4/4: Questions and Answers on pain for Young Patients

Q. "Will the nurses think I'm a wimp if I say that it hurts?"

A. The nurses may not know if you are in pain, and you need to tell them. You are the expert who knows how much it hurts. Perhaps this chart will help you to show which face fits how you feel now

Q. "Will they keep me in hospital if I say that it hurts?"

A. If you have pain, it is better to say so, because if the pain is treated properly you may get better more quickly.

Q. "Will I turn into a drug addict?"

A. No. If you have drugs for pain, you can come off them quite easily when the pain goes.

Q. "Shall I wait until the pain gets very bad before I ask for help?"

A. The drug may take an hour or more to work, It is worth asking for something before the pain gets bad and you get very tense.

Q. "Will I need an injection?"

A. Lots of people hate needles. You can ask to have pain relief given another way (see the section on How are these drugs given) There is a special cream which takes away pain from some injections. But you need to have the cream on your skin for up to an hour before the injection. If you would like this, ask your nurse or doctor about it.

Q. "I'm told that I have had as much pain relief as everyone else has, and I don't need any more. But I still have a lot of pain. Why is that?"

A. Everyone is different. Some need a lot of help, and others need little or none.

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