It can be hard to treat. Breakthrough pain is a pain that strikes suddenly.
VOA: special.2009.02.10
An activity can cause breakthrough pain.
VOA: special.2009.02.10
Doctors speak of three kinds of pain: acute,chronic and breakthrough.
VOA: special.2009.02.10
It contained a dose of morphine for breakthroughpain or shortness of breath, Ativan for anxiety attacks, Compazine for nausea, Haldol for delirium, Tylenol for fever, and atropine for drying up the upper-airway rattle that people can get in their final hours.
The original OxyContin was, initially, seen as a breakthrough in pain relief because it would slowly release its active ingredient, oxycodone, over 12 hours, allowing people with chronic pain to be able to take fewer pills, sleep through the night, and generally be less tortured by their condition.