Good pain relief depends on a plan that is created specifically for one person and that is adjusted as the person's pain changes. If pain gets worse, the dose may be raised or another medicine tried. If too many side effects occur, the dose may need to be lower. If other treatment stops the pain, pain medicine may not be needed at all. Dose ranges for medicines used to treat severe pain vary according to the individual.
Some people find relief with a few milligrams of medicine.
Other people need larger doses, and some may need more than several hundred milligrams. Work with your doctor or nurse to find the right dose. The right dose is the dose that relieves pain with the fewest possible side effects. Assessment of pain and pain relief helps to make the right changes. Help your doctor and nurse with titration by keeping a list of the times medications are used and by rating how well each medicine works.