After the dreadful ER day and drug discussion.....

[Guest guest]

Well, if you all read my thing the other day with my ending up at the ER.

This is what you call not managing pain well.

I went to the doctor two days ago to ask him what to do about ongoing

really BAD headaches and to tell him my dreaded story about what they did

for me at the ER. Or, better yet what they didn't do for

me at the ER. And, he put me back on some meds. to manage some of the ACM

symptoms until the surgery. I, too will never go to an ER again for a

headache, unless

I can help it some other way. And, this is the point of my post.

Don't let yourself get that uncontrolled with the pain if you are really

bad at

the time before your surgery and spiraling downward.

And, if you are anticipating surgery you can change your logic from

NO DRUGS EVER! to ok, a few until the surgery gives me a new grip on

life.

My thinking that I can just hang on for three more months the way

I have been the last three months was

a rude awakening to me.

As alah natural as I'd like to be and strive so hard to be, there are

times when the meds. must be

used. And, afterall that is what they are designed for.

My local neurologist that I see who treats me for headaches was appalled

at my

treatment in the ER. I told him what happened and he said always call him

first.

There are some things that we can do. I told him I did call him and I

could not see him that day.

They were booked.

So we over all the other meds. I tried this last year (7 of them) and we

decided which ones had caused me fits with the heart and we are steering

clear of them. (Maxalt, imiprimine [and it helped! darn] and others)

Unfortunately, the problem for a lot of us leaves us with the same thing.

We can just take some

kind of pain pill when we are in a really bad acute state of pain until

the pain is weakened. (Either by surgery completely alleviating it which

is my very optimistic plan. And, I thank you all for not taking that

optimism away from me at this point!)

These and others may dull the pain and cover it until I can get the

surgery, recovery time and then hope that I won't ever have to take

another pill again in MY LIFE! ug

You know after this talk with my neuro doc. (If ya'll remember my story

about the peewee herman

doc I used to talk about. He's not so bad, just strange, but caring.)

Anyway, he said that from the

history of my use of meds this last year in my chart that were addictive

in nature (Klonopin and Vicodin are the two in my files) there was a slim

chance that I would become physically addicted anyway by the pattern of

the way I used them. The two things they look for is that you need more

and more and that the dose needs to be higher, being that you built a

tolerance to them. He said I was ok so far with this, way within the

acceptable limits, but, perhaps, dependant because of pain he said, and

so can lead

to a possible struggle later with withdrawal and all. But, a more

habitual withdrawal than physical.

So, it probably won't be so bad. And, I am having the decompression

surgery upcoming which he agreed with Dr. Oro!!!!! that I needed. Yes a

neuro agreed in Alabama. So, he said this is better than ending up in the

ER with one of those killer headaches that takes a week and use of way

stronger drugs to get over. He said NO Maxalt, because of the recent

heart thing. ug. That drug really helped, but I don't want to wig out my

heart again.

The Klonopin he started me on again a drug that I know I can tolerate,

turns out will help the spasticity akin to dystonia that I have to a

small degree, and was getting worse without the meds. This syndrome is

part of the heart racing and panic, type feelings that I also have

associated with the dysautonomia. I take it on a regular dose scheduled,

and a very small dose is all I need to help these symptoms, 0.5mg 1/2 in

the morn. and 1/2 in the evening before bed. So this one will help a lot

of the symptoms. And, after two doses, what a difference!

And, for the head and neck pain, that is relentless. He gave me lortab

that I can take at my discretion, but not to let myself get into a great

deal of pain before taking it. He suggests a daily dose on a schedule, I

can take in the morning to help my day be less painful, (but makes me

need a bit of a nap, which is bad because I am ready to do some things

since it helps the pain) or at bedtime if I feel that the pain is worse

at night to sleep better. I have always taken Imitrex or Maxalt with

Vicodin before for bad headaches and it has always helped. I thought

vicodin was the same thing as lortab, but I think it has a little more

narcotic in it than vicodin from what he explained and helps the pain

better without having to go to the stronger meds. like oxycontin,

morphine, methadone and such like that. He said this would maintain a

good regimen for me with minimal risks before and throughout the surgery

and recovery because I know that I can take these since I had to back

when I had my neck surgery 5 years ago and this last year with the

headaches. And, if the surgery is real hard on me, during the hospital

stay, they can use the stronger meds then and titrate back to the lighter

dosed narcotics and then none at all again in a few weeks after the

recovery.

