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For your information

It is important to keep track of all drugs that you may be taking and to share that information with your doctor and all of your medical specialists. Include drugs, prescription and nonprescription, that you may be taking for

• your cancer
• pain control
• sleep
• depression
• bowel functions
• asthma
• colds
• weight control
• headaches, etc.
• blood pressure, bladder, cholesterol

Here are some questions you can ask your doctor, your nurse or your pharmacist:

1. What is the medicine supposed to do?
2. How and when will we know whether it is working?
3. How often and at what times should it be taken?
4. Does it matter if I take it before or after a meal?
5. Are there any foods or liquids it should not be taken with?
6. Should I take the entire prescription or stop when I feel better?
7. Are refills authorized for this prescription? Under what circumstances should I get it refilled?
8. Will this prescription create problems with the other prescriptions or over-the-counter medicine (or vitamins, minerals or herbs) I'm already taking?
9. Will the prescription cause any side effects? How significant are they? What can I do about them? Can you prescribe another medicine that doesn't cause these side effects?
10. Can I take the generic drug equivalent to this prescription and expect the same results?
11. Is there any printed material for me to read about this drug?

Here are some abbreviations that your doctor may use on a prescription:

a.c. -- before meals b.i.d. -- twice a day aa or a -- of each c. -- with fl -- fluid hgb -- hemoglobin h.s. -- at bedtime I. M. -- in the muscle I. V. -- in the vein kg -- kilogram N.P.O. -- fasting p.c. -- after meals

p.o. -- given by mouth p.r.n. -- as needed Q. -- every q.a.m. -- every morning q.d. -- every day q.h. -- every hour q.h.s. -- every evening q.i.d. -- four times a day q.o.d. -- every other day s -- without sub q -- under the skin t.i.d. -- three times a day

 
Typical medications for pain management

If you experience pain, your doctor will need to know all about it in order to prescribe medication. Review this list so that you can give an accurate report:

Where is the pain?
When did it start? Is it constant?
Is it sharp, dull, throbbing, steady?
Is it in one location or does it move?
How intense is it?
Are you taking medication for it?

In pain management, doctors may start with weaker drugs, like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. The next steps are weaker narcotic drugs, like codeine and oxycodone with aspirin (Percodan). Stronger drugs may be used next, like morphine, levorphanol (LevoDromoran), hydromorphine (Dilaudid) and meperidine (Demerol).

Typical medications for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea