Re: Old... but with new questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry.....

I have also been more of a message reader than a message poster lately! With

all the medications that I am taking for chronic pain, and other medical

conditions, I find myself quite tired a lot of the time which tends to reduce

the amount of time that I spend responding to email.

Have you tried Fentanyl Patches for your chronic pain? If not, I would suggest

that you speak with your doctor about this medication. It comes in five (5)

strengths, 12 mcg/hr, 25 mcg/hr, 50 mcg/hr, 75 mcg/hr, and 100 mcg/hr. Fentanyl

is also available as a lozenge (5 strengths) and as an injection.

Since my spinal fusion surgeries (2) in 1996, I tried a number of different

medications for my pain including Oxycontin; however, none of them relieved my

pain. A patch is used for 72 hours. At first, I tried the 25 mcg strength;

but, it didn't really help much. I then tried the 50 mcg strength; but, it made

me feel " funny " . So, with the help of a calendar, I use the 25 mcg strength and

apply a second 25 mcg strength patch at 48 hours, replacing the first patch at

72 hours (In other words, I replace a patch each day with a skipped day; hence,

the need for the calendar). Except for issues relating to bouncing, this has

greatly controlled my pain (along with the use of Vicoprofen (Hydrocodone 7.5

mg; Ibuprofen 200 mg) ) for breakthrough pain.

I hope that this information helps you, and good luck!!

S.

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In a message dated 10/30/06 11:00:22 Eastern Standard Time, emrteacher@...

writes:

I have been on Oxycontin for the past 5+ years and it no longer works. I'm also

on the newer medication called Lyrica for a year now, I take Ambien to help me

sleep at night, Cymbalta for depression, and I need a medication called Provigil

to help me stay awake during the day because all the pain medications have

caused me to have medication induced narcolepsy. I keep having excruciating pain

in my back, tail

bone and down my leg. Part of my foot is numb except for when it cramps up. Can

anyone tell me what is next after OXY?

[Guest guest]

My son, who is 21 and has had several spine fusing surgeries, has been

successful controlling his pain with methadone, 10 mg three times a day.

Before

that he did patches, oxycodone and other meds with limited success.

Methadone is a very old tried and true pain medication and it is amazingly

inexpensive. With insurance coverage, patches had been costing around $100 a

month

and Methadone is $10 a month.

[Guest guest]

You might want to check out Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and/or

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/reflex_sympathet\

ic_dystrophy.htm

--

>

> My son, who is 21 and has had several spine fusing surgeries, has been

> successful controlling his pain with methadone, 10 mg three times

a day. Before

> that he did patches, oxycodone and other meds with limited success.

> Methadone is a very old tried and true pain medication and it is

amazingly

> inexpensive. With insurance coverage, patches had been costing

around $100 a month

> and Methadone is $10 a month.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

I can so relate to your problems. I was an ICU nurse who went back to work

post fusion from T1 to L5 in 1996. It was not a job that I should've done with

all the back issues but it was what I loved. Six years after returning to work,

I had started having all sorts of pain problems, including severe neck pain and

hip 'popping' and pain. As a nurse it was not an option for me to take a lot of

pain meds. I took Darvocet (!) and ibuprofen, period! I was on a downhill path

and like you, had not made " what-if " plans. I was getting totally stressed

trying to work with the pain, plus I had started having a return of problems

with pain associated with the tops of my rods. I had had the top two or so

inches removed 3 years prior to this time because the shooting nerve pain had

put me out of work. I was trying to just get through the holidays in 2002,

planning to possibly have more of the rods removed and hopefully get some help

for my other problems. It's too late to make this a

short story, but one day at work, being understaffed, I lifted a patient and

broke one of my rods and the fusion at about waist level. I haven't worked since

that day. December 13, 2002.

