Guest guest Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hi Debra: Although your message is to , I was interested in what you were saying about your doctor's treatment of you regarding pain. You also seem very knowledgeable about pain issues so I wondered if I could ask a question. I am a chronic pain patient and my illnesses are panhypopituitarism (endocrine system failure), fibromyalgia, heart valve disease, osteoporosis, GERD and IBS. I've had to take pain meds for several years and for the earlier years I was taking Ultram and it worked fairly well for quite awhile. About 3-4 years ago, the Ultram no longer worked and my pain also increased a great deal. So my doctor reluctantly had me take hydrocodone instead. I started out taking 3 tablets per day in the beginning and as time passed and pain increased, the dosage was raised. Three months ago, I was prescribed hydrocodone (10mg.), 8 times per day. This means I have to set the clock to be sure to wake up every three hours to take the meds although I actually wake up FROM the pain before the alarm sounds. I also take a muscle relaxant (Zanaflex) to help with pain also because the hydrocodone is barely taking away anything. The Zanaflex makes me nearly comatose with sleepiness so I had to say goodbye to going out anywhere because I fall asleep no matter where I am. I haven't been able to drive for a couple of years and I had to leave my job (financial manager) and go on disability two years ago. I'm trying to be optimistic about the pain because I'm hoping that some day someone will invent something that will help over the long term. I really feel some despair today because yesterday a friend of mine went to the pharmacy to pick up my month's supply of pain pills and when I got them there was only enough for 20 days instead of 30 like I usually receive. Later my friend went by the pharmacy and asked about the discrepancy and the pharmacist said that he thought the doctor was trying to keep me from becoming an addict. I had no idea that the doctor was thinking I was addicted to anything and he didn't say a word about it when I saw him a month ago. I'm thinking that I'd be better off stopping the medication like you said that you had done. How long does it take to stop this medication? I have so much to cope with right now that I'd rather be in terrible pain than have someone believe that I'm addicted to pills. I've read on the Internet that the DEA is going to start tracking the meds of all pain patients very soon and that is another motivation to be rid of this medication. I've been really sick from my failed pituitary gland and will be going to a specialist in Boston next month because my endocrine hormones are totally out of kilter. I'm also in the middle of a marital crisis (his infidelity) and we go to counseling twice a week which has been very painful and scary. So if I get rid of the turmoil of the pain meds, I'll have one less problem to cope with. I just need to know what to expect upon stopping them. I have such great insurance and nearly 100% coverage for meds but I can't see what good that is doing me. Thanks for any help you can give me on this. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hi Debra: Although your message is to , I was interested in what you were saying about your doctor's treatment of you regarding pain. You also seem very knowledgeable about pain issues so I wondered if I could ask a question. I am a chronic pain patient and my illnesses are panhypopituitarism (endocrine system failure), fibromyalgia, heart valve disease, osteoporosis, GERD and IBS. I've had to take pain meds for several years and for the earlier years I was taking Ultram and it worked fairly well for quite awhile. About 3-4 years ago, the Ultram no longer worked and my pain also increased a great deal. So my doctor reluctantly had me take hydrocodone instead. I started out taking 3 tablets per day in the beginning and as time passed and pain increased, the dosage was raised. Three months ago, I was prescribed hydrocodone (10mg.), 8 times per day. This means I have to set the clock to be sure to wake up every three hours to take the meds although I actually wake up FROM the pain before the alarm sounds. I also take a muscle relaxant (Zanaflex) to help with pain also because the hydrocodone is barely taking away anything. The Zanaflex makes me nearly comatose with sleepiness so I had to say goodbye to going out anywhere because I fall asleep no matter where I am. I haven't been able to drive for a couple of years and I had to leave my job (financial manager) and go on disability two years ago. I'm trying to be optimistic about the pain because I'm hoping that some day someone will invent something that will help over the long term. I really feel some despair today because yesterday a friend of mine went to the pharmacy to pick up my month's supply of pain pills and when I got them there was only enough for 20 days instead of 30 like I usually receive. Later my friend went by the pharmacy and asked about the discrepancy and the pharmacist said that he thought the doctor was trying to keep me from becoming an addict. I had no idea that the doctor was thinking I was addicted to anything and he didn't say a word about it when I saw him a month ago. I'm thinking that I'd be better off stopping the medication like you said that you had done. How long does it take to stop this medication? I have so much to cope with right now that I'd rather be in terrible pain than have someone believe that I'm addicted to pills. I've read on the Internet that the DEA is going to start tracking the meds of all pain patients very soon and that is another motivation to be rid of this medication. I've been really sick from my failed pituitary gland and will be going to a specialist in Boston next month because my endocrine hormones are totally out of kilter. I'm also in the middle of a marital crisis (his infidelity) and we go to counseling twice a week which has been very painful and scary. So if I get rid of the turmoil of the pain meds, I'll have one less problem to cope with. I just need to know what to expect upon stopping them. I have such great insurance and nearly 100% coverage for meds but I can't see what good that is doing me. Thanks for any help you can give me on this. