[Symptom management of pain and breathlessness]. / Symptomatische Behandlung von Schmerzen und Atemnot.

ABSTRACT

Pain and breathlessness are common symptoms in advanced disease. Pain should be treated with a combination of non-opioids and opioids. Coanalgesics play an important role in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Side-effects of opioids should be treated prophylactically but can make opioid rotation necessary. Management of breathlessness needs a combination of non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures. Fans and rollators showed to be effective in relieving breathlessness. Opioids are the drugs of choice for breathlessness. The efficacy of benzodiazepines could not be confirmed, they should only be used as second line therapy. Also, oxygen should only be given regularly after an individual test.