Better Pain Management with Compounding
Pain management is the approach for easing patients’ suffering and improving the quality of life of an individual who lives with pain on a daily basis. In the United States, pain is the most common symptom that sends patients into the doctor’s office and can sometimes be very difficult to manage.
Acute pain begins suddenly and is sharp. Acute pain may be caused by issues such as broken bones, burns, childbirth, getting a tooth pulled, etc. Chronic pain is long-term pain and continues to be symptomatic even after an injury has healed. Examples of chronic pain issues are migraines, cancer pain, failed back, fibromyalgia, arthritis and muscle spasms. If acute pain becomes chronic pain, it can become more difficult to treat.
Some commercially available medications used to treat chronic pain may help with the symptoms, but may have secondary side effects such as gastrointestinal upset, drowsiness, constipation, anxiety, and may even interact with other medications. Most patients put up with the side effects in exchange for the pain relief, but by using a compounded preparation there is no need to struggle.
THE BENEFITS OF COMPOUNDED MEDICATIONS IN PAIN MANAGEMENT
As we all know, not all individuals fit into the same mold and each are distinctly unique. Some people are hard to treat and a commercial drug may not give them the relief they are looking for. By working closely with your physician and our knowledgeable pharmacists at Prime Pharmacy, we can discover a way to get your pain management under control. Compounded pain therapy prescriptions are tailored directly to you, your symptoms, and medical needs.
An example of a compounded pain therapy is transdermal pain cream. Transdermal pain creams are medications mixed specifically for you in a cream that is applied topically to a specific area. It delivers the medication directly to the affected site. This allows the medication to go directly to the site of the pain without being metabolized through your organs, which may lead to threatening systemic side effects. Topical application of a pain cream can minimize absorption into the blood stream, has been shown to be more effective, doesn’t mix with your other medications and, best of all, it not addictive. Another advantage of a transdermal cream is that multiple drugs can be added to one compound to maximize the efficiency and make it more convenient to stay compliant.
Other dosage forms of pain management that can be compounded include: Topical Gels and Suppositories. Our pharmacists at Prime Pharmacy are always available to help discuss your pain management needs so you can obtain optimal results.