Judge my level of need please...

[bluerosekiller]

Hi folks, I just found this site today & after reading a bit of this particular forum, I began to ponder something & would like to see if you could all help me out. A bit of background first.
I've just turned 49 & I've been a bit of a wreck for about the past decade.
I'm former pro boxer & a lifelong martial artist as well ( Kempo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu ) , so I've got a LOT of wear & tear. And then some.
I was born with very narrow hips, the left of which has "clicked' for life. Which, I never really took as being all that abnormal since my pediatrician never did a thing about it & my Mom never spoke about it either. So, I figured, no big deal.
A lifetime of pain & discomfort later & at 40 I find out that my hips are shot, especially the leftie of course & that I should have had surgery as a wee lad...
Oh well, THAT explains that total inability to do all those fancy wheel, jumping & spinning kicks back during my wasted year with Tae kwon Do! LOL ).
Add to that, multiple knee injuries, a major reconstruct on my right one in '06, with my left ready to go at a moment's notice. Gnarled knucks & hands, sciatica to beat the band, a degenerative neck condition & the recent discovery during an MRI ( or was it a cat scan? I forget ) of a previously undiagnosed "mild" brain stem injury & I'm just about ready to make my big comeback. Right?

So, anyhow, since '07 after I was finished w/rehabing my knee, my GP has been prescribing me with 180 7.5 lotab a month for pain ( along with the ubiquitous Ibuprophens , of course ). Which, as you can imagine barely makes a dent. But, I do my best to tolerate it accept when things are bad, which is when I need a good 8 or 10 pills a day to live.
I know, I know, I should have been bumped up to lortab tens a long time ago, but believe it or not, the couple of times that I've inquired, I've gotten rebuffed. Apparently, the health care provider I belong to won't prescribe anything higher than 180 7.5's to ANYONE.
Needs beyond that, they refer to a pain clinic.

Should I go there?
What are my chances of going to a clinic & being denied anything, thus losing even my mediocre amount of pain meds?
And, with just seeking the next level of opiates after three years, what sort of a "need" do you think that is?
Honestly, I'd love something stronger than Lortab, but don't want to "push it", you know? I mean, I won't lie. I love as well as need my opiates, but I have a rather high pain tolerance ( rather essential for how I earned my living... ), so again, I'm leary of asking for too much.

Suggestions, advisements & any such other replies much appreciated.
Thanks & peace.

 

[psychomimetic]

If you need more opiates then what you're getting, a pain clinic would probably be a good idea. I'm no expert, but if your general physician is prescribing you 180 x 7.5 mg and your insurance refers you to a pain clinic if you need higher doses, and you do, then that sound like a good next step. I don't think they'd deny you opiates for conditions that you clearly have.

 

[fryingsquirrel]

It would help to know where you live so people from your state can comment on how generous pain clinics in your state generally are. Florida is famous for handing out huge amounts of opiates. I live in Kansas, and we don't get shit. But generally speaking, yes, if you have legit pain then the pain clinic is your best option.

 

[UpdownUP]

Wee lad, and GP? Sounds like the UK to me, which is very different, are you on the public health system? This will make things more difficult, the pain clinics there are more about reducing your pain, by means other than pills if at all possible.

The opiates you are on are intended for low doses, and more about the paracetemol and brufen, which really does help, albeit not much. If you go to a pain clinic they won't up you from lortab to oxy's straight away, they may give you some for now, a few weeks worth to get you on track a bit though.
The doc doesn't seem to think you need it, he doesn't deem your hip condition to warrant full out pain meds, so it's unlikely others will. To be on the heavey opiates these days you need to have something they deem as serious (please don't think I'm saying what you have isn't, they just might not see it as being)

You're a tough guy, given your age, and lifestyle I doubt you express to them how much you are really hurting..Next time you're there, think about when you're sitting up at 2am in agony, and really let your guard down.

My advice would be to go to the pain clinic, regardless of what Country you're in, they know what they are doing, and although they may not dish out what you want straight away, they will definitely begin a treatment program that will help your genuine pain.
And remember, there's no shame in hurting, or letting them see you vulnerable and in pain, they'll just think you can take it if you don't..

I could be well off track here in which case disregard, but just my thoughts, based on your write up..

Good luck!

(also be carefull taking so many of the lortabs and brufen, it's really not good for your kidneys and liver, especially being a boxer you are far more prone to having a serious problem over long term)

 

[bluerosekiller]

Wee lad, and GP? Sounds like the UK to me, which is very different, are you on the public health system? This will make things more difficult, the pain clinics there are more about reducing your pain, by means other than pills if at all possible.

The opiates you are on are intended for low doses, and more about the paracetemol and brufen, which really does help, albeit not much. If you go to a pain clinic they won't up you from lortab to oxy's straight away, they may give you some for now, a few weeks worth to get you on track a bit though.
The doc doesn't seem to think you need it, he doesn't deem your hip condition to warrant full out pain meds, so it's unlikely others will. To be on the heavey opiates these days you need to have something they deem as serious (please don't think I'm saying what you have isn't, they just might not see it as being)

You're a tough guy, given your age, and lifestyle I doubt you express to them how much you are really hurting..Next time you're there, think about when you're sitting up at 2am in agony, and really let your guard down.

