i also was looking for a site like this and didnt think it existed i have chronic pain from ankylosing spondylitis i take tramadol and humira along with nsaids and muscle relaxers i have been up and down the opiate ladder though doing them every way possible and noww that i have real need for pain relief im pretty much screwed but it will be nice to have others to talk to that understand
So my doc says he wants me to try another shot. I'm not really sold but I guess it's not THAT terrible and who know maybe this one will work a little better. I've put on some weight so even though im still in pain it's nice to at least have a little weight on me. I've out on about 10lbs I'm around 140 now. But yea I'm prolly gunna do it in another 3-4 weeks. I don't really wanna but I know I need to do everything I can because this is really the end of the line. If these shots don't work it's down to meds for life or surgery. Now the first one doesn't sound bad at first till you figure in tolerance, damage to my liver and kidneys seeing as I'm only 21 and have been using for years that would be opiate therapy for about 4-5 years already, and take into account ALWAYS having to have pills on you which is a huge stresser for me. I was arrested even though they were told multiple times I was a CPP so that right there is terrible, and also the fact that I DON'T WANT TO TAKE PILLS EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!! It's getting hard. I don't know what to do. It's been getting me really down lately. Shit is depressing.
From what I understand (and I could be totally wrong) opiates, even when taken for decades, are surprisingly non-toxic. As long as you don't mind the constipation and low testosterone that is...
Yeah,,I got caught off guard by that low testosterone thing this last month when I went in to see my pain doc.Now I have to go get blood tests done to make sure its ok before I go back next month.Another expense I cant afford.The constipation I'm only too well aware of sadly.
Oh hey we live about 2 hours away from each other techn1. I live in Wichita Falls if you know where that is. Haha it always makes me laugh when I meet people online that are sorta near by.
I've dealt with the problem for awhile, and believe me, there have been a couple times I thought I would actually have to go to the ER. I mean, I kind of have an idea of what Elvis went through, lol. There have been many times sitting on the toilet that I felt like I was giving birth to a brick. So I tried different things, and laxatives aren't the answer, because you can become dependent on those. So, I eat things like whole grain breads and pasta, apples, etc. I make sure I have a bowl of oatmeal every day, plus every day I take some metamucil at least once. And now I don't really have that much of a problem with it.
Cool,always nice to meet a fellow Texan online.I lived in Wichita Falls many many years ago when I was about 15 or so,for some reason I still thought it was a little further away though.Did you get any of those tornados last week?One dropped a few neighborhoods over from us,thankfully it raised before it got here.Was a very scary day in this house once those sirens fired up and I could see the funnel cloud from the backyard.Lots of damage to those other folks' homes sadly.
No, Wichita Falls was fine. Just some thunder storms. And ya we are probably 2 to 3 hours away depending where in DFW you live. Also, they have opiate antagonist drugs that don't pass through the blood-brain barrier so they will stop constipation while not putting you into withdrawals. Apparently you can only take it for a couple weeks though.
i thought that this was probably the most appropriate place to post this. just an article i came across today about CPPs: Chronic pain patients overlooked in debate about OxyContin abuse the comments on the article are more interesting than the article itself.
Hey,right on about the comments,,wasn't really anything new in the article about how we're treated.And I wholly agree with the patients views about how everybody(sorry,lots of, not everybody,just seems that way to me sometimes)thinks and treats pain patients.I especially liked the Charlie Chan analogy of cutiing off all the heads to be sure to get the one suspect. I'll readily admit,at times I may take an extra half pill or pill just for the sake of a little bit of euphoria to go with stopping the pain.But after going without a half pill or pill when I could have taken it as scheduled to,I don't feel like I'm abusing 'em so bad I should be pulled from treatment or even doing anything all that bad.I don't drink alcohol or smoke weed(anymore(yet*)) or use coke or other hard drugs.And I don't take so much of my Oxy that I nod off at the dinner table or the family Christmas party either.Yet lots of people would like to think I do, or that I'm instantly an addict so you better watch your purse and family silverware. And so I'm always just one little mistake away from losing my CP doctor and all my meds because of what some other people may do or think.I'm even at this risk because of my pain doc thinking the same backwards way.After many months or years of a drug at a certain dose,if I ask to raise it because it doesn't help anymore due to tolerance,I could get kicked out,right now though he just gets the indignant pissy attitude if I ask(been there 3 years,only had 3 adjustments to med type or dosage,and never called in about losing my script or after hours begging for a refill). For now I try to deal with the pain for as long past dose time as I can so I can squirrel away a few pills here and there or find a way to squeeze out the leftover fent from a used patch so I can squirrel away a patch or two or have another avenue to help myself when the times come that the pain is so bad I'd run short if I took enough to deal with it from my months supply,or the day comes that I come in and the doctor says sorry you need to find a different place for whatever reason,I'll have plenty to taper if need be til I can. I know the article was from Canada,but it totally applies here in the U.S. too,and I hope someday people can be treated on the problems they have and not by the problems others create. I don't drink alcoholor smoke weed(anymore(yet*)-If it were to become legal to use weed for pain,I might start smoking again,but I don't now because it does tend to keep me from doing anything else when I do smoke enough to stop hurting.Same as the opiates,I dont want to be so wasted I just nod,I just dont wanna hurt.
