For Kaye

[Guest guest]

Hi Laurie,

FYI as I can only relate my experience, I have found that I can and must be

very self aware. And when I think I am beginning an attack, I start the

hydrocodin. Hydrocodin works the best for me. If I have mis judged, then I took

a

" Loritab unnecessarily, I don't think I have ever taken two without reason. If I

am having an attack then I must balance the hydrocodin to the pain to retain

control, limit nausea, limit dehydration, etc and most important, lay low until

I can do more. Sometimes this is in hours and sometimes in days.

My trick is to get in front of the pain, trying to play catch-up with pain

control is very difficult for me.

The key is being self aware enough to anticipate how you might be feeling in

an hour.

Hope this experience helps

Best wishes, Poncho - GA

[Guest guest]

I just read your story on Mark Armstrongs website and I was very

interested in learning that you have medication that you can take

when you have the attacks. I was under the impression that there

is nothing that can be done about it once it starts and I just pace

it off for the few hours and try to vomit to get some relief (I get

these attacks about once a month or so - exactly as you describe

them, sudden onset but a gradual decline with residual

soreness for the next few days and absolutely no appetite). The

pain is unbearable but I have never gone to the ER because I

was told that there is nothing that they can do for me. I usually

have my blood drawn the next day, if it is a work day, to objectively

document the occurence, but the liver enzymes only are elevated

- No pancreatic ones (do they take more time to be affected?).

Can you tell me what meds are helping you and how you use

them once an attack starts? I usually go easy on the oxycodone

as my doc implied that it could make the spasm worse, but once

this month it did head one off only for it to return 2 hours later

worse than I ever experienced before. Can you advise me on

this? I aks because I am suppose to be contacted by our pain

clinic soon (I was referred about 2 months ago now, so they

should be about to get me on their schedule any day now, I

hope) and I would like to know what meds I should be asking for

(they seem to ask what you want as opposed to offering

suggestions, kinda weird, I know).

Thanks

Sorry for monopolizing your time and the board space these last

few days but I finally feel like I am getting answers that apply to

my situation.

Laurie