My advice would be to go to the pain clinic, regardless of what Country you're in, they know what they are doing, and although they may not dish out what you want straight away, they will definitely begin a treatment program that will help your genuine pain.
And remember, there's no shame in hurting, or letting them see you vulnerable and in pain, they'll just think you can take it if you don't..

I could be well off track here in which case disregard, but just my thoughts, based on your write up..

Good luck!

(also be carefull taking so many of the lortabs and brufen, it's really not good for your kidneys and liver, especially being a boxer you are far more prone to having a serious problem over long term)

Me? In the UK?
I often wish mate, but no.
I'm a lifelong resident of western New York ( Buffalo ) here in the States.
But yes, having been half-raised by three grandparents just a generation removed from the UK & a Great-Grandma who was straight off the boat from Sussix, I had a LOT of British vocabulary, mannerisms & culture instilled in me from my earliest days.
Both sides of my family arrived here from the UK only about 90 years ago, with half settling in Buffalo & the other half just over the border in Ontario.
But, I digress, apparently I've gone off on another one off my many tangents. So, I apologize.
It's a weakness of mine for sure...

Anyhow, YES. I do,indeed, tend to minimize my pain to pretty much everyone.
Which, in my situation is daft, I know.
Even those closest to me, like my wife & our children Nigel Benn & Autumn Myst, have NO clue how much pain I really have to eat throughout the day.
Sure, I'm aware that given certain life choices of mine, such as my career choice & such could ( OK, DO! ) indicate some masochistic tendencies, but, I'm finally ready to submit & finally let everyone know how much pain I'm actually in.

 

[bluerosekiller]

Ironically, my sister in law goes to a pain clinic & gets massive amounts of Percocets & Oxycontin
Though ( to my dismay ), she sells the vast majority of her's to recreational users. In order to (REALLY) suppliment her income.
Which, whatever. It's her thing...
But, naturally I'm jealous.

And, she wouldn't even sell me a single Oxy on a very bad day of mine.
Apparently my wife & her had a discussion in which they came to the daft conclusion that if she did allow me to purchase that single pill that I'd INSTANTLY become addicted to the drug! 8)

 

[UpdownUP]

Haha, tangents are all good!!

I'm the same, I hate people seeing me suffering, it's not how I was raised, oh you're hurt? Harden up it'll come right...That's ok till something serious comes along, and it starts to fully interfere with your life!
I would wait for my wife to fall asleep, and sit up in agony, then pretend to be asleep when she started to wake.

Just a heads up...I had a bit of a problem with heroin, but had been clean for a long time, when I started on the strong painkillers it wasn't long till I started up the habit again..abuse a couple here and there sure but it'll build your tolerance a lot higher, a lot faster, so you'll end up needing a lot more than they'll be prepared to prescribe to actually help the pain...As soon as you start going for a few days in pain so you can have a day on the buzz, you're exceptionally close to being sucked in!

You just have to "women up" lol! Don't ask for pills just tell them how much it hurts, get into it, they won't judge, and as soon as my wife found out, I was looked after, my doc found out, I got some heavy scripts, and 4 months later i was pain free (well kind of pain free, more than bearable anyway)


The deal with your sis in law is probably a good thing, when you buy off family things have a tendancy to go horribly horribly wrong!

 

[bluerosekiller]

Yeah, you're likely spot on with that last bit of good advice.

What made me just about want to nut 'er one in the noggin that night though ( not that I'd ever actually abuse a woman BTW ), was her shitty attitude like I was pathetic or something. All whilst I was in VERY legit pain.
Here she's making money off of addicts off the street with her meds & I'M the POS in the family?
Yeah, right.

Now, she's moved back in with her parents/my in laws, both of whom get a whole lovely pleathora of opiates for their conditions each month, the majority of which they don't use. So, guess who's selling all there "extra" Lorcet, Percocet, morphine tablets & Oxy's for them?
The bitch.

 

[bluerosekiller]

Also, many thanks for the other advice as well.
I'm going to definitely follow your suggestions.

Honestly, I hadn't given a lot of thought as to the condition of my opiate receptors.
I still think they're not too balooned up, because taking two at a time every two & a half to three hours, works for the pain about 75% I'd say, while still giving me a nice feeling of euphoria as well. Then I take the other two & then again like that.
After which, I go off the bit of residual effects that linger a while while boosting the pain releif as needed the rest of the day with the Ibuprofen.
I know, it's not an ideal system, but I get by with it alright for the most part.
Except of course when I NEED those extra two or four Lortab...

 

[curlygurl1980]

after reading your post and seeing your list of injuries u MOST DEFINITLEY need to go to pain management and with all the tabs u r taking thats awfull on your liver. in my opinion u for sure need something stronger. a pain mannagement doc has way more leeway to give narcotics than a primary care doc. your injuries r right there in black in white on your records so they can b transfred to the pain doc just tell him the tabs r not doinng it at all anymore and u just can not keep on tolerating the pain u r inn. pain doc all the way!! best wishes

 

[bluerosekiller]

Thanks for the input curlygurl. It's much appreciated.

 

[Violenza666]

Yea go to pain management. It's what I do. It's the only way you will get what you need plus if you go to a good one they will talk to you about coping skills and other things. Mine even has stretches and exercises he assigns... Good luck!!