Medically, for certain cases Doctors recommend medication which helps patients deal with pain & suffering
When there is no cure for the illness
a) Patients with heart problems can't take any medication available to them while not necessarily painful some folks suffer from depression which does not help with their illness. They can't take certain normal meds as these increase blood pressure (by their negative interaction)
b) Certain cases of Pnemonia/lung problems which are viral there are no medication available to make patient sleep certain medication is used with sleeping properties
c) Certain people who have been thru war have nightmares and trouble to deal with war / and normal scenario for them their mental state is not natural to calm them down certain times medication is used which has a calming effect
d) Patients dealing with Serious illness with no cure (Cancer or Other problems) are prescribed medication to help them reduce their suffering
e) Certain illnesses where their is no cure last for 1-14 days , where patient coughs all time awake and sleep but they can't sleep enough because of their cough since their is no medication , their body's own immune system is only line of defence, for such cases to help patient sleep get thru the pain , certain meds are used which have sleeping properties based on narcotics