To help manage pain, your doctor may prescribe medicines that are normally used for other conditions. These can work well for some types of chronic pain, particularly pain caused by nerve damage. See the table below for some examples.
These medicines can be used on their own or with opioids at any stage of the cancer diagnosis and treatment. When prescribed with opioids, these drugs are known as adjuvant drugs or adjuvant analgesics. They can increase the effect of the pain medicine.
Adjuvant drugs are usually given as a tablet that you swallow. Some drugs don’t work right away, so it may take a few days or weeks before they provide relief. In the meantime, opioids are used to control the pain. If you are taking an adjuvant drug, it may be possible for your doctor to reduce the dose of the opioids. This may mean that you experience fewer side effects without losing control of the pain.
Your doctor will talk to you about any potential side effects before you start taking a new medicine. Learn some tips for using medicines safely.
Other medicines used to manage pain
Drug type |
Generic name |
Type of pain |
| antidepressant |
|
burning nerve pain, peripheral neuropathy pain, electric shocks |
| anticonvulsant |
|
burning or shock-like nerve pain |
| anti-anxiety |
|
muscle spasms, which can sometimes occur with severe pain |
| steroid |
|
pain caused by swelling, headaches caused by cancer in the brain, or pain from nerves or the liver |
| bisphosphonates |
|
bone pain (may also help prevent bone damage from cancer) |
| GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) agonist |
|
muscle spasms, especially after spinal cord injury |
| monoclonal antibodies |
|
bone pain (may also help prevent bone damage from cancer) |
| local anaesthetic* |
|
severe nerve pain |
| anaesthetic |
|
burning or shock-like pain |
*Requires careful monitoring
I developed peripheral neuropathy after chemotherapy for breast cancer. The pain from the pins and needles in my hands made it hard to work. The oncologist prescibed an antidepressant to manage the pain, and this worked well. I was able to keep working, which was good for my mental health and wallet.
Tanya
More resources
Dr Tim Hucker, Pain Medicine Specialist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Keiron Bradley, Palliative Care Consultant, Bethesda Health Care, WA; A/Prof Anne Burke, Co-Director Psychology, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, President, Australian Pain Society, Statewide Chronic Pain Clinical Network, SA, School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, SA; Tumelo Dube, Accredited Pain Physiotherapist, Michael J Cousins Pain Management and Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Prof Paul Glare, Chair in Pain Medicine, Palliative Medicine Specialist, Pain Management Research Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW; Andrew Greig, Consumer; Annette Lindley, Consumer; Prof Melanie Lovell, Palliative Care Specialist HammondCare, Sydney Medical School and The University of Technology Sydney, NSW; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Melanie Proper, Pain Management Specialist Nurse Practitioner, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Dr Alison White, Palliative Medicine Specialist and Director of Hospice and Palliative Care Services, St John of God Health Care, WA.
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