Re: How do you...?-Reply to Mimi

[Guest guest]

Mimi,

I have to agree with what everyone is saying. Getting pain meds off

the street, or other " creative ways " is not only illegal, it can be

life-threatening. So many different scenarios come to mind that it

would be impossible to list them all, but here are two. One, what

happens if you buy off the street, and your seller is an undercover

narcotics agent? And two, you may end up putting a lethal combination

into your body, or even worse, the seller could have done something to

the medication.

As for whether you are an addict or not, the answer to that question is

more complex. Addiction to a pain medication is the biological and

psychological need to take more and more of it to satisfy a desire in

the absence of pain. An addict has no regard for consequences, and

receives no therapeutic benefit from taking the medication. They are

only seeking a high or a fix. However, there is a condition

called " pseudo-addiction " , which occurs when a patient with chronic

pain is not receiving adequate treatment, and seems to need more and

more meds, but that goes away once the correct level of medication has

been achieved.

On the other hand, when a person with chronic pain takes an opioid,

what they get from it is relief. We don't normally get " high " from

taking pain medications. Pain medications for us offer a chance at

reclaiming our lives and our functionality. We do form a physical

dependence to the pain meds, but this is solely a physical state where

our bodies have adapted to having the drug present in our bodies, and

suddenly taking it away would cause withdrawal. This can happen with

many drugs though. It's for you to decide which category you fall in.

How long ago were in this accident? Was it a pedestrian/vehicle

accident, or vehicle/vehicle accident? Have you had any recent x-rays,

CT scans, or MRI's done on the areas where you still have pain? If

you're having so much trouble functioning, PT and other therapies

aren't helping, and you're still being treated by your PCP, I would

definitely ask to be referred to a pain management doctor.

When you are in pain, especially chronic pain, there is no " getting

over it " or " moving on " when your pain levels aren't being addressed or

adequately treated by doctors. But Mimi, the way you are going about

getting pain meds is definitely unsafe and illegal. If you contact me

off the group, I may be able to help you find a good doctor. I'm a

volunteer for the American Pain Society, and I might be able to go

through them to find you a doctor who will take your pain seriously.

All my best to you,

Jen Z.