or rash appearing, you should contact your doctor immediately. 7)Your current medication is not being taken in a way or at a time that is very effective. 8)Pain interferes with your normal activities such as eating, sleeping, working and having sex These precautions can help make your pain treatment more effective 1)Take your chronic pain treatment medication regularly as prescribed, even when you are not in pain. 2)Don’t arbitrarily reduce the dose of your medication. The worse your pain gets, the harder it is to control 3)If you have sudden onset pain, take short-acting pain medication as recommended by Dr. Ann. Otherwise, your pain will be harder to control. 4)Use pain medication as prescribed by one doctor. If another doctor suggests you to change your medication, you must ask him to contact your previous doctor to discuss the decision. 5) Keep the necessary pain medications close at hand. Remember that sometimes some prescription pain medications, especially opiates, take a certain amount of time to become available, so you need to have them on hand ahead of time. 6) Keep pain medications in a safe place, especially out of the reach of children, infants, and others 7) Don’t take other people’s medications. What works for your friends or family may not work for you 8)Don’t take pain medications that you have used in the past. This is because medicines that worked in the past may not work for you now 9)Different people react differently to a pain medicine. A dose of a medication that works for you may not work for someone else, who may need a larger dose 10) The plan for treating pain is not set in stone, and your doctor will adjust the medication, dosage, and timing of the medication as needed.