methadone 4 pain relief

[Guest guest]

Dear Bea & group,

I to am in my 50's and deal daily with the pain of a failed fusion, and

degenerating discs.

I currently take a 12 hour generic form of oxy for pain. It helps, but I

daily deal with break

thru pain. I tried upping my dosage, but I then feel really draggy, have even

less energy

than I normally do, which isn't much, and I feel mory sleepy and drugged.

I am interested in hearing about your taking methadone. Is it a 12 hour

dosage, or do you

need to take it every 4 hours? I currently have insurance thru my husband so

I can afford

to take this pill, but I am still looking for something more effective. I

have not tried the fentanyl patch. Have any of you had good luck with that, and

not felt drugged? That is my

fear as I do want to function and drive and all. I feel the best when I do

mostly nothing, but

what quality of life is that??? I already lay down in the afternoon and the

evening just to get

thru the pain.

Thanks for any views you can give me.

Bonnie

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[Guest guest]

My brother takes Methadone for pain and has good results. He was on a

Vicodin / Tylenol mixture before and it didn't do him any good. But, I found out

recently that he wants to up his dose of Methadone because he is getting break

through pain. Maybe he is becoming immuned to the dose they started him on....

but, it seemed to help him in the beginning pretty well. I will ask how

many he takes a day, etc... next time I see him because I'm not sure.

As for me - I was on Oxycontin for about a year and it too, didn't help me

after awhile - I was miserable. So I was switched to MS contin (Morphine

Sulfate). I was on 90 mg a day, and it was hell for my body to get used to, it

took a long time and I lost a lot of weight in the beginning (I went down to 90

pounds from about 115 pounds) - but then I had a radiofrequency rhizotomy

done (cautorization of spinal sensory nerves) in the area that bothers me the

most - which affects my left hip really bad and I had my doc reduce my Morphine

to 15 mg - twice a day after that procedure to see how I'd do. The first

month was really bad pain, but once the nerves died down, my pain was better.

But, the nerves do regenerate / regrow over time, but I'm told they take a

different nerve route. I have been on this dose for a few years now and I do

still get pain now and then, but I just live with it for now. I'm 42, have had

4

Scoliosis surgeries so far and just had a c-section - baby boy - almost 7

pounds.... luckily, my pain stayed pretty good while pregnant except in the

last

month my sacro joints were really beginning to be painful when I got up from

a lying position. But, I also only gained 15 pounds while pregnant which I'm

sure that helped too. If I had gained a lot of weight, I would've been in

bad pain in the end......

Anyways, hope this info helps some..... maybe you might want to ask about MS

Contin instead....

Merkle

Pompano Beach, FL

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Dear Bonnie,

I can certainly relate to your pain. I have been taking methadone for around

four years. One big disadvantage is that I have to take it 4 times a day. It is

not time released but it does have a sort of hold over property to it- in other

words, it hangs aound in the system so that if, for some reason I can't get a

dose at the right time I can't tell. When I was on oxycontin and forgot a dose I

would be reminded by the onset of severe pain that would take quite a while to

get under control. I had to adjust to the methadone, however. For a few weeks it

did make me groggy and tired. That did pass. I had been on Kadian before that, a

time release morphine that I only had to take once every 24 hours. I had to

change, as I said before, because my insurance expired.

I haven't tried the patches. I have also started taking Lyrica, which helped

with the nerve pain. I had the best pain relief I had experienced in years in

the Fall, before the holidays. I just way over extended the time I can be on my

feet and can't get back to that baseline.I would not have a complaint at all if

I could get back to that level of activity with the level of pain relief.

My experience in talking with other pain patients is that it takes a good bit

of trying one thing and another and finding what works for you. I would sure not

stop going back to the dr. and insist on seeing a pain specialist, if you are

not. If a dr is not a pain specialist they are most too afraid to prescribe

enough medication to help before throwing their hands up and telling you they

have done all that can be done.

It's great you have insurance- the pain clinic I go to does not take patients

if they don't have insurance. Thank goodness they didn't discharge me when I

lost my coverage! You have the coverage to get whatever is available. Best of

luck. Don't give up and accept less than what is out there that can give you a

better life. Keep us posted.

Bea

Bonnie Kunschke <bonnieknschk@...> wrote:

Dear Bea & group,

I to am in my 50's and deal daily with the pain of a failed fusion, and

degenerating discs.

I currently take a 12 hour generic form of oxy for pain. It helps, but I daily

deal with break

thru pain. I tried upping my dosage, but I then feel really draggy, have even

less energy

than I normally do, which isn't much, and I feel mory sleepy and drugged.

I am interested in hearing about your taking methadone. Is it a 12 hour dosage,

or do you

need to take it every 4 hours? I currently have insurance thru my husband so I

can afford

to take this pill, but I am still looking for something more effective. I have

not tried the fentanyl patch. Have any of you had good luck with that, and not

felt drugged? That is my

fear as I do want to function and drive and all. I feel the best when I do

mostly nothing, but

what quality of life is that??? I already lay down in the afternoon and the

evening just to get

thru the pain.

Thanks for any views you can give me.

Bonnie

---------------------------------

Ahhh...imagining that irresistible " new car " smell?

