Do you painkillers such as Panadol have any side effects? Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Yellow eyes or skin
Symptoms of overdose
Diarrhea; increased sweating; loss of appetite; nausea or vomiting; stomach cramps or pain; swelling, pain, or tenderness in the upper abdomen or stomach area
Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Bloody or black, tarry stools; bloody or cloudy urine; fever with or without chills (not present before treatment and not caused by the condition being treated); pain in lower back and/or side (severe and/or sharp); pinpoint red spots on skin; skin rash, hives, or itching; sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth; sore throat (not present before treatment and not caused by the condition being treated); sudden decrease in amount of urine; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor. Like all drugs, most painkillers have some side effects.
Morphine based drugs (opioids)
and by other drugs used to treat cancer pain, such as
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Steroids
Anti-convulsants
Anti-depressants
Bisphosphonates
Morphine based drugs
Morphine based drugs (called opioids) can cause
Constipation
Drowsiness
Sickness
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Hallucinations
As with any drug, you will not necessarily get all these side effects. Drowsiness and sickness are the most common. Usually they happen because you are not used to the drug. After a few days they lessen and disappear. An allergic reaction to morphine is possible, but this is rare.
All morphine based drugs cause constipation. This can be can be quite painful if it isn't treated. It can continue for the entire time that you are taking morphine. The best thing to do is to start taking stool softeners or laxatives regularly as soon as you start taking painkillers.
Remember 鈥?If your doctor or nurse gives you painkillers without something to stop constipation, remind them!
There are ways that you can help prevent constipation
Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
Increase the amount of fibre you have in your diet from fruit, vegetables and grains such as bran
Move around as much as you can, but don't wear yourself out or aggravate your pain
Morphine based drugs can also make you feel sleepy or drowsy when you are first given them. Don't worry about this. Your body just needs a few days to get used to the drugs. Hopefully you are also feeling relieved to be free of pain. Your body needs to catch up on all that sleep you missed when you were in pain.
Just let your body adjust and go with it. If you are in a hospice or in hospital then your doctors and nurses will keep an eye on you. If you are taking morphine for the first time at home, your GP or Macmillan nurse will be in contact with you regularly for the first few days to check that you are managing.
If you have been taking morphine for some time and start to become drowsy or feel that you are sleeping too much, let your doctor know. You may need a lower dose of morphine. This is particularly likely if you have had some treatment to shrink your cancer that has helped to relieve your pain.
Morphine can make you feel sick. Some people actually are sick. Many doctors give an anti-sickness drug along with morphine for the first week or so. This stops you feeling sick. Once you get used to your painkillers you can stop taking it. But if the sickness does not go away, your doctor may prescribe an anti sickness tablet to be taken a little while before you take each dose of morphine.
Side effects of co-analgesics
You may be taking other drugs to help treat pain. These drugs may also have some side effects. Below is information about the side effects of
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Anti-depressants
Steroids
Anti-convulsants
Bisphosphonates
Anti inflammatory drugs can irritate your stomach and bowel (digestive tract). If you take them without anything to protect your stomach, they can cause bleeding or ulcers. They can also slow down the time your blood takes to clot. So if you have any bleeding or clotting disorders your doctor may not use these drugs.
Different anti depressants have different side effects. They can cause dry mouth, increase or decrease in appetite, changes to your sleep pattern and drowsiness. It all depends on which drug you are taking. Ask your doctor or nurse for advice on the specific side effects of your drug.
If you look at the side effect list in your packet of steroids, you may be alarmed. The list does look long. But many of them are unlikely to happen unless you have been taking steroids for some time. And they will go away when you stop taking the steroids.
You will be given a card to carry to say you are taking steroids. This is because it is important for any doctor treating you (for any reason) to know you are taking steroids. In case of emergencies, your doctor will ask you to carry the card with you at all times.
The most likely side effects when you first start taking steroids are
Having more of an appetite
Having more energy
Difficulty sleeping
Indigestion
If you are having trouble sleeping, try taking your steroids in the morning.
Your doctor will probably prescribe something to help prevent indigestion and to stop the steroids from irritating your stomach. Even so, it is best not to take steroids on an empty stomach.
If you have been taking steroids for some time you may notice some swelling in your hands, feet or eyelids. You may also put on weight. Steroids can cause water retention. It is the extra fluid in your body that causes swelling and weight gain.
Your doctor will be looking out for other side effects of your steroids. These are
Raised blood pressure
Increased risk of infection
Raised blood sugar
Sugar in your urine
You may be asked to test your urine for sugar. Or to bring samples to the hospital to be tested.
Because your resistance to infection is lowered it is best to avoid people with infections while you are taking steroids. But this is not always practical, so don't worry too much about it.
Anti convulsant drugs also have side effects. Depending on the specific drug these can include
Difficulty sleeping
Tiredness
Dizziness
Loss of appetite
Nausea
This is a very general list. Ask your doctor to tell you more about the specific side effects of the drugs that you are taking.
Bisphosphonates can cause sickness or diarrhoea in some people. One or two of these drugs may also cause tiredness, muscle aches or a skin rash. If you are taking clodronate (Bonefos or Loron), it is better not to eat or drink milk for an hour before or after taking it. You can't take iron tablets, other mineral supplements or antacids while you are on clodronate because these interfere with the absorption of the drug from your gut. Serious side effects are uncommon.
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
鈥kin rash or hives
鈥nusual bleeding or bruising, pinpoint red spots on the skin
鈥ifficulty breathing, wheezing
鈥loody or black, tarry stools
鈥ecrease in amount of urine passed
鈥ot willing to eat
鈥ever or sore throat
鈥ausea, vomiting
鈥tomach cramps and pain
鈥nusual tiredness or weakness
鈥ellowing of the skin or eyes |
