Lothian Palliative Care Guidelines patient information

Transcription

1 Lotian Palliative Care Guidelines patient information Q. How will I know if te morpine is not going to work for some of my pain? A. You may still ave pain despite taking bigger doses of morpine and may feel unwell in one or more of tese ways: more sleepy tan usual feeling sick more of te time restlessness or jumpiness bad dreams Do not worry if tis appens. Tell your doctor or nurse. Your doctor may reduce your dose of morpine and suggest oter treatments to elp te pain. Q. Can I drive? A. Once you get used to taking morpine and do not feel sleepy or unwell you may be able to drive. You must discuss tis wit your doctor Q. Can I drink alcool? A. A small glass of wine, beer or a serry may elp you feel better and improve your appetite. It is best to avoid taking more tan tis as you may become too drowsy. Issue date: January 2002 Review date: December PAIN KILLER FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN Name of medicine: Morpine - quick acting, (normal release) Oter names: Oramorp or Sevredol - tablets or liquid Q. Wat is it for? A. Quick acting morpine sould reduce your pain witin about 30 minutes and a dose sould last for about 4 ours. It is often given regularly wen your doctor is working out ow muc morpine you may need to control your pain. It is also used to control breaktroug pain quickly. Q. Isn t morpine someting tat s only used rigt at te end? A. No. Morpine is given for different sorts of severe pain. Tis may sometimes be as a result of a eart attack or after a major operation. If you ave cancer, treatment wit morpine may be needed to allow you to continue as pain free a life as possible. You will be able to go on taking morpine for as long as you need to. Te effects do not wear off wit time and te dose can be increased if needed. Q. Wen do I take it? A. You may be told to take quick acting morpine regularly every 4 ours. An extra dose of quick acting morpine sould be taken if te pain comes back between te regular doses. Quick acting morpine can also be used like tis if you are taking a regular long acting pain killer Wait about 30 minutes after taking te extra dose. If you still ave pain take anoter dose of te quick acting morpine. If you need to take more tan 2 extra doses in a day, tell your doctor or nurse. 1

2 Q. Wat do I do if I forget to take a regular dose? A. Take te dose as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to make up for te missed one. If you are sick and bring up te medicine, repeat te dose as soon as you feel better. Q. Are tere any side effects from taking morpine? Sleepiness Tis is most common wen you first take morpine regularly or wen te dose is increased. It sould settle after a few days. Constipation Tis is a very common side effect. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and always take a laxative regularly as prescribed by your doctor. Te dose of laxative can be increased or reduced to make sure you pass a soft motion regularly. Q. Will I become addicted to morpine and unable to stop taking it? A. If you no longer need your morpine, te dose can be reduced gradually by your doctor witout problems. Q. Wat do I do if certain tings like movement bring on pain? A. Some people find tat doing certain tings like aving a bat or going for a walk brings on te pain. Your doctor or nurse may suggest you try taking a dose of quick acting morpine 30 minutes before you start doing someting tat brings on te pain. Q. Will morpine always relieve my pain completely? A. Altoug morpine is a very good pain killer, it is not elpful for all types of pain. Oter treatments may be needed and suggested by your doctor or nurse. Sickness If you feel sick wen you first start to take morpine, try taking it wit food. Your doctor may need to give you some anti-sickness medicine for a few days until te sickness goes away. 2 3

3 Lotian Palliative Care Guidelines patient information Q. How will I know if te morpine is not going to work for some of my pain? A. You may still ave pain despite taking bigger doses of morpine and may feel unwell in one or more of tese ways: more sleepy tan usual feeling sick more of te time restlessness or jumpiness bad dreams Do not worry if tis appens. Tell your doctor or nurse. Your doctor may reduce your dose of morpine and suggest oter treatments to elp te pain. Q. Can I drive? A. Once you get used to taking morpine and do not feel sleepy or unwell you may be able to drive. You must discuss tis wit your doctor Q. Can I drink alcool? A. A small glass of wine, beer or a serry may elp you feel better and improve your appetite. It is best to avoid taking more tan tis as you may become too drowsy. Issue date: January 2002 Review date: December 2003 PAIN KILLER FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN Name of medicine: Long acting morpine (controlled release) Oter names: MST continus.. tablets or granules Q. Wat is it for? A. Morpine is used for moderate to severe pain. Long acting morpine is used to control on-going pain. Q. Isn t morpine someting tat s only used rigt at te end? A. No. Morpine is given for different sorts of severe pain. Tis may sometimes be as a result of a eart attack or after a major operation. If you ave cancer, treatment wit morpine may be needed to allow you to continue as pain free a life as possible. You will be able to go on taking morpine for as long as you need to. Te effects do not wear off wit time and te dose can be increased if needed. Q. Wen do I take it? A. Tis type of morpine is taken every 12 ours to prevent pain. Wen you are at ome you can take your morning dose wen you wake up and ten te evening dose about 12 ours later. Do not stop taking morpine suddenly. 4 1

