Pain is a common symptom in tumor patients and occurs at all stages of tumor development. This symptom will affect the patient’s daily life and behavior, sleep, appetite, and relationship with family and friends, and may even affect the outcome of tumor treatment. Clinically, patients with tumors are usually asked to use painkillers to alleviate the suffering caused by pain. Therefore, many tumor patients will have questions about how to take painkillers. Will tumor patients get addicted to painkillers? Q: How should I describe my pain to the doctor? A: Pain is generally divided into four levels: no pain, mild pain, moderate pain and severe pain. Mild pain: the pain is usually very mild, does not affect your life, sleep will not be disturbed; moderate pain: in this case, the pain is obvious, affecting sleep, sleep occasionally wake up with pain, need to take medication for pain. Severe pain: Often the pain is so severe that you cannot sleep, and you must take medication to stop the pain. Q: My pain is very mild, but I don’t want to take medication, what can I do to relieve it? A: In this case, you can try hot or cold compresses or massage, acupressure therapy, as well as muscle relaxation training, psychotherapy, and distraction from the pain to relieve symptoms. Q: Some people say that if I take painkillers, I can’t stop taking them in the future, is that right? A: No. Tumor patients are generally not addicted to painkillers if they follow the doctor’s instructions and use them correctly. As the disease subsides and the symptoms are under control, the medication can be gradually reduced or stopped under the guidance of the doctor. Q: My friend said that a certain painkiller is very effective, can I also take this medicine directly? A: No. The cause and nature of pain, including individual response to medication, are different for each person, and painkillers cannot be used arbitrarily. Relief of pain symptoms requires a comprehensive assessment by a doctor and then targeted medication. Q: It’s a medicine that’s poisonous. I sometimes have pain that’s not very severe, can I take it when I’m in pain and not when I’m not in pain? A: It is important to note that you should not stop or reduce your medication without your doctor’s permission. Regardless of whether pain is present or not, painkillers must be taken on time and in the right amount as prescribed by your doctor. In order to maintain stable blood levels, you cannot stop taking the medication or increase or decrease the dosage and frequency without authorization, as this will aggravate the pain and increase the side effects. If the pain is effectively controlled, you need to change or stop the medication under the guidance of your doctor. Q: I need to take more and more painkillers, am I “addicted” to the medication? A: An increase in opioid dosage is not the same as “drug use” or “addiction”. The increase in dosage is due to an increase in pain intensity or the development of drug resistance. As the disease subsides and the pain decreases, the morphine dose can be gradually reduced. A large number of clinical practices at home and abroad show that oncology patients using opioids for pain relief, addiction is extremely rare. Q: After using painkillers, constipation, nausea and vomiting occur, which is even more difficult, what should I do? A: You can follow your doctor’s symptomatic treatment, commonly used: phenolphthalein and so on. Drink more hot water or tea. Eat more food containing fiber content, prohibit spicy stimulating food. Develop good bowel habits, such as drinking a glass of warm water after waking up in the morning and having a bowel movement at a fixed time every day. Take appropriate physical exercise and abdominal massage. Nausea and vomiting will be gradually relieved or disappear on their own. If the nausea and vomiting are still not well controlled, medication should be used as prescribed by the doctor.