Hello everyone. My husband had Brachytherapy 3 weeks ago and the pain is horrible. Nothing helps! And our doctor is unwilling/unable to manage it. We live in a rural area with a lot of opiate substance abuse, so we're treated like we're drug addicts. Um, excuse me! He's recovering from cancer! I've been trying to get help from pain management at the hospital in San Fran, but we live three hours away so that's been tricky. We're seeing the surgeon on Monday and I'm planning to throw a fit until someone gets my husband pain help. Did other people experience this kind of pain after Brachytherapy? He describes it "like chewing glass." What did you do? How long did it last? What medication helped? Any and all suggestions greatly welcomed. Thank you.

Its horrible that your husband has to suffer in pain! Being in pain is not helpful to the patient or caregiver at all. It only causes unneeded stress and anxiety. Im not sure which doctor you are taking him too where they wont prescribe stronger prescription meds. Sometimes a caregiver must be their patients voice and advocate for them.

There are only a few members who have had brachytherapy, most here have have IMRT type of radiation. The strongest pain medication is fentanyl. It comes in a patch form and works wonders. Ive used it and would suggest you ask for this type of medication. I would also suggest asking for something else to go with it for whats called break thru pain. If your husband is in extreme pain he probably would need at least 75mcg to start.

The patch gets changed every 72 hours and put on a different place on the body. When using the patch, take the time to read all instructions and warnings. It must be handled very carefully, never cut, torn bent, folded or in any way damaged or it could release more medication than it should. Plus you will need to have your husband avoid long hot baths or showers as that also can cause too much medication to be released. Even with these cautions, its so simple to put a new patch on every 3 days and only have to take other meds occasionally.

I hope this helps! Good luck!!!

I'm sorry for your difficulty. I had a newer form of high dose brachytherapy called IORT, twice, during radical neck dissections. I managed pain with oxycodone, and Gabapentin for nerve pain, which I was already taking for neuropathy, and wasn't that bad, thankfully, but the tongue may have more pain receptors.

I can relate to the opioid problem here, which have restrictions in prescribing and filling. Some doctors won't prescribe anymore since their required to check and keep tack on a state database, some people go prescription shopping, and the same with filling at pharmacies, sone who didn't carry them anymore, were robbed. I had difficulty obtaining some with my PCP for a painful tooth abscess, so I went to my CCC palliative care doctor, who prescribed opioids, nerve pain meds, no problem, but then I had to check with or go to a total of 10 pharmacies to have filled, having certain stares, side conversations and outright refusal by the employees, pharmacist

Good luck.

Raven, make sure you throw an impressive fit. When the "system" just doesn't get it, only a meltdown will do. If gaining access to medication is a problem in the community, the hospital has to sort it!!!!

Good luck
Maureen