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Myths (Wrong)
- Opioid pain medications should be saved and used only when pain is severe
- If Opioid pain medication is stopped they will go through severe withdrawal
- If someone in hospice takes opioid pain medications they will become addicted
- An individual will develop tolerance to pain medication and it will stop working
Facts (Correct)
- Pain medication should be given on a regular basis to keep ease pain and to avoid unnecessary suffering
- Most people in hospice care will continue to need some dose of opioids so withdrawal should not happen
- Addiction is the compulsive use of drugs for their psychological effects. Use for pain at this stage of life is not addictive
- Tolerance can happen gradually, but the dose can be slowly increased safely, and the medication will continue to work to ease pain and suffering