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hi Debra: Although your message is to , I was interested in what you were saying about your doctor's treatment of you regarding pain. You also seem very knowledgeable about pain issues so I wondered if I could ask a question. I am a chronic pain patient and my illnesses are panhypopituitarism (endocrine system failure), fibromyalgia, heart valve disease, osteoporosis, GERD and IBS. I've had to take pain meds for several years and for the earlier years I was taking Ultram and it worked fairly well for quite awhile. About 3-4 years ago, the Ultram no longer worked and my pain also increased a great deal. So my doctor reluctantly had me take hydrocodone instead. I started out taking 3 tablets per day in the beginning and as time passed and pain increased, the dosage was raised. Three months ago, I was prescribed hydrocodone (10mg.), 8 times per day. This means I have to set the clock to be sure to wake up every three hours to take the meds although I actually wake up FROM the pain before the alarm sounds. I also take a muscle relaxant (Zanaflex) to help with pain also because the hydrocodone is barely taking away anything. The Zanaflex makes me nearly comatose with sleepiness so I had to say goodbye to going out anywhere because I fall asleep no matter where I am. I haven't been able to drive for a couple of years and I had to leave my job (financial manager) and go on disability two years ago. I'm trying to be optimistic about the pain because I'm hoping that some day someone will invent something that will help over the long term. I really feel some despair today because yesterday a friend of mine went to the pharmacy to pick up my month's supply of pain pills and when I got them there was only enough for 20 days instead of 30 like I usually receive. Later my friend went by the pharmacy and asked about the discrepancy and the pharmacist said that he thought the doctor was trying to keep me from becoming an addict. I had no idea that the doctor was thinking I was addicted to anything and he didn't say a word about it when I saw him a month ago. I'm thinking that I'd be better off stopping the medication like you said that you had done. How long does it take to stop this medication? I have so much to cope with right now that I'd rather be in terrible pain than have someone believe that I'm addicted to pills. I've read on the Internet that the DEA is going to start tracking the meds of all pain patients very soon and that is another motivation to be rid of this medication. I've been really sick from my failed pituitary gland and will be going to a specialist in Boston next month because my endocrine hormones are totally out of kilter. I'm also in the middle of a marital crisis (his infidelity) and we go to counseling twice a week which has been very painful and scary. So if I get rid of the turmoil of the pain meds, I'll have one less problem to cope with. I just need to know what to expect upon stopping them. I have such great insurance and nearly 100% coverage for meds but I can't see what good that is doing me. Thanks for any help you can give me on this. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2004 Report Share Posted March 14, 2004 Kathy wrote: >>...the pharmacist said that he thought the doctor was trying to keep me from becoming an addict. I had no idea that the doctor was thinking I was addicted to anything and he didn't say a word about it when I saw him a month ago. I'm thinking that I'd be better off stopping the medication like you said that you had done. << Hi , Don't go off your meds without talking to your doctor! Don't fret about your doctor thinking your are an addict until he tells you that's what he's thinking. The pharmacist had no idea why your doctor wrote your prescription for only 20 pills because doctors don't write explanations like this on prescriptions. He was hazarding a guess off the top of his head. Maybe this particular pharmacist doesn't know you and the chronic nature of your condition. He may have thought you were taking it for a sprained wrist, or who knows what. Perhaps your doctor made a " typo " on the prescription. I used to be a pharmacist and I saw this all the time; you would not believe the mistakes I saw on prescriptions, from quantities and dosages all the way up to getting the patient's name wrong. I think going completely off your meds is something that you MUST do under the supervision of a doctor, like Maxine is doing. You could get yourself into real trouble if you do it on your own. Please don't! Take care and be careful, Di in Vancouver, B.C., Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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