Medicines for symptom control

Medicines can often be used to reduce, or get rid of, unpleasant symptoms. If your symptoms are difficult to treat, your doctor may refer you to a doctor who specialises in symptom control, or a specialist palliative care clinic. There are specialist clinics in most areas of the UK (contact our cancer support specialists| for further details). The staff in the clinics are expert in controlling symptoms and can also give emotional support to you and your family.

Medicines to help control symptoms can be taken in different ways. Many are taken as tablets or capsules. Liquid forms of many drugs are available for people who find tablets hard to swallow. Other methods include suppositories (which are inserted into the back passage) and skin patches. Injections or infusion pumps (a continuous low dose given through a small tube just under the skin or into a vein) can be used if you are not able to take tablets or capsules. Your doctor or nurse can explain the options available in your particular situation. 

Daily drug schedule Back to top

If you are taking several different drugs, you may find it helpful to draw up a chart listing:

• the drugs
• what they do
• their doses
• the time of day to take them.

Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can help you, or may be able to give you a chart. Make sure the chart has space for you to tick off each dose as you take it. You may find that it is easier to have your drugs arranged by the pharmacist, or nurse, in a container (called a pill reminder or dosette box) that is labelled with the times to take them. Then, at any time during the day you can check that you are up-to-date. You may also want to ask your doctor or nurse whether it is possible for you to take your drugs all at the same time.

The aim is to make things as simple as possible. If you find that remembering to take medicines several times a day is difficult, talk to your doctor: there may be other forms of the same drug that have the same effect, but do not need to be taken so often.

You may find it useful to keep a diary of how well your pain and other symptoms are being controlled. There is a link below to a symptom diary that you can print off and can use.

This can help your medical team too. They will be able to see whether the doses of any of your drugs need changing. If you photocopy the diary before you fill it in, you can use it again as often as you need to, and to keep a record of different symptoms.

If you don't want to bother with a full diary, just make a note if your pain or other symptoms come back before your next dose of medicine is due, and when you need to take extra doses.