4 Q. Wat do I do if I forget to take a dose? A. Take a dose as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to make up for te missed one. If you are sick and bring up te medicine, repeat te dose as soon as you feel better. Q. Are tere any side effects from taking morpine? Sleepiness Tis is most common wen you first take morpine or wen te dose is increased. It sould settle after a few days. Constipation Tis is a very common side effect. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and always take a laxative regularly as prescribed by your doctor. Te dose of laxative can be increased or reduced to make sure you pass a soft motion regularly. Sickness If you feel sick wen you first start to take morpine, try taking it wit food. Your doctor may need to give you some anti-sickness medicine for a few days until te sickness goes away. Q. Will I become addicted to morpine and unable to stop taking it? A. If you no longer need your morpine, te dose can be reduced gradually by your doctor witout problems. Q. Will morpine always relieve my pain completely? A. Altoug morpine is a very good pain killer, it is not elpful for all types of pain. Oter treatments may be needed and suggested by your doctor or nurse. Q. Wat do I do if I get pain between te regular 12 ourly doses? A. If te pain is mild, paracetamol may elp. If it is more severe you sould take a dose of quick acting morpine (liquid or tablets). Wait about 30 minutes and if you still ave pain take anoter dose of quick acting morpine. If you need more tan two extra doses in a day, you may need te long acting morpine dose increased. Tell your doctor or nurse. Some people find tat doing certain tings like aving a bat or going for a walk brings on te pain. Your doctor or nurse may suggest you try taking a dose of quick acting morpine before you start doing someting tat brings on te pain

5 Lotian Palliative Care Guidelines patient information Canging from anoter pain killer: A few people wo cange from anoter pain killer to fentanyl feel unwell in te first ours wit sickness, sivering, stomac pains or diarroea. Contact your doctor if tis appens. Heat effects: Te patces are waterproof so you can ave a sower or bat or go swimming. Avoid too muc direct eat like a ot water bottle, electric blanket, eat lamp or ot spa bat as tis affects te way te medicine is released from te patc. If you develop a fever try to keep your temperature down and contact your doctor. Patc falls off frequently: Sweating or applying te patc to airy skin may prevent it sticking well. You may be given some sticky tape to keep te patc on. Q. Can I drive? A. Once you get used to using fentanyl and do not feel sleepy or unwell you may be able to drive. You must discuss tis wit your doctor. Q. Can I drink alcool? A. A small glass of wine, beer or a serry may elp you feel better and improve your appetite. It is best to avoid taking more tan tis as you may become too drowsy. Issue date: January 2002 Review date: December PAIN KILLER FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN Name of Medicine: Fentanyl Oter name: Durogesic patc Q. Wat is it for? A. Fentanyl is used for moderate to severe pain. Fentanyl is used to control on-going pain. It is not used for pain wic only lasts a sort time. You will be given a different, quick acting pain killer to take for breaktroug pain if you need to. Q. How do I take Fentanyl? A. Te medicine is inside a patc wit a sticky back wic is stuck on to te skin. Te pain killer, fentanyl, slowly passes from te patc troug te skin into te body. Eac patc is used only once. Q. How long does a fentanyl patc last? A. Eac patc lasts for tree days. Cange your patc (or all your patces),every tird day, at about te same time of day. Use a calendar to mark te day wen you first start your patces and wen you cange tem. You sould not stop using fentanyl suddenly. Q. How do I cange my patc(es)? A. (1) Take te old patc off, fold it in alf so tat it sticks togeter and put it back in its original pouc. Te used patc can ten be put in te bin wit your ouseold rubbis. 1.

6 (2) Was your ands. Coose a place on te upper body or upper arm. Te skin sould not ave any cuts, scars or spots and sould not be too airy. Clean te skin wit water only, make sure it is cool and completely dry. (3) Tear open te pouc of te new patc. Peel te plastic backing off. Stick te patc on to te clean area of skin. Press it on firmly. Was your ands. Do not stick te patc on te same place twice in a row. Q. Wat do I do if a patc falls off or I forget to cange it? A. Stick a new one on as soon as you can. If you are very late canging your patc, you may need to take anoter pain killer until te fentanyl starts working again. Q. Wat sould I do if I still get pain wile using fentanyl? A. Wen you first start fentanyl or te dose is increased it takes time to work. Your doctor will give you extra pain killers to take if you need tem until your patc is working completely. Some people find tat doing certain tings like aving a bat or going for a walk brings on pain. Your doctor may suggest you take a quick acting pain killer before you start doing someting tat brings on pain. If your pain is not well controlled and you are needing to take more tan 2-3 doses of extra pain killer a day tell your doctor. Q. How will I know if fentanyl is not going to work for some of my pain? A. Altoug fentanyl is a very good pain killer, it is not elpful for all types of pain. You may still ave pain despite using bigger doses of fentanyl and may feel unwell in one or more of tese ways:- more sleepy tan usual feeling sick more of te time restlessness or jumpiness bad dreams Do not worry if tis appens. Tell your doctor or nurse. Your doctor may reduce your dose of fentanyl and suggest oter treatments to elp te pain. Q. Are tere any side effects from using fentanyl? Constipation: Fentanyl tends to cause less constipation tan some oter strong pain killers but you may still need to take a laxative regularly. Sleepiness: Tis is uncommon but, if you become unusually sleepy or muddled, you may need te fentanyl dose reduced. Contact your doctor. Skin ras/irritation: If you develop itcing or redness under te patc, tell your doctor. 2 3