Re: Re: Methadone, ((( Lori )))))

[Guest guest]

Annette,

Methadone has been used for many years as an effective medication for chronic

pain. Yes, it does have a stigma of being used to treat heroin addicts and that

is most unfortunate but it is truly a medication that is widely used by chronic

pain patients and has proven to be very effective.

Thanks,

Jeff-NY/PA

jeffreyscharff@...

AKA

zinsdad@...

" Knowledge speaks,

but wisdom listens. " Jimi Hendrix

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori,

I was reading your post about Methadone. It is a very good medication for

pain relief. I'm not sure what your fear is about using this medication tho.

Many years ago (18) I was given Methadone for chronic pain and it worked

very well.

Interesting that you don't respond to Morphine. I had never heard of that.

I hope this medication proves to be a big help in relieving your pain.

Kathleen in Calif.

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much .

Blessings, Lori

[Guest guest]

Hi, Kathleen, thanks so much for your reply!

I am scared it will knock me out so much that I won't be able to drive or have a

normal life (not like I have a normal life with IC pain anyhow...). I have

heard it causes huge weight gain, like 70 lbs. a year and I do not look forward

to that as I am sure a weight gain of that size would harm my health further.

I am scared that the detox/withdrawal from methadone, even with a doc's help,

will be unbearable.

I am scared it won't work for me, like morphine does nothing for me. When I

took morphine after surgery (IV morphine) all it did was give me hives, make me

throw up non-stop and make me feel weird and drugged out, but it didn't even

touch the pain whatsoever. Taradol, an anti-inflammatory, was what finally

knocked the pain out. Morphine was useless. I have had the same experiences

with Codeine, too - the same hives, throwing up, spaced out feeling and

absolutely zero pain relief.

I normally respond well to Percocet - good pain relief, minimal " drugged "

feeling - but I am having a problem with it lately, as it is causing my bladder

to flare. Each dose riles up my bladder more and more, until the bladder pain

and inflammation becomes so great that it overrides the pain relieving effects

of Percocet. I have decided to call the pain clinic on Monday to request to go

off Percocet because I believe it is now doing me much more harm than good. I

don't know if it's because of the Tylenol in it, or the dyes, or the fillers, or

the medicine itself, but I must now add Percocet to a very long, long, list of

medicines my bladder can not tolerate because of IC.

I am terrified that all pain medicines will do this to my bladder. I do have a

small hope, though, because I know that other IC'ers have said that Tylenol

makes them flare terribly, and there is Tylenol in Percocet.

I think what i will do is simply live without pain relief for the period of time

I am trying TENS and the percutaneous nerve stimulation and finally Interstim if

I choose to try Interstim. That way I will be able to tell if those therapies

are helping me.

Thank you again for your help, and for the reassurance,

Blessings, Lori

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori,

I understand your concerns about trying another medication.

Especially since your having such a terrible time with flares.

I think your right about the Tylenol. I think sometimes if we are able to

quiet ourselves we are able to best diagnose our problems. Seems to me your

right on top of the situation.

I know your concerns with Methadone are scary for you. I really think you

should try it. If it doesn't work for you then you can stop. Why suffer in

pain. Methadone might just be the one for you. I also have the fear of meds

that might cause weight gain. Any added weight is terrible for my spine. I

know when I was using it I did not have any weight gain, and I haven't heard

of it with other people I know who use it. As far as a drugged feeling,

sometimes that happens with all kinds of meds. The best thing to do is see if

it

does happen and if it does it will most likely go away within a small amount

of time as your body becomes used to it. I've done this myself with

different meds I've been on.

Sometimes our lives become so limited and I understand you don't want to be

on a medication that limits you any more than the pain already does. I don't

think this will happen.

I just hate to see you in pain when you have the option to use this

medication. I didn't know that a tens unit would help IC pain. That's great

if it

does. I always forget to use my tens unit. When I'm working it's hard to use

it because the lead wires always hang out and I'm afraid one of my little

students will grab them. Since summer school is out now I'm on a break for 4

weeks so I should try to remember to use mine.

Kathleen in Calif.