Why don't doctors prescribe anaesthetics?

Question

My mum has got really bad leg pains - she can't move her left leg cos its paining a lot, and she finds it really hard to balance and move.

First of all, what can I do to help her at home? Secondly, on a more general note, why don't doctors prescribe mild/weak local anaesthetics. I know people can become dependant on them, but sometimes if you have leg pains or whatever, couldnt weak anaesthetics really help you? I suppose the main worry is over dependancy, and forgetting that pain has a purpose. For example if you keep on using anaesthetics, and forget your legs paining, and then you injure your leg, it just gets worse and you can't feel it.

Thanks... I think I drifted off a bit!!!

Answer 1

First you need a concrete diagnosis! Leg pain can be anything from tired muscles to blood clot, so the diagnosis comes first. If for example the pain is due to blood clot, no amount of pain pills or anesthetics will help. The only help to have the clot 'removed'. Pain is a 'symptom' not a cause, so you always treat the cause, not the symptom.
The reason for pain is to tell us something is wrong and you are correct in stating if we keep numbing the pain, other parts might hurt and we would never know. We stop the pain in the leg and die from a heart attack as the anesthetic masked the heart attack pain symptom. Then as you state their is a dependency to pain killers, just like alcohol. Therefore the problem is, if you use pain killers, prescribed or illegal and then rushed into Hospital for Surgery, because your body is 'used' to pain killers, it is going to be harder to kill the pain during and after surgery. I am so glad that I never became addicted to alcohol, as I am now on Fentanyl Patches and I cannot touch alcohol. However if I was an alcoholic, I would first need to go through withdrawal before starting the Fentanyl, or drink myself to death due to pain?

Answer 2

What you are talking about is in the same class as aspirin. She won't get addicted to them any more than she would Advil.

For those preaching about pain killers I wish you could spend one day in my body and then see how you feel about pain meds. I have been taking pain meds for 10 years, per doctors Rx, and never take more than the dose on the bottle.
Without them I wouldn't be able to do simple things like walk, type, function as a human

Answer 3

people like rush Limbaugh who abused the prescription pain killing drugs have made it harder for the people in real pain to get relief. You usually have to see a pain management specialist, who is usually also an anesthesiologist for long term pain relief.. most doctors are worried about getting sued for over prescribing , or making someone dependent on pain killers

Answer 4

pain meds can work with the right doc. dependency can be avoided by changing the med regularly before addiction.
i agree that pain can be a good thing but not when it incapacitates somone. no one should live in constant pain especially when the quality of living is completely denied due to the pain.

Answer 5

An Anesthesiologist has to be in charge of anesthesia. They are not prescribed to individuals.

She just needs pain meds or diagnosis for the problem.