Pain Med Addiction

[Guest guest]

I have saved up for a couple of days so here's my latest tome...lol.

I am very aware of what can go wrong with pain med addiction and

unfortunately I know all about Dr shopping. My older sister was red

flagged years ago. This is what can happen with years of pain and

misdiagnosis.

At one stage she ended up with a Dr that was giving her 10 self inj

pethidine per day!! There ended up being a big who-hah over S8

(narcotics) drugs here and the Dr involved lost his license, she was

even on an ABC current affairs TV show crying & groaning about her

pain and what was she supposed to do now. They did the wrong thing

and took everything decent off her telling her her pain was in her

head and no dr would take her on as a patient (S8's are very

restricted here now and only a few drs can prescribe them)..…she

lost the plot and sunk into deep depression, ended up back in the

mental ward having electric shock treatments again. At pain clinic

she met some new friends/bad influences and found out how to buy

stuff illegally and cook up tablets and self inj. Couldn't believe

it when I found out. I threatened to take her son away, which

eventually broke the spell and with lots of determination we finally

got her some decent support and help to detox etc. She says she is

now on oxycontin among many other things and has to visit the

chemist every day for her dose, so I do wonder? I really do worry

about her though as with her recent RA dx she will not accept or

learn about it or help herself until she sees the rheumy. Hello –

you have to use a walking frame!! She is in such a bad way lately

that her son has been living with a friends family from school for

the past 3 months. (Distance from his current school prevented me

having him) I am supposed to become his new carer after Christmas,

but maybe this is not going to happen now, goodness knows. He is my

nephew and I have been hurt that he is with strangers and not me.

This poor kid really needs some stability/normality. Unfortunately

my sis is one who has always let her pain consume her entire

existence and everybody's around her. It has been a really good

thing for her son to be away from her, as hard as this sounds, she

was always leaning on him and expecting him to deal with her

problems like an adult. And he is finally off all the unnecessary

meds he has been on for years. Its almost my only memory of my

sister, her pain can be very draining.. I have done my fair/unfair

share of eye rolling over the years....

...WELL now I feel I have got my just desserts haven't I, from years

of not understanding that my sister really was in pain and not just

an addict. And no wonder with RA, I now FULLY understand her pain

and fatigue. I just cannot believe that I now say the same things

my sister has for years… We are like two peas in a pod physically,

but mentally like chalk and cheese. I will not become a " victim " or

a " poor bugger me " and make the best of what I have got and be very

thankful for that.

I do hear you Kathy F about needing the DMARDS/biologics for the

progression side of things. This is actually my BIGGEST concern

that I have to wait at least another 2 months before I can start on

anything. Who knows what could be or not be going on in that time.

It may be in my head, but I am already noticing a change in shape of

one of my fingers and both the smallest toes on both feet are quite

odd. They may have been like that for a while and I am just

noticing now as I am aware of them. I have this weird sharp pains

pulling inwards feeling in my big toes and I just have to laugh at

myself with all the lovely little treasures that seem to keep right

on coming with this disease. Lol. I got a shock looking at the size

of my own ankles today. Ha ha. " they can't be my feet surely "

I face the dragon dr tomorrow, but I am going to be cheeky and try

flattery and say " that I really think she hit the nail on the head

with the original pa dx " , I'll even slip in that I know I have to

wait for the rheumy to be on methotrexate, but in the meantime…and

bugger it, I am going to use my new knowledge of meds if I need to.

I have written it all down and will practice before I see her.

Lol. And yes, we are employing their services so I shall remember

that! I am also going to get her to sign a medical clearance so I

can start doing hydro exercises and tai chi for arthritis, she'll

love that! Ha ha!!

I have had lots of laughs thinking of the tin men and MJ's Thriller

video clip posts, with my oldest sister also seeming to be heading

down the same unfortunate path we are gonna make a fantastic looking

group for future family reunions. lol. We could do our own

comedy/dance routine at weddings. Just picturing this can bring a

smile to my dial when i need it most.

Take care and thanks for reading my thoughts.

Janice

[Guest guest]

Hi Maraika,

It was in Darwin, Dr Pang (i think) there was a bit more to the

story I'm sure, but I don't really want to remind my sister about it

and ask her.(maybe I can research) If he didn't lose his license

they may have pressured him to move on?....You would know more about

S8's than me in your position, but in Dr's surgerys up here there

are signs saying they will not prescribe S8's so don't ask...She has

to also only see this one particular doc for scripts that charges

her a fortune for the pleasure. She won't go away for a holiday or

anything as she says it is too difficult to get the S8's. I know

when he goes away it causes drama. Am I missing something here? Is

she maybe on something a bit stronger? She is very good at lying to

us and lost my trust years ago.

Thanks for letting me know you can relate - it is a very hard thing

to watch and not be able to do anything to help except listen. She

has been in the " too hard " basket for years..

And thank you for the book reference, very interesting, will

definately read.

I agree with the shouting loudest...it managed to get me the MTX but

Rhonda with a confirmed RA dx is still just waiting for the

Rhuemy!! My family reckon I am a bitch, but it always pays to be a

strong person.

Cheers

Janice

>

> Hi Janice. I don't remember about the Dr. who lost his licence for

his S8

> drug prescription as there seems to be more than ever these days.

(Was that

> in Rockhampton?)

>

>

> Can so relate to this though as sister in law ended up with

Dystonia and yet

> more Depression due to the drugs she was prescribed. And yes they

are also

> telling her that it is all in her head. Almost a way of putting it

all in

> the " too hard " basket. My associate on my website has a daughter

who for

> many years had many drugs and many seizures then was told that she

had

> pseudo seizures,(all in her head) no one seemed to do anything

while she

> ended up in a wheelchair and seizing all the time. Now finally

after many

> drs one decided to take a REAL good look and she has now been

diagnosed as

> having " real Epilepsy " . Sometimes you just have to shout the

loudest to get

> heard.

>

> A worthwhile book to read is by an associate Dr. Ray Strand "

Death by

> Prescription " . Dr. Strands wife had Fibromyalgia for many years.

>

>

>

> Goodonya for your sense of humour. Regards Maraika

>

>

>

> IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE, YOU WILL GET WHAT

YOU'VE ALWAYS

> GOTTEN

>

>

>

> Maraika Mason

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>

> www.4betrhealth.com

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[Guest guest]

Hi Maraika, I found this on the internet further to what I previously

sent you, so this explains where I am getting the lost his license

from....

The complaint relates to the prohibition of Dr Henry Pang's license to

prescribe Schedule 8 drugs with only two weeks notice. Dr Pang's forty

patients have been left in the lurch with no access to any opiate

maintenance treatment and the only option being detoxification and

withdrawal.