I started out with a regular MD but thank God for pain specialists, and I

found a good one. Oxycontin didn't help me at all. I finally got relief to some

degree on Kadian, a timed release morphine. I had quick release morphine for

breakthru pain. However, this med program cost over $500/month on the dosage I

was on. With my insurance I was OK, but when the cobra ran out I was changed to

methadone. The MD feared it wouldn't help as much but it actually helped a lot

of the nerve pain much better. After a while the max dose of methadone wasn't

taking care of all the worst pain and quick release morphine, a cheap med, was

added. When that still didn't do it, Lyrica was added, This has been a great

help for me, but I've recently had to have the dose increased. I've experienced

the memory problems, and they are worse with the Lyrica. I also have a real

problem with word retrieval with this med, but would rather struggle with that

than be in the bed with unrelieved pain. This

particular combination has really made my life good. I'm a hyper person and

have not had any problems with sleepiness after I adjusted to the methadone.

If you can get your disability you would at least have some income and

wouldn't have the possibility of causing problems with increased pain due to

having to be on your feet beyond your tolerance level. It took me two tries and

the help of a lawyer to get mine and now with medicare I at least have the

option again of surgical help in the future if need be, plus a prescription plan

that helps a lot. I was out of work in such an abrupt manner that I experienced

depression that I am on Paxil for. I've finally come to an emotional acceptance

that I will not be going back to work as a nurse. I recently had the longest

time frame since my injury of 'good days'- time not on extended bedrest. I guess

it was maybe 3 weeks. I got a notion that maybe I could get a part time job.

Can't you see my interview: " I'm on methadone, morphine, an anti-seizure med

(Lyrica) that slows my thought processes, and Paxil. I can't be on my feet for

too long or I have to lie down. I have a real

problem with short term memory so you may have to remind me of a lot and I'm

not too dependable because I have these times when I have to be on bedrest for

days at the time when the pain gets too bad, but I really would like to take

care of your sick mother/child/friend. " Even a desk job is out because sitting

causes me the most relapses and down time. So I will not work again. Hard to

come to terms with, but thank goodness I have wonderful support. I've been too

active during these 'good days' and I am now in the bed and in a fair amount of

unrelieved pain. So it goes.

I haven't tried the drug patches as I saw another member mention. I know they

do work for a lot of people but I had to get on a plan that was affordable for

us when I had no insurance for a couple of years. I wish you the very best in

coming to terms with your work situation and finding a medication program that

works for you. It is really hard to stay at home when you love human contact and

get satisfaction from your job. You and I are both in the helping fields as far

as our work histories. I think people in the helping professions can also be the

types of folks who push way beyond our limits and do harm to our health. Please

keep us posted.

God bless,

Bea

Terry Wadleigh <emrteacher@...> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

I became a member in March 2001, although I " ve been away for over a

year never really left. I became one of the " GRAY " , those who read but

don't post.

I have a few questions I hope someone can help me with. Has anyone had

to have hip replacement? I did and thought it was the answer to my

prayers, but instead it was just ANOTHER part TO the same nightmare.

I have been on oxycontin for the past 5+ years and it no longer works.

I'm also on the newer medication called Lyrica for a year now, I take

Ambien to help me sleep at night, cymbalta for depression, and I need a

medication called Provigil to help me stay awake during the day

because all the pain medications have caused me to have medication

induced narcolepsy. I keep having excrusiating pain in my back, tail

bone and down my leg. Part of my foot is numb except for when it cramps

up. Can anone tell me what is next after OXY? Has anyone had any

processing delays or problems with short term memory? What did you

do? My problem that I never planned for the " what if's " in life and I

don't think we can afford for me to stop working. I have an excellent

pain management doctor (thanks to this group) who wants me to stop

working but I won't. I am a special education teacher, I love what I

do, and I am not ready to stop. On the other hand, I wake up every

morning in real pain after waking up (and my husband) several times

during the night crying out in pain. Walking is hard to say the least

given my Harrington rod and now my new hip. Now to top it off my other

hip is starting to hurt a lot. I'm at the point where I don't know

what to do.

