Re: Narcotic Drug- Addictive

[Guest guest]

Ray,

You made some wonderful points in your post. Unfortunately I am one of

those patients who is under treated for pain. I have one pain med and no

break through meds. I am going to have a long talk with my pain doctor

tomorrow and if he is not willing to more, I will find another doctor.

I believe that medical students should be required to learn about pain acute

and chronic. No matter what field they choose to go into they are going to

encounter pain patients and they need to know how to treat them. And I mean

treat them with dignity, respect, and not like a drug addict. We are

seeking pain relief not euphoria or escape. I only want to be able to

funtion and care for my family. If I were an addict I would be consumed

with getting my next high. I don't even get high from the pain medicine

which indicates my body needs the pain relief.

There are people who lobby congress and who are fighting to get laws changed

to protect those in pain and to require better education for doctors about

pain. I wish the process were a little more swift in this case.

My life has been drastically changed by pain. I had to give up the career I

dreamed about my whole life, I almost lost my marriage, I cannot be the

mother I want to be, and I have suffered depression due to the pain. I am

lucky that my marriage has survived so far and I haven't had to resort to

suicide. I know I am one of the lucky ones in a sense even though I still

fight the pain every day I do have more than many who suffer with pain.

You are right, it is really sad that doctors see pain as a failure on their

part to fix us. They are taught to fix the problem, but some problems

cannot be fixed and you have to treat the symptoms. Pain is definitely one

condition that you have to treat the symtpom because you can't always find

or fix the underlying cause.

Gentle hugs,

Fern

[Guest guest]

Hi Fern,

I suggest you print this email & take it for your doctor to read.

Says a great deal.

Ken

At 11:13 PM 10/13/99 -0400, Fern Lehmann wisely said:

>

>

>

>Ray,

>

>You made some wonderful points in your post. Unfortunately I am one of

>those patients who is under treated for pain. I have one pain med and no

>break through meds. I am going to have a long talk with my pain doctor

>tomorrow and if he is not willing to more, I will find another doctor.

>

>I believe that medical students should be required to learn about pain acute

>and chronic. No matter what field they choose to go into they are going to

>encounter pain patients and they need to know how to treat them. And I mean

>treat them with dignity, respect, and not like a drug addict. We are

>seeking pain relief not euphoria or escape. I only want to be able to

>funtion and care for my family. If I were an addict I would be consumed

>with getting my next high. I don't even get high from the pain medicine

>which indicates my body needs the pain relief.

>

>There are people who lobby congress and who are fighting to get laws changed

>to protect those in pain and to require better education for doctors about

>pain. I wish the process were a little more swift in this case.

>

>My life has been drastically changed by pain. I had to give up the career I

>dreamed about my whole life, I almost lost my marriage, I cannot be the

>mother I want to be, and I have suffered depression due to the pain. I am

>lucky that my marriage has survived so far and I haven't had to resort to

>suicide. I know I am one of the lucky ones in a sense even though I still

>fight the pain every day I do have more than many who suffer with pain.

>

>You are right, it is really sad that doctors see pain as a failure on their

>part to fix us. They are taught to fix the problem, but some problems

>cannot be fixed and you have to treat the symptoms. Pain is definitely one

>condition that you have to treat the symtpom because you can't always find

>or fix the underlying cause.

>

>Gentle hugs,

>Fern

>

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[Guest guest]

Fern, I am sorry that you are being undertreated for pain. I pray that you

will get the help you need. Please know that you have a cheering section

rooting for you here on the list.

I spent most of my life without any kind of pain medication. I began

receiving pain medications for the first time the beginning of August this

year. I am still having lots of problems, break through pain, pain meds not

lasting 8 hours, etc. I am sure that I will have to move to stronger pain

medications soon. However, there has been a big change in my life since

August largely due to pain relief.

I lost two careers: teaching and pastoring. I, too, almost lost my marriage

three years ago when I was forced to retire from the pastorate because of

pain. I became emotionally ill due to the pain. My relationships with

family, friends, and co-workers was ruined in many ways due to uncontrolled

pain. Even today, I must combine lots of rest with activities to prevent

pain from taking over again.

Many people are being undertreated for pain. No one should be made to

suffer unduly from pain that is treatable. My mother lived the last two

years of her life in great pain. She was in a terminal condition the last

18 months of her life. But even so, her doctors kept telling us they would

not give her strong enough pain medications because " she might get

addicted. " It was not until the last three months of her life, when she

went under the care of a hospice, that she was given adequate pain relief.

So what if she had become addicted? She was going to die anyway. I just

pray that none of us will have to go through what she went throug to get

pain relief.

I pray that you will find a good pain clinic, or a knowledgeable doctor.

I'll be waiting to hear how things go for you. Good luck!

