Palliative physician and pain expert, Sven Gottschling, pain pills only on prescription and that Doctors treat pain more systematically, especially if they are chronic. In an Interview with FOCUS Online, he talks about the dangerous side effects of agents such as Ibuprofen and he says, what Alternatives he sees.
Sven Gottschling is a senior physician at the centre for palliative medicine and paediatric pain therapy of the University hospital of the Saarland. In his book, “pain, get rid of: Why do so many people suffer unnecessarily and what really helps,” he explains the phenomenon of pain in all its facets, is reported from ten years of experience as a specialist in this discipline, and complains that the treatment of pain in Germany. In an Interview with FOCUS Online, the doctor what is wrong and how it could get much better explained.
FOCUS Online: In your book, “pain, get rid of” leathers neatly against the usual pain relievers. You want us to endure a headache or back pain?
Sven Gottschling: no, not at all. For an acute pain every time it is allowed to resort to pain pill. The Problem is that the popular over-the-counter remedies are often applied incorrectly and underestimated.
FOCUS Online: let’s Stay with the point “underestimated”. What do you mean?
Sven Gottschling: Many patients swallow SPERM, Ibuprofen or Diclofenac as easygoing as Smarties – much too often and much too long. And no one thinks of the long-term damage. There are people, to take away the pain for decades, Ibuprofen for chronic joint. You risk gastro – intestinal bleeding, kidney damage and have a high risk for a heart attack or stroke.
More Deaths from Painkillers than from road accidents
FOCUS Online: you are Exaggerating now?
Sven Gottschling: a conservative estimate, die every year around 4000 people by internal bleeding as a result of analgesic use. The more deaths than by traffic accidents.
Another example: Paracetamol. We now know that the active ingredient fever lowers, but not for pain helps. But since it is the only “pain”is medium, the Pregnant may take, you can use it for headaches. The effect is a maximum in the placebo area, but has negative effects on the Unborn child: higher risk for ADHD, Asthma, allergies, and harmful for the development of male sex organs.
FOCUS Online: If these drugs are so dangerous, then why are you over the counter or in higher doses by Doctors, according to experience, easily prescribed?
Sven Gottschling: We pain physicians have been demanding for long that the Standard pain killers is not freely available are likely to be. Then you could curb the abusive application, and it would not be every year, 150 tons of Ibuprofen produced. And as for the Doctors, unfortunately, only a few really know of pain therapy. Specialized pain doctors in Germany, there are just 1000.
Doctors don’t take enough pain treatment
FOCUS Online: What should the Doctors because better?
Sven Gottschling: you would have to with the topic of pain employ a complex process, in which the Psyche of their patients a very important role to play. And you would have to put up with more effective pain control apart. Most of the Doctors and patients are scared to death of opioids for pain. I advocate for a much more frequent use of morphine and similar strong-acting Pain meds. Morphine is for patients to duration less dangerous than Ibuprofen or Diclofenac. An Opioid will not be able chronic take the Sick for a lifetime without any health consequences, the pain pills.
FOCUS Online: And what about drug addiction?
Of the six criteria for addiction only applies to pain patients, namely, withdrawal symptoms upon prompt Discontinuation of the drug. But loss of control, the need for higher doses or the inability to carry out everyday tasks, I have never observed. A prerequisite for pain treatment with morphine preparations, a good therapy control by an experienced doctor.
FOCUS Online: But it can, however, not each morphine instead of Aspirin in the medicine Cabinet!
Sven Gottschling: of Course not. And in the case of acute pain you can also use ACE or Ibuprofen. In the case of a tension headache or a sports injury, for example, you can slog a few days with an early and high-dose, but not longer than three to seven days. Who needs on a regular basis to more than five days of medication for pain, should get away from the over-the-counter products. Take pain longer or threaten to become chronic, you may have a look also on opioids. Of course this is then definitely not a case for self-medication.