[Guest guest]

At 09:25 AM 11/4/2006, you wrote:

>I haven't tried the drug patches as I saw another member mention. I

>know they do work for a lot of people but I had to get on a plan

>that was affordable for us when I had no insurance for a couple of

>years. I wish you the very best in coming to terms with your work

>situation and finding a medication program that works for you. It is

>really hard to stay at home when you love human contact and get

>satisfaction from your job. You and I are both in the helping fields

>as far as our work histories. I think people in the helping

>professions can also be the types of folks who push way beyond our

>limits and do harm to our health. Please keep us posted.

>God bless,

>Bea

Bea, have you ever tried Accupuncture or Accupressure for the

pain? None of the drugs worked for me, so I finally went to a

Chinese Accupunturist, and it really helps.

in Oakland

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/6/06 8:25:25 AM, bea_simmons@... writes:

> I'm holding out on surgery hoping some amazing new procedure will come

> about that will fix everything.

>

YYYEEEESSSSS!

[Guest guest]

Did you happen to notice that, when 's son died,

people thought that he was on methadone to cure a heroin habit and

never gave a nod to the idea of chronic pain? I do not know if he

suffered from " anything " , but that did hit me. My doctor has told me

that, before long, he would recommend that for my spinal pain. It is

just awful, I think, the way " people " talk about drugs, without any

knowledge of what it is like to be one of us!

Just meandering!

Carole (PS -- I so hope that your son is doing well!)

>

> My son, who is 21 and has had several spine fusing surgeries, has

been

> successful controlling his pain with methadone, 10 mg three times a

day. Before

> that he did patches, oxycodone and other meds with limited

success.

> Methadone is a very old tried and true pain medication and it is

amazingly

> inexpensive. With insurance coverage, patches had been costing

around $100 a month

> and Methadone is $10 a month.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Pain Clinic in these parts are pretty depressing. Well there is only

one I know of. They don't have very skilled people there in my opinion

and mostly they deal with migraines or minor sore backs. When I went

they just looked at me and didn't know what to do. They don't

prescribe medication either... they just recommend your doctor give

you something. I tried their groups sessions but found that no one

could relate to real sustain pain. They just couldn't even imagine

what it's like to suffer every single day at a high level. So it was

pretty much a waste of time.

My doctor on the other hand use to monitor my medications at first but

now, after 7 or 8 years, really just writes me the prescriptions

without too much concern. She finally figured it out that when she

writes a prescription for something I take it exactly as written and I

know enough not to do something stupid. I can understand checking up

on people I suppose but sometimes I think that they go overboard with

this. It's like the insurance companies. They treat everyone like a

criminal or someone trying to scam the system without regards to the

fact that there are people that aren't doing that. When the medical

system starts doing that too then it gets weird. Here we are, people

that didn't ask for chronic pain, having to constantly prove that we

are in pain, and then treated like we aren't by everyone in the

system. It can gets very damaging psychologically in the end. It took

me a long time to get over that aspect of it and just accept it. Now I

am pretty much immune to them and their witch hunt philosophy. I just

ignore them and go on with life but at first that was pretty hard.

It's harder still when you are sore and miserable not to react to them

but in the end you have to play their games because of the scammers I

suppose.

I can understand some drugs being used for a buzz like medical

marijuana. I am still not convinced about the benefits of that one.

However getting a license here for it is so hard it just not worth the

effort even to find out so I guess I won't find out.

> I can honestly say that I have never had a BUZZ from

morphine. Now if

> you want to feel lazy, worn out, run down and slightly muddled all day

> it's the drug of choice. Seriously I have taken a lot of narcotic

> medication over the years for my pain and I have yet to figure out why

> anyone would take this stuff for fun. Unless I sit down and

> consciously think about it I don't even notice the effects anymore and

> it's pretty mild at best.

>

> You know the other problem now is that a lot of pharmacies won't stock

> narcotics any longer which leaves some people in a bit of a situation

> when it comes to getting their prescriptions filled. There are several

> chain pharmacies in town that have big sign up about it and when I

> dared to ask what they would do for someone who had a valid

> prescription they said basically too bad. I said I guess that makes us

> second class citizens in your eyes then and she just shrugged. Isn't

> that a wonderful attitude.

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