National Cancer Institute

u.s. Department 

of health and

human services National Institutes

of Health

Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects

Pain

Call the doctor or nurse if: l The pain isn’t getting better 

or going away

l The pain comes on quickly l The pain makes it hard to eat, 

sleep, work, or play

l You feel new pain l The pain medicine is not 

working as fast or for as long 

as it used to

It’s important to treat pain.

If you find that you are in pain, don’t put 

up with it. There are many medicines to 

help lower or get rid of pain. Talk with 

your doctor to learn about medicine that 

can help you. Ask what other things, like 

massage or acupuncture, could also help. 

Remember, being in less pain will help 

you feel stronger and better.

Give your doctor or nurse a 

list of all of the medicines 

you are taking.

Tips to get the most out of your 

pain medicine: l Ask how much pain medicine to take. 

Take the right amount of medicine 

each time you are supposed to.

l Ask when to take the pain medicine. 

Take the pain medicine on time. If 

you take the pain medicine too late, 

it may not work as well.

l Tell your doctor or nurse if the pain 

does not go away after you take the 

medicine.

l Tell your doctor or nurse if you are 

in pain, but it’s not yet time to take 

the pain medicine. 

l Don’t stop taking the pain medicine 

unless your doctor tells you to. 

l Talk with your doctor, nurse, or 

social worker if you need help to 

pay for pain medicine.

“I was worried about getting addicted 

to pain medicine. Then I talked with my 

doctor. She told me that treating pain 

is an important part of good cancer 

treatment. So now I take my pain 

medicine on time and am able to 

enjoy life more!”
Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Pain

Keep track of the pain.

Each day, write about any pain you feel. This will 

help you talk with your doctor or nurse. Use a 

notebook or separate piece of paper to fill in the 

information below.

1. The pain is dull, sharp, burning, shooting, 

throbbing, or:_____________________________ 

(Add your own words if these don’t describe the 

pain you feel.)

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, where “10” is the most 

pain and “1” is the least pain, I feel this 

much pain: _______________________________

3. I feel the most pain when:__________________

4. Things I can’t do because of the pain:_________

5. This makes the pain feel worse:______________

6. This makes the pain feel better:______________

Tell your doctor or nurse if you:

l Feel sick to your stomach

l Feel sleepy

l Have constipation or dry stools

If these problems don’t go away on their own 

after a few days, they can usually be treated.

You may need more or different 

pain medicine.

It is normal for your body to get used to the 

pain medicine. It may not work as well as it did 

at first. This is called “tolerance.” It happens 

to many people. If this happens to you, your 

doctor may change your pain medicine or 

change the way you take it.

You will not get addicted when cancer pain 

medicines are given and taken in the right way. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for more pain medicine if 

you’re still in pain.

When it is time to stop taking pain 

medicine, your doctor will have you 

take a little less pain medicine each 

day. This will help your body get 

used to the change. 

NIH Publication No. 08-6453

Printed August 2008

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