Sedatives and Chronic Pain Treatment

What are sedatives?

Sedatives refers to the drugs which when administered to a patient, they reduce tension and anxiety and cause sedation. They are drugs which cause calmness when taken by the patient. In chronic pain treatment, these drugs are administered with a purpose to kill the pain that the patient is experiencing. This is not a common medication though and it will only be made available to the public if the clinical trials have shown that the benefits of using the drug seemingly outweigh its adverse risks.

How are sedatives administered?

Sedatives are administered to patients in many ways. The mode in which the sedation is given will though be determined by the area on which the pain is being experienced. The modes through which sedation can be administered include:-

ü Through inhalation- through nose

ü Through mouth (oral)

ü Under the tongue

ü Or sometimes administered intravenously i.e. through the veins.

Is sedation helpful in pain relief?

Yes. Sedation is a medication that has been specifically developed to help people who are experiencing pain. This medication works by calming the nervous system and hence making the patient not to feel any pain. Sometime when you are experiencing chronic pain, it may be difficult for you to concentrate on anything or even have sleep. Sedation in this case can prove helpful to you.

Does sedation cure chronic pain?

There has been confusion in many people who use sedation and think they are treating pain. Sedation is not a curative medication for pain, but it is only meant to help the patient by providing temporary relief from pain.

Under what circumstances will sedation be important?

As earlier mentioned, these medicines should only be used when prescribed by a doctor, because they are known to be habit forming. This will make them less effective the next time you will need to use them.

This medication is normally in most cases prescribed to the patients who are experiencing difficulties in sleep. This is because it is very difficult for a person experiencing severe pain to get any sleep. In this case, the doctor will prescribe sedative medication which will help the patient in killing the pain and consequently the patient gets sleep.

Are there thing I should avoid when under sedation treatment?

Yes. Sedation if not well taken care of can be hazardous. Depending with the level of sedation, (e.g. Deep sedation) taking of other drugs like alcohol as this may cause extreme drowsiness and this can reduce breathing and if intense, death may occur.

When you will also want to stop taking sedation medication E.g. for sleep aid, do not stop abruptly. Instead discuss it with your doctor to be advised on how to gradually withdraw. The abrupt stoppage may subject you to withdrawal symptoms.

Which are the types of sedation?

The type of sedation medication to be administered to the patient will be determined by the doctor when the patient visits the doctor. This choice will though be based of the intended effect of the sedative in terms of intensity. The following are the common types of sedative medication:-

Minimal sedation – when this sedation is administered, the patients respond normally to verbal communications since this is a light sedative medication. Sometimes this method may though impair cognitive function and coordination, breathing in unaffected.
Moderate sedation – this is also referred to as cognitive sedation and the patient remains conscious and an respond purposefully to verbal commands either alone or by light simulation.
Deep sedation – if this type of sedation is administered to a patient, the patient cannot be easily aroused but responds to painful simulation. The patient may require assistance to breath.
General Anesthesia – this is normally a very serious sedation treatment and its intensity is high. The patient cannot be aroused even by inducing pain on him/her. Breathing ability may completely be impaired.

Does sedation have any side effects?

Sedatives Almost all drugs, prescribed or over the counter will have some side effects. In this case, sedation is no exception. Some of the powerful sedation medicines have very high chances of causing addiction to the patient, especially if they are abused. Apart from the risk of addition, these drugs may also sometimes produce unpleasant reaction to the patient. It is important to note that the reaction that results from different patients when they take a given drug is quite different and hence it is vital after you see a negative reaction to the drug you see your doctor as soon as possible.

Is sedation same as opioids treatment?

Not really. As mentioned earlier, sedation refers to the medication which is normally given to the pain experiencing patient in order to bring about calmness. On the other hand, opioids are curative mediations which are given to pain experiencing patient with aim of not just giving them a temporal relief from the pain but to get them a permanent solution to the pain. Therefore, in simple terms the difference between the two is that opioids are medications that cure pain while sedatives are medications meant to calm or cool down the pain. Both medications should be administered by a qualified physician though, to avoid risks of addiction.