Ray in Virginia

[Guest guest]

Fern, I am sorry that you are being undertreated for pain. I pray that you

will get the help you need. Please know that you have a cheering section

rooting for you here on the list.

I spent most of my life without any kind of pain medication. I began

receiving pain medications for the first time the beginning of August this

year. I am still having lots of problems, break through pain, pain meds not

lasting 8 hours, etc. I am sure that I will have to move to stronger pain

medications soon. However, there has been a big change in my life since

August largely due to pain relief.

I lost two careers: teaching and pastoring. I, too, almost lost my marriage

three years ago when I was forced to retire from the pastorate because of

pain. I became emotionally ill due to the pain. My relationships with

family, friends, and co-workers was ruined in many ways due to uncontrolled

pain. Even today, I must combine lots of rest with activities to prevent

pain from taking over again.

Many people are being undertreated for pain. No one should be made to

suffer unduly from pain that is treatable. My mother lived the last two

years of her life in great pain. She was in a terminal condition the last

18 months of her life. But even so, her doctors kept telling us they would

not give her strong enough pain medications because " she might get

addicted. " It was not until the last three months of her life, when she

went under the care of a hospice, that she was given adequate pain relief.

So what if she had become addicted? She was going to die anyway. I just

pray that none of us will have to go through what she went throug to get

pain relief.

I pray that you will find a good pain clinic, or a knowledgeable doctor.

I'll be waiting to hear how things go for you. Good luck!

Ray in Virginia

[Guest guest]

Ken,

Thank you very much for your message.

I saw my doctor this morning and he gave me Dilaudid to take on the bad days

and I will continue taking the Talacen on good days. He was very respectful

and sweet. He said he is not worried in the least about addiction with me

because I am a very reliable patient. I tell him exactly what I am taking,

I don't ask for refills early unless there is good reason, and I never

obtain pain meds from anyone but him. He is concerned about me becoming

tolerant to the point that the pain meds won't work well for me. That is

why he doesn't want me on long acting narcotics at this point. He says they

potentially can cause more tolerance.

I took my first Dilaudid this afternoon and am feeling much better and I am

not having any side effects. So far so good!!!

Gentle hugs,

Fern

[Guest guest]

Ken,

Thank you very much for your message.

I saw my doctor this morning and he gave me Dilaudid to take on the bad days

and I will continue taking the Talacen on good days. He was very respectful

and sweet. He said he is not worried in the least about addiction with me

because I am a very reliable patient. I tell him exactly what I am taking,

I don't ask for refills early unless there is good reason, and I never

obtain pain meds from anyone but him. He is concerned about me becoming

tolerant to the point that the pain meds won't work well for me. That is

why he doesn't want me on long acting narcotics at this point. He says they

potentially can cause more tolerance.

I took my first Dilaudid this afternoon and am feeling much better and I am

not having any side effects. So far so good!!!

Gentle hugs,

Fern

[Guest guest]

At 07:27 PM 10/14/99 -0400, Fern Lehmann wisely said:

>I took my first Dilaudid this afternoon and am feeling much better and I am

>not having any side effects. So far so good!!!

>

>Gentle hugs,

>Fern

Fern,

Glad you got an Rx for what I assume the doc saw as an appropriate

pain-reliever. Dilaudid is powerful, and yes, your body can develop

tolerance, but if you can use it judiciously, It may never be a problem. It

is a little stronger than pain meds often Rx'd as starters, but I expect

you will use good judgement with it. There may be a slight bit more

tendency to tolerance with it. But if it is adequate, you should remain on

a pretty level dose for a long time. But if the type & pattern of pain you

have exceeds the meds dosage you have been given, sounds like the doc will

work with you on that.

On the subject of being assertive with docs, I just told a doc of

mine that I felt he totally humiliated me in my last visit, he accepted

what I had to say, seemed open to my points & told me he was pleased I told

him. Am not suggesting people go out & just blast their docs (tempting?),

but probably in general they can work better with real feedback.

Ken

[Guest guest]

Ken,

I will continue taking my Talacen which has 25 mg of pentazacine in it for

the good days. I will only take the Dilaudid on days that the pain is not

controlled with the Talacen. So I doubt there will be too much of a problem

with it. I have never taken more than the doctor prescribed so he is not

concerned about addiction with me. He says I am a very reliable patient.

That made me feel better about asking for something stronger.

I think the key to communicating with our doctor is first to be honest about

your level of pain. Too often we try to sugar coat it out of pride. You

hate to tell the doctor all you have done for the last week is lay on the

sofa. Then when you need to be forceful to get your point across the key is

to be assertive and not aggressive and angry. If you don't put the doctor

on the defensive, you have a much better chance that he will work with you.

Gentle hugs,

Fern