1. Treat Mild Pain
Testicular cancer pain is often less severe than the pain experienced by patients with other forms of cancer. If your testicular cancer was detected early, your chances of avoiding serious, long-term pain are very good, and you'll be able to manage it using non-opioid painkillers.
Mostly, you'll be directed to use either nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen. If your pain is at the mild end of the spectrum, over-the-counter drugs might do the trick. Otherwise, your doctor will give you a prescription for a drug to relieve your moderate pain.
2. Manage Chronic or Severe Pain
You'll need something stronger to treat more difficult and chronic pain symptoms. Opioid analgesics are often prescribed to testicular cancer patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Examples of these drugs include hydromorphone, oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl and, in severe cases, morphine.
You might be wary of using these drugs over the long term, because they can be habit-forming and come with a broader set of side effects. Your doctor may combine opioids with non-opioids, directing you to use the former only when you experience a strong flare-up in your pain.
3. Combat Unusual Pain Symptoms
Because surgery is commonly used to treat testicular cancer, your pain may be related to post-operative swelling. Some cancer patients also complain of uncomfortable burning or tingling sensations, which are treated differently than primary pain symptoms.
Steroidal treatments are usually indicated to control swelling. Surprisingly, antiepileptics (also called anticonvulsants) or antidepressants can be used to relieve burning and tingling pain. You should bear in mind that these drugs are prescribed in these cases for their ability to change the way your mind perceives pain, not because you're prone to epilepsy or seizures or suffer from mental illness.
4. Explore Alternative Treatments
If you're resistant to the idea of taking painkilling drugs to manage your testicular cancer symptoms, the human mind is capable of incredible healing if you train it properly. You can use distraction techniques, breathing exercises, hypnosis, guided imagery exercises, acupressure and acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation and surgical interventions to manage your pain without the use of drugs. Talk to your doctor to learn how you can access these alternative treatments through your local health network.
