Painkillers suffering

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Danielelfe

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Hi all,

Should a Catholic avoid using painkillers to treat a headache and offer the suffering up to God or not? Is it morally acceptable to use painkillers so the headache Goes away? Thanks!

Daniel.
 
First, we should distinguish between painkillers, which are very powerful medications that function by blocking pain receptors in the brain, and your more basic over-the-counter analgesics, which work by alleviating inflammation. A headache is a kind of this inflammation; when you experience that pain, it’s pain at the level of the muscles or bones, since there are no nerve endings in the brain.

It is perfectly fine to use medicine for the alleviation of pain, whatever mechanism of action the medicine may be, or whatever strength it might be. While it is a good and holy thing to offer up our pain and suffering as a prayer to God, we don’t have to forego treating a medical problem, even a mild one. I take ibuprofen on occasion for pain in my head and shoulders.

Now if you’re taking painkillers for headaches, you either have some mightily powerful headaches, or you’re using a disproportionate means of treatment. But that would be the only real way I can think of that taking pain medication would be wrong–it’s being done either disproportionate to the medical issue, or else is being outright abused.

-Fr ACEGC
 
It is a helpful and noble thing to offer sacrifices to God. But there is no absolute moral requirement to suffer intensely without alleviation. In some situations, it might even be a sin to do so - for example, if one chose to suffer to avoid other responsibilities. (As an example, it would not be acceptable for a parent to decide not to take pain medication so that they could use the pain as an excuse not to provide appropriate care for their children.)

Not to mention that untreated pain can sometimes create additional problems, and we have certain duties towards ourselves.
 
A read of Sirach, chapter 38 might be helpful. The Lord also created the doctor and pharmacist.

Use, don’t abuse.
 
The reasonable use of painkillers is fine. Obviously you don’t want to be popping handfuls of them as that would endanger your health. The Lord does not expect you to choose to suffer the pain of a headache .

If you were in a situation where you got a bad headache and for some reason couldn’t get a painkiller right that minute, like you were on an airplane or a bus and didn’t have a bottle of aspirin with you, then you might offer up your suffering until you can get to a drug store. Or, if you knew the painkiller might have another adverse effect (like make you sleepy when you needed to be awake), you might try to offer up your pain then. Offering up pain is normally done when it’s pain we cannot reasonably avoid through medical treatment or rest or whatever.
 
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Use something over the counter but try to have some water first and you may well find that the headache eases up. A lot of us are dehydrated much of the time and we don’t realise. That said, any suffering offered up helps on a spiritual level for you and for those you’re praying for. However don’t get caught up in thinking the more suffering you can allow yourself the better , especially if you are scrupulous
 
But wouldnt it be always morally better to forgo painkillers or pain relieve (for example small things like headache or something else) and offer suffering up to God?
 
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Danielelfe said:
Should a Catholic avoid using painkillers to treat a headache and offer the suffering up to God or not? Is it morally acceptable to use painkillers so the headache Goes away? Thanks
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No. God doesn’t want us to suffer.
 
Danielelfe said:
But wouldnt it be always morally better to forgo painkillers or pain relieve (for example small things like headache or something else) and offer suffering up to God?
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No, not at all. That would be a distortion of Catholic teaching, and, as others have noted, might actually be sinful.
 
If you feel inclined to suffer these pains you can talk to a spiritual director.
 
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JMMJ said:
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Danielelfe:
Should a Catholic avoid using painkillers to treat a headache and offer the suffering up to God or not? Is it morally acceptable to use painkillers so the headache Goes away? Thanks
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No. God doesn’t want us to suffer.
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Really? “In pain shall you bring forth your children,” God told Eve, and all her descendants. I still don’t understand why, in the face of an explicit Divine directive, the Church allows anesthesia or other pain-blocking methods during childbirth. But maybe that’s just me.
 
Pitcairn17 said:
. I still don’t understand why, in the face of an explicit Divine directive, the Church allows anesthesia or other pain-blocking methods during childbirth.
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Are you a boy or a girl?

But aside from childbirth, I don’t reach for pain medication until I’m about a 4-5/10. Otherwise I just can’t function…
 
I think often it can be more meritorious and pleasing to God, but it is not necessary. Of course different circumstances may make medicine and pain killers better even morally, like if it is necessary to function properly and fulfill your duties
 
It is definitely morally acceptable for Catholics to use painkillers to alleviate suffering. G-d enables researchers and physicians to help people in pain by means of medication and medical technology. The suffering that we cannot alleviate can be offered up by Catholics to Jesus, as well as to those in purgatory.
 
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There is nothing wrong with trying to avoid some pain in childbirth. Just because in Genesis God said childbirth would be painful due to sin doesn’t mean nothing can be done to lessen the pain. All suffering is a result from sin, but we can seek relief from the suffering whether it is mental, physical, or spiritual pain. Otherwise just get rid of medical care and all that and let people deal with their suffering since we deserve it and we all die anyway
 
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Unfortunately as with everything in this life we have to endure we are always offered “solutions” to our problems.
I have pain here is Ibuprofen. Take them and your pain will go away.
I know since I have been there. I sprained a wrist. The pain was so atrocious the doctor gave me 1000mg Ibuprofen of which I had to take twice a day to be able to sleep at night.
But all the medications have side effects. Now I need to take medication for my liver that was screwed up by the Ibuprofen. GOD knows what else is in the process of being damaged by the liver medication. And on we go.
As others have offered sometimes we need to take the medication, but we do not have to if we can tolerate the pain. In which case it is meritorious to “offer it up” to GOD by joining it with the pain Jesus endured for us.
Peace!
 
A Bible statement of fact that childbirth will be physically painful does not equate to a directive that the person must not do anything to try to relieve the pain.
Back to ancient times, women used all kinds of natural painkilling methods such as herbs, positioning and water birth to try to relieve the pains of childbirth.
Childbirth is also not totally painless even if you use anesthesia; you will have some pain to let you know you are going into labor. You may also have some pain after the anesthetic wears off due to the strain and injury on your body from pushing a baby out.

By your profile name you seem to be male. This makes your statement seem somewhat sadistic towards women. I hope if you have a wife and she has a child, you don’t insist that she go without pain medication in childbirth based on your personal, incorrect interpretation of the Bible.
 
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