I have been on and off Klonopin 3 different times in the last 6 years for

the dysautonomia. Titrating and taking myself off of it usually because I

don't like taking meds. as I have stated so many times. I know when I

have came off the Klonopin it has been hard because it is in the

benzodiazepam class kin to valium. It is tough to stop, being somewhat

physically addictive, so it takes a while and some withdrawal. But, I

have usually done well after. When the drs. have put me back on it, it

was usually because I start having the heart racing thing again and it

helps it. So, we'll see how long I may need it after my recovery from the

decompression surgery.

Then the lortab. I feel it is safe for me because this is the only one

that I have seemed to be able to tolerate anyway. I have many drug

reactions and can only take few safely. I have only taken it on and off

for various reasons and for a few days at a time for the headaches when

they are bad. But, I will say, that this medication does help the

headaches I have. I hate the stigma attached to it, and I know some of

you can relate. But, I feel that temporarily and with a great deal of

thought and responsibility you can manage headaches for a period of time

with this med.

I did ask him about taking tylenol regular between the lortab for the

headaches if I did not want to take the lortab every day and some days

are good for me and I really would not need it. He said this was ok. I

was just worried about my liver, because lortab has tylenol in it too.

And they say too much tylenol is bad for the liver.

We also discussed the Botox injections and a sleep study. He said put all

other talks about any other remedies or testing on me on hold now until I

get the surgery and see if all those symptoms are gone. There is no need

to start a new headache controlling method when we know that some other

things have already been proven affective for me in the past. Nor was

there a reason for testing me on things that might be gone after the

surgery. Like the sleep disorder. I have this really bad. And, have for

years.

However, as I like to say, for me these two would never be the chronic

solution to my chronic problem. Hopefully, with God's help first and Dr.

Oro's expertise and his surgical procedure, I will be able to get the

chronic solution soon. And, that is the surgery that will take away ALL

the symptoms. (My optimism and my right to claim complete healing in the

name of Jesus!!!). Or, at least a few. And, for sure the headaches!

So, I just wanted to tell all of you who have written to me this last few

months. I am taking some meds. and I am ok with it. And, yes, they do

help.

I even got up out of the bed for the first time in a week or so. The pain

and symptoms were so helped (at least covered) my husband has been amazed

and is saying watch myself that I don't hurt something so close to the

surgery. I am trying to take it easy, but the meds. really take the

misery of the headaches away. They are still there and the pressure is

really still there now that I am up and feeling it, cutting up and all

again like my normal self. But, it is sooo much better. So, I know I have

to take it easy. I have to stop myself from doing too much.

I even went to the Christmas parade tonight. Brought my comfortable fold

up chair and blankie. and bundled up. I took one dose of the pain

medication. I was able to get out and enjoy the parade. I would have

never even went NEAR cold air or sounds or lights and all that kind of

noise at a parade! (Although the earplugs didn't hurt anything either. te

he) And, I did not have to tell the kids I would not be going. I have

missed so much with them lately. They don't even ask if I am going

anymore. They just assume I won't. They were so happy to have me at the

parade tonight. And, they had a ball! Caught all the candy, and saw the

beautiful horses that we have in this area that people ride in the

parades.

So, what do you guys think? I'd like to know your opinion about this

choice. I am so careful and I have never had to take a narcotic on a

regular basis so much before. Is this a wise choice at this point? I

really don't have a lot of other options that I could see. I have tried

so hard with the bio-feedback, warm and cold compresses and even the

magnetic field wraps, massage and I will continue those too. I have done

this for three months now. I just can not stand the bad headaches any

longer. It is just too constant. Is that how it got for some of you

before your surgery?

Oh, by the way, my blood pressure was 138/110 in the drs office the other

day. It is always usually very low and has been really abnormally low

most of my life. I was in so much pain I guess, or I may just have my

pressure really out of whack from the chiari. But, I have never had such

a high pressure in my life. I am going to check it again ASAP at the

pharmacist when I go to K-mart. I am hoping it is coming down. But, I am

feeling lately that it is trying to stay higher now for some reason.

Oh well, sorry I am rattling on. I took a nap today in the mid day and

this is a no no for me. I end up being up all night. I am getting used to

the meds. and they do make you want to be more active since the pain is

less, but they also make you drowsy so you have to nap in the day it

seems. I hope that does not last too long.

Praying each day,

in Ala.

ACM-I 6mm, spinal stenosis, spinal fusion C3-7 metal grafts, disk bulging

at C2-3 with stenosis, dysautonomia, ACM decompression surgery March 6,

2002

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