Check outnew cars at Autos.

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

Thanks to all who responded to my questions about pain relief. I have not

been to a pain

management clinic for about 2 years. I am lucky that my general practitioner

does

perscribe my pain meds and has been very good about it. Before we lived in

this area

I went to a pain management Dr. and he suggested the epidural and some other

name

for spinal injections to releive the pain. Well, I tried 3 of the injections

and they did absolutely nothing!! I asked him what else we could try and he

said that he does Nothing

else but the injections. Just ask your reg Dr. for pain meds was his

suggestion. Actually

I did see one of his associates who asked me if I wanted to start counseling

to help me deal with the pain. He really sounded like he did Not believe that I

could be in that much pain that I needed 24 hour medications. I told him that

the pain was in my back, spine, hips,shoulders, NOT in my head, and promptly

left. I have been through physical therapy

at various times, but they have not been very helpful in the long run because

my problems are structural, and we cannot change our curves with therapy.

I didn't realise that their are pain clinics that will work with you on

getting you on the right

medications to manage your pain. That is exactly what I am looking for at

this time. I

can manage my pain with the pills that I now take if I do practically nothing

day after day.

But if I go grocery shopping, or run errands or try to do a couple of loads of

laundry, then

my pain goes to a whole different level.

I will check into a pain clinic in this area if they will work with getting me

on the right meds.

I am very interested that you (Beverlee) mentioned that their is a drug called

kadian,which is

a 24 hour timed release. I am on a 12 hour timed release right now and I find

it so much better than taking the 4 hour tabs. Thanks again for any info that

you can give me.

Bonnie

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

-- " marti baker " martipaulbaker@... wrote:

> I wonder if anyone else has reacted with extreme spasms after surgery.

Marti,

So sorry you have had to go through so much. Cannot comment on much of

what you wrote but the spasms are familiar though mine were temporary.

For me spasms are a reaction to serious pain. I had them after my fusion

when I was a child & a couple times after broken bones. Both times

muscle relaxers helped. Recently though I had some abdominal surgery.

After this surgery, the smallest movement of my legs caused terrible

spasms. Felt like I was having them elsewhere also but the legs were the

worst. It was so upsetting & frustrating because I wanted to get up &

get moving. That was impossible with the spasms. Blood work showed low

potassium. The spasms resolved soon after administration of IV potassium.

[Guest guest]

Hi,Methadone has been recommended to me by my pain management

specialist and my family physician is obtaining her license. Still, I

am hanging on to those preconceived notions and worry since I tend to

travel considerably.

I too have been through Oxy (Hated and loathed it!) and switched - my

own recommendation - to MSContin. (Too many mg for my liking and I

NEED to stay alert!). I too had the denervation procedure but it did

nothing for me. Unfortunately, my kyphoscolisois was too serious and

I'd had too many surgeries to now undo the damage. My pain doc, who I

really trust had to sell me on this procedure and I allowed myself to

actually have some hope it would help the pain by the time I agreed t

it (about a year of research - she knows me too well, urging me NOT to

research it for two years, lol). She said my back was " a dog's

breakfast " and the worst one she has ever seen in her 20 plus years pf

practice (HARDLY something I want to be noted for!!) and for her to

attempt it again would be malpractice.

So, I was pretty upset that I had let myself feel so hopeful, sigh!!!

I am doing OK but I do wonder about methadone. Do people have trouble

at airports? Do you carry a medical letter with you? I know those are

minor issues but those are frustrations I figure I do not need and MS

Contin is actually a pretty good medication, all things considered.

I'll be anxious in hearing the responses. Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Gail

[Guest guest]

Dear Gail,

I am interested in hearing about how the MS contin controlled your pain. I am

currently on oxy, and it is not working well. I hate to up the dosage

because

then I will be sleepy and out of it. You stated that you were not happy with

the

oxy either. Does the MS contin control your pain? Why are you thinking of

switching to methadone? Please let us know how it works for you if you do

decide to switch. This forum and being able to talk about our pain meds is a

real help to me. Thank you for any info that you would like to share.

Bonnie

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[Guest guest]

Dear Bonnie and anyone else interested in this subject,

MS Contin works as well as anything has - it is better than oxy for me

at least. I had taken it in the past for something other than back

pain and so had some familiarity with it. Oxy initially made me

nauseated and I just did not like it AT ALL!! And it was not the best

pain reliever. I have to take too much of almost any pain med for it

to work and I am not keen on that so I have developed some of my own

coping mechanisms along with taking MS Contin - I take it tid and also

take MS IR as needed for breakthrough pain.

I am not really keen about trying methadone - it is a suggestion by my

pain doc tho she knows me enough to know I understand my own body. My

family physician is just now applying for her license to prescribe

methadone since she has a few more patients who made need it for pain.

She will probably do her practicum at the Pain Management Unit I

attend in Halifax, NS.

I prefer MS Contin because it does make me as sleepy or as

inattentive as oxy did. However, methadone is supposed to be a better

medication for pain and supposed to allow one to be more alert. I am

still debating the merits and searchingly whether I will make the

switch - I have yet to come to a definitive conclusion but I'll keep

you informed if I do.

Hope your pain control is going well!!!

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Gail