Re: Meds to Verne

[Guest guest]

> I just wanted to ask for any opinions on the meds I'm taking. I

take Viokase 16 four times a day, four tablets each time. I take

Gemfibrozil 600mg twice a day. How does this square with any

of you on similar meds?

I was in the hospital last week with an attack. They sent me

home after six hours, even though I complained that I couldn't

hold anything, water included down, I'd vomit it up, and was

dehydrating... Since I couldn't hold down anything, I couldn't take

my pain meds, and was in excruciating pain...they gave me an IV

drip for a few hours, and some fenigren (sic)for the nausea, and

then sent me home, against my wishes.

Four hours later, I was back , put me on some pain meds,

admitted me to ICU. Stayed there four days.... the entire time I'm

in the hospital, my pain level on a one to ten, never got below a

three-four, and was often at a six-seven....Complaints didn't help.

What do the rest of you do in this situation?

Verne

mindstepper@m...

Verne,

The Viokase 16 is an enzyme supplement and isn't for pain

control. It's purely to help with the digestion of food, so IMO, isn't

a med that one would include as a control for pain. Granted, if

you take enzyme supplements, you are less inclined to have the

pain resulting from eating too much fat, but it really isn't a pain

med, per se. I've never heard of Gemfibrozil and couldn't find it in

my drug reference website, so I can't comment on that, or the

dosage you are on. Most of us are on class II narcotics like

morphine, dilaudid, oxycontin, vicodin, percocet or similar

products.

What IV meds were they giving you in the hospital? Whatever it

was, it seems that it wasn't working very well for you to control

the pain. Was your GI the one who was treating you while you

were in the hospital, or was it a doctor unaccustomed to your

case. It helps to have your own doctor there for consultation and

to talk to when the pain meds aren't working for you. Then he

can recommend a better drug. I didn't need pain control during

my hospital visit in March, except for the oral meds I was on and

my duragesic patch, so I can't suggest alternative pain control.

Maybe one of our other members can recommend something

that worked for them when they were hospitalized. We would

need to know what it was that you were on that didn't work,

though, before someone could suggest something else.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience in the hospital. For

some of us, it's just enough to get the relief we need from the

pain and nausea, for others it seems they come home feeling

worse than when they went in. It might be to your advantage to

go to another hospital in your area, if that is an option. Care

differs greatly from one facility to the next.

Hopefully another member will have some good tips for you.

[Guest guest]

Heidi and Verne,

Gemfibrozil is used to help control high trigliceride levels as an adjunct to

dietary controls much the same way as the Viokase 16 is an enzyme used as an

adjunct to dietary controls for digesting fat. As you said, Heidi, neither is a

pain med but both help with things that could potentially bring on an attack.

Verne, from what I've read, the proper dose is 1200 mg spit into 2 doses. So,

your 600 mg twice a day is correct.

Like Heidi, I'd be interested in what IV meds they had you on in the hospital.

Did they send you home with any pain or nausea meds? Or did they simply

discharge you?

Hope you are doing better.

Jill

....pain resulting from eating too much fat, but it really isn't a pain med, per

se. I've never heard of Gemfibrozil and couldn't find it in my drug reference

website