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Sickle Cell Disease: Pain Management

Table of Contents


Overview

Pain is a problem for many people who have sickle cell disease. Bouts of severe pain can last for hours to days and are hard to treat. A pain management plan can help you cope with chronic pain and with pain caused by a sickle cell crisis.

Your doctor or a pain treatment specialist can help you make a pain management plan. This plan includes instructions on how to treat pain at home. And it tells you when you need to go to the hospital if your pain gets worse.

Your management plan:

How is pain from sickle cell disease treated?

In many cases, you can treat pain at home. You can use a combination of pain medicines, plenty of fluids, and comfort measures such as heating pads or hot water bottles. Do not use heating pads with children.

A painful event (crisis) can become severe and may last for days to weeks. If home treatment doesn't help enough, you'll need strong pain medicine that must be monitored in a hospital or treatment center.

Treating pain at home

Pain can be treated at home with:

Treating pain at the hospital

If you go to the hospital, you will be treated with a strong pain medicine. This is usually an opioid medicine, such as morphine.


Credits for Sickle Cell Disease: Pain Management

Current as of: December 13, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
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