Hi Jewel~~ There are many pain medications available these days, the trick is to find the one that works best for the individual patient. I had tried many things, but have found that Fentanel Patches work best for me. They start with a low dose and can gradually be increased until the right dose is reached. On top of this one can have Ordine 10, which can be used for breakthrough pain. Finding the balance is the important thing.
Many people can not tolerate Morphine and they become constipated, but if you can it works very well. Many people also feel that if they use these medications then they will become addicts, but this is not the case. Both my doctor and the pallative care nurses tell me that when one uses these drugs they work specifically on the cancer pain and you don't get 'high's' like addicts do. I've found this to be very true. However it is hard to break down the fears of a lifetime with regard to drugs!! Once you do overcome these fears then you can use these drugs with confidence and they will make your quality of life so much better because you are no longer fighting the cancer pain.
I wish you well in your search for pain medication. Overcome your fear of being an addict and find the drug which works best for you and then you will be able to 'live' once again. Best wishes to you, Cath