by Jude Roberts, Staff Writer
If it makes you nervous trying to figure out when
to give a loved one medication, or deciding upon how
much to give them, some of the following ideas may
help you feel less overwhelmed and helpless: Educate
yourself as to what pain management and/or
palliative care is. Know the specific pain control
plan for your loved one, and don't be afraid to ask
the doctor or nurse for detailed information
(remember to write everything down). Know which
medicines are given around the clock, and which are
given as needed (written on the prescription as
"prn"). Give medication at regular times to keep
enough medicine in the blood stream to keep the pain
away. Give medication before pain has a chance to
build up, keeping in mind that pain is harder to
control if it’s allowed to build to a severe level.
Give pills during the night, or get on a pain
control plan that does not require nighttime doses.
Too much time between pills means that the amount of
medicine keeps dropping and the level of pain
increases. Do not stop pain medicine suddenly, since
this will be a shock to the body and withdrawal
symptoms may occur. Discontinuing any pain
medication should be discussed with a doctor first;
and when it’s to be done, it must be done in a
gradual, step-down method.
Some other things you can do to make it easier for
you when administering medication is to: Set an
alarm to remind you when medications are due. Use
plastic medicine boxes with squares for each day of
the week and slots for medicine times, allowing you
to fill the box for an entire week at a time. Always
call ahead to the pharmacy before trying to fill a
prescription because some drug stores don’t carry
all pain medicines. Remember to always use the same
pharmacy because the pharmacists will become
familiar with and understand what the medication
plan is and how it works; they may even have helpful
suggestions for you on how to handle side effects.
Remember to call the doctor for new prescriptions
and refills before the last pain medicine is given,
making sure that you have at least a three-day
supply of pain medication at all times. If it’s the
end of a week, be sure that you have at least a
5-day supply before needing to refill. If you’re
planning to be out of town, be certain to have a
sufficient supply until you have returned home.
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