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Running head: TREATING PAIN IN ADDICTED PATIENTS 1

TREATING PAIN IN ADDICTED PATIENTS 3

Treating Pain in Addicted Patients

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Treating Pain in Addicted Patients

The ability of clinicians to keep patients in check has proven to be a challenge, especially with concerns regarding the legitimacy and physical functions affecting overall pain management in patients with an addiction problem. Nurses face this challenge on a daily basis, whether in individuals who abuse alcohol, prescribed Opioids medicines or people who abuse drugs. As a medical practitioner, my general concern has been possible drug overdose and poor management strategies of managing pain in addicted patients. Patients with addiction need to be treated like any other patient, with appropriate medication. Therefore, to care for these patients, it is critical for medical practitioners to be knowledgeable about substance abuse as well as pain management strategies.

Regardless of substance abuse background, managing pain in patients with substance abuse disorders sometimes is missed and goes untreated. However, several principles can be used as guidelines for pain management of drug abuse users. Medical practitioners are in a good position to offer effective pain management which require several strategies. While clinicians often try to ease the pain in patients, it is important to choose medications based on the ability to afford adequate pain relief. For instance, there are various medications and delivery paths that supply medical providers with a range of pain relief strategies. An important principle is utilizing the degree of pain of patients is feeling to determine the strength of pain medication that may be appropriate and as a guide for effectively managing pain.

Also, there is a possibility that when pain relievers are provided around the clock, it will help in managing pain. Pain medications that are used as needed often allow pain to increase and may require more medicines to control the pain. The utilization of around-the-clock doses can suppress pain and also provide better comfort for patients. For example, clinicians may develop a schedule that frequently accomplishes continuous use of long-acting drugs. The baseline is choosing pain medication, stressing on using a drug that offers enough pain relief.

Besides, acute pain is a medical emergency and should be handled aggressively. It can be noted that failure to attend to emergency cases often results in an escalation of pain, hence difficulties in controlling the pain. Some of the issues that make clinicians reluctant in attending to drug disorders as an emergency are the fear of using Opioids in appropriate amounts to ease the pain. It is in part due to the fear of legal consequences. The law does not regulate the use of narcotics for relieving pain and Opioids are prohibited. Therefore, it is the responsibility of individual physicians to treat patients for legitimate medical reasons based on the accepted medical standards. This is in itself a huge challenge since doctors often act with caution.

In conclusion, treating pain in addicted patients presents challenges to clinicians. The mechanisms of drug abuse disorders are complex and depend on some factors. Chemical dependency has been considered an illness that needs to be treated. There is need to maintain a balance between relieving pain and protecting these patients against inappropriate use of prescribed medicines. Nurses’ view on chemical dependence can shape their attitudes and behavior towards a patient with drug addiction, ultimately influencing how the patients are cared for and how effective their pain is relieved.