I know this is an old thread- but I am a cpp as well and member of a couple of groups fighting for Chronic Pain patient's rights... if you want more info- let me know. STRENGTH in #s!!
I'm always interested in more information.Whether or not I would be brave enought to use it on my current doctor is another story lol.As much as I hate the way he thinks, he does write me scripts,,,at the moment.. but I dont know for how much longer.
I go to my pain doc today. Hopefully I'll be walking out with my usual 120-10mg hydros. I wouldn't expect much more.
Well,at least my primary care doc told me she didnt have much experience in the p/m department,she has been doing the best she can but it seems im at a dead end with her now,when i mention something else to add or try,her favorite line is "i dont feel comfortable with that",and my insurance doesnt cover any p/m doctors in my area.So,i am left still dealing with pain while on the fentanyl patch,wish i could smoke a little weed with it,but hell,she pisses me so much it aint funny,i have had clean urines for the last seven years with her,but you would think that meant something.I dont know,im getting to where i am blowing off steam so let me put this to a halt.Something has got to change though,take care everyone... '
nightowl420-aint nothing wrong with blowing off steam.Better here than in docs office right lol.But I know exactly how you feel.Been goiong to my pain doc for 3 years plus and he keeps coming up with this"You've been on this dose for a long time,think you can drop one pill a day now so we can give it back to you later when things get worse?"My pain scale already says the dose is too low to anybody with common sense much less a degree in pain.And I've been on this dose for over a year,Hello,,tolerance doesn't make you need less of a dose.It's worse NOW doc!lol Thats why I dont think I'll be there much longer,seems like he's trying to force my hand or something,I dunno. As far as blowing steam here,I'll not complain,may agree,will definitely sympathise.Hang in there buddy.
I comlpetely understand where you are saying techn1,sounds like you are going through the exactly same crap as i am with the doc,im sure alot of others here are to,its a royal pain.I dont have much choice where im at,im stuck with this doctor for now,im in an area where they are only so many and cant afford long distance running back and forth.I have to pick up prescriptions every month,and most of the time they are not ready due to one reason or another,hell i even have to drop a note off to pharmacy every month so my meds will be there the day of my refill,talk about a bunch of lazy itches,i dont get it.Well,one day at a time right,it seems like i have to keep telling myself that or i will probaly blow a fuse.Thank you for your reply tecn1,take care and be safe everyone, GodBless
Just replied to your other post on reusing patches and didnt realise it was you lol.I go in on Tuesday for the sparring match with my pain doc on who's gonna get it their way,him or me lol.While there are probably plenty of places to go around here,I'm afraid its like hunting for a job while you're still employed.If your job in hand finds out your looking they may fire you before you even go to an interview,then you lose your house car and wife,just for going to one of the job hunting websites.Scared that if I went to another doc just to talk about it,they might call my doc for records or something,then poof,relying on my stash supply. Its a real pity that in this day and age(oh gawd I sound like one of those people now),people still have to be in pain,or hell,any of a million things really-hungry,homeless etc. ,because of a few that screwed up,or the greedy ones thst pass the laws & make the rules without knowing how it feels. Now look whos ranting lol. Partner,I hope someone new opens up shop close to you soon or something.I know what this stuff does to the mind and soul on a continued basis,and I hope you get some relief soon.And yeah,use those old patches in your other post. Rant over...
I hear ya techn 1,trust me,i know my doc would drop me quick if i were to do a little doctor shopping,hell,she would think that i was up to know good and put me on paper as trying to use more than one doctor to get more scripts and all that crap people try to pull off,it just doesnt happen.Im just trying to be comfortable in my skin-lol-Im trying to take more gabapentin and it seems to really help some,plus i will take a little more when i stretch my last patch before refills.Well,hope everything works out for you on Tuesday,i always keep going over in my mind as to how i am going to approach the doctor and what im going to say,but it never goes as planned,let us know how you make out at appointment,talk atcha later.
LOLOLOL,,that starts the minute I walk out the door,and just like you,,never goes the way I expect it to. I tried looking for some free options or at least really really cheap patch covers for ya but no luck ,,,yet. Hang in there.
Neither win or loss today--like a draw.Didin't lose any but didn't get any increased.The game goes on.