I think that for anybody even if a person's pain is not increasing, their need for pain medication will increase. I think it is a fine line between being dependent on a medication and thinking you're an addict. In medical school we study this a lot and I think it helps more to think of it as being something like insulin, like a diabetic needs insulin. A person with cancer pain needs narcotics. There is really nothing else that will serve that purpose. It's hard to dispel, because we have so many preconceived notions and we think "Oh my gosh, she's an addict."

Additional Medical Information:

• Concerns about addiction
• Physical dependence