Last month, the DEA approved a change for prescribing what are called “schedule-II” medications.  These are “controlled substances,” which include narcotics as well as stimulants for ADD.  They’re labeled “controlled,” as they have the potential for addiction.
In the past, patients needed to go monthly to their doctor’s office for an appointment for these medications to be […]

The December Pain-Blog Carnival is December 31.  The submission deadline is December 24.
Twice a month, I’ll answer readers’ questions (This month, I’m trying to get through a back-log, so am answering a few more.  Thanks for your patience!).  Click here to submit a question.
Heidi writes:
I wonder if other people on prescription pain killers have issues around taking them as […]

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This article is one in a series on Medications for Pain…  What are your choices?  How do various medications work?  What are the pros and cons?  How about side effects?  (Discuss these ideas with your doctor.  Don’t make any changes […]

How to Cope with Pain articles now available by email!  Sign up here.

Dr. Dan Gottlieb, a psychologist who hosts Voices in the Family on NPR radio, recently had a show on chronic pain, and I was pleased to have been one of the guests.  Here’s the link to the podcast of this 11/19/07 Voices in the Family NPR […]

How to Cope with Pain articles now available by email!  Sign up here.
* * * * * 
This article is one in a series on Medications for Pain…  What are your choices?  How do various medications work?  What are the pros and cons?  How about side effects?  (Discuss these ideas with your doctor.  Don’t make any changes […]

Today is the deadline for submissions to November’s Pain-Blog Carnival, which will run this Friday, November 30.  Please submit your post here.
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This article is one in a series on Medications for Pain…  What are your choices?  How do various medications work?  What are the pros and cons?  How about side effects?  (Discuss these ideas […]

In honor of the American tradition of Thanksgiving, November’s Pain-Blog Carnival theme will be thankfulness.  (Preference will be given to articles on this theme, although others will be considered.)  The deadline for November’s carnival will be Monday, November 26, and the carnival will be Friday, November 30.  Please submit your article here.
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This article is one in a series on Medications for Pain…  What are your choices?  How do various medications work?  What are the pros and cons?  How about side effects?  (Discuss these ideas with your doctor.  Don’t make any changes to your treatment by yourself.)
Today we’ll look at the medication category of Anti-Hypertensive Medication.  This […]

All of us with chronic pain have many significant obstacles to getting better, including:

our diseases themselves, some of which aren’t “curable”
finding physicians who understand pain and can help us
tolerating medication – sometimes when medication does help, the side effects are pretty bad
trying to arrange insurance coverage for appropriate treatment

Now, imagine having chronic pain while living […]

This article is one in a series on Medications for Pain…  what are your choices?  how do various medications work?  what are the pros and cons?  how about side effects?  (Discuss these ideas with your doctor.  Don’t make any changes to your treatment by yourself.)
Today we’ll look at the medication category of Muscle Relaxants.  Muscle relaxants […]