Pancreatic Cancer: husband is in a lot of pain

Hi anyone have any advice please 

husband diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 6 weeks ago apparently it is small and is having Whipple procedure in 2 weeks .... he is only managing his pain with x2 daily tablets of slow release morphine and also topped up as required with oral morphine, had 1 trip to A&E for IV morphine as pain got too bad the morphine is keeping pain down but still about a 4-6 level all the time how is he in so much pain with a Small tumour is this normal he also has a high pain threshold so can't imagine how it is for him 

  • Hello Canbeatthis, 

    I am so sorry to hear about your husband's recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis but it's good that it is small and I hope that the Whipple procedure works well for him. 

    He seems to be in a lot of pain and shouldn't be suffering like this so it may just be some simple adjustments that need to be made with his pain relief medication. I think it would be worth ringing his medical team and explaining that he is really struggling with pain at the moment and is struggling to get it under control. Effective pain relief should ensure that he is comfortable and as pain free as possible. 

    You might be interested in reading our information on cancer and pain control and if you have any questions, feel free also to get in touch with our cancer nurses on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. 

    I hope that your husband manages to get this sorted very soon and that his operation is a success. Other members of our community will have been in a similar situation before and will have had the Whipple procedure and I hope that they will be along soon to share their experiences with you. 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi Thank you we are trying to sort the meds etc , updated by surgery team on Friday no Whipple op at the moment all cancelled as they have now said he will need chemo first waiting for this to start now