Re: Re:pain and narcotics questions

[Guest guest]

Hey all -

A long time before all the Chiari stuff hit - I was put on a string

of anti-depressants that just made me anxious, restless, crazier than

before. I finally got control after being on Depakote so I was

labelled Bipolar II - I come from a family of bipolars so I didn't

think much of it.

Yesterday I went to a psychiatrist for the first time in ages and

expected the usual spiel but found out they now have an entire new

" bipolar " category to describe people who react to anti-depressants w/

increased anxiety/mood swings/et cetera instead of the usual

responseBipolar III). He recommended getting my moods in order w/

lamictal and then seeing if I can handle more cymbalta for the pain.

I also can't tolerate cold meds - I once went three days without

sleep because of Tavist - talk about hallucinating!

chiari, decompressed dec 05, syrinx, hydro

> I just have to add my two cents here and I hope that it doesn't

> become too long of a response but I feel that it is important.

>

> First off let me say that besides having Chiari, 23mm herniation as

> of 3 years ago, I also suffer from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

> which is a chronic nerve type pain condition. Also add to the list

> type 2 diabetes, empty sella syndrome as well as a tentative dx of

> Tethered Cord Syndrome. So I know that with the two main things

> going on, that being the Chiari and RSD, there are narcotics that

> work in some form or another FOR ME! Can't really add or really

> discuss the TCS until dx is more than just tentative so we won't

> address that one right now.

>

> I take Morphine, 90 mgs a day in 3 30 mg doses. As for the RSD, the

> morphine works very well most of the time to keep my pain levels

> within reason but I honestly have to say that it really doesn't

> help a lot for the overall body pain from the chiari. I am sure

> that it helps to some degree but overall pain levels sit anywhere

> from 6 to 8 on any given day and taking into account weather

> conditions, barometric pressure, storms moving through the state,

> etc. etc.

> You get the picture.

>

> Now lets take your standard cold remedies, sinus medications,

> things like that; they don't work for me, those things that contain

> any form of ephidrine which is supposed to make one sleepy, don't

> do that for me. For instance, a childs dose of Nyquil will have me

> bouncing off the walls and unable to sleep let alone sit still for

> a good three days so needless to say we don't take any of those

> type medications. On the other hand if I really want to go to

> sleep, two extra strength tylenol act like a sleeping pill for me

> and my daughter who also has chiari but unlike mom here, she has

> been decompressed. For me, anti-depressants don't work. If anything

> they make me more depressed. I tried Wellbutrin once to help me to

> quit smoking (this drug was given to a lot of people for anxiety).

> It took about four days for me to throw those down the toilet.

> Instead of easing the anxiety that you get from trying to stop

> smoking, I became so anxious by the fourth day that I had to leave

> work. It was a horrible experience that I never want to go through

> again. Sure the urge to smoke had decreased but my mental health

> had gone to hell in a handbasket in the course of four days.

>

> While we were in NY at TCI we asked Dr. B. about this phenomenon

> and he did tell us that this was something that seemed to be fairly

> common in chiari patients, this problem of medications not working

> in the way they were intended. He really didn't offer an

> explanation but that verification of what we had been experiencing

> was enough for us. All we needed to know is that it wasn't just in

> our heads, we weren't crazy or really abnormal you know. That there

> were other's out there who were experiencing the same things really

> does comfort one.

>

> So any way, that is my two cents, my experience and I hope that I

> haven't bored anyone too much.... God Bless

> Love Marilyn in Arkansas

>

>