Lady Stonedhead
Greenlighter
Hey everyone,
I've been a long-time lurker of this site, but got most all of the info I needed from the forums. I've had chronic pain for about 18 years now, and as my grandma would say, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". I shouted, screamed and pleaded with numerous doctors to help me, and finally found a good doctor to treat me, for the past 13 years. For the last 6 years, I was on a very high dose of MS Contin (520 mg. per day!) But, like all good opiates, I was becoming tolerant to its effects. My pain doctor, who is also an 'addiction specialist', didn't want to increase my dose, and suggested that I try the new Butrans (buprenorphine) patch, with the Suboxone strips (8/2 mg.) to supplement the patch.
Coming off the MS Contin was sheer hell, but soon I was on the strips and patch and the pain control was amazing. The brain-fog lifted, along with my depression and I started devouring books again... something that I just couldn't do on the MSC. We found the perfect combo that worked for me, which was the 10 mcg. patch (every 7 days) and 1-8 mg. sublinqual strip (per day). After being on this dose for only 3 months, I started having horrific side effects: profuse sweating, the underside of my tongue became raw and inflammed, my throat hurt and my glands were swollen, I was either nauseous or my stomach was cramping, I woke up daily with a headache, and the sites wherever I placed the patch would itch and burn like crazy.
I actually went back to see him the other day, in tears. I didn't know what to do. I loved the pain control and the clear-headedness that the Bupe offerred, but I couldn't keep living with all of these side effects. I was miserable. He suggested that I go on Methadone, but I had to remind him that his partner had taken me off of that horrible drug, long ago, after being on it for 10 months and gaining 60 lbs.! Then he suggested the Fentanyl patch, at 50 mcg. I was on Fentanyl (100 mcg.) a long, long time ago ~ before I found my current Doc, but the doctor who prescribed it was retiring, and no one was willing to continue prescribing it for me. All I remember is how fucked-up I was on that drug! I took my last Bupe strip on Thursday, and today is Saturday. My pain is coming back in full force, and I hurt all over. I know the Bupe must be wearing off if the pain is back, but I don't think the Fentanyl is helping at all. Do you think I just need to be more patient as far as the Bupe goes, or is it possible that my Fentanyl dose needs to be titrated upwards? I'm just a little frightened because once my pain gets outta control, it's hard as hell to get it down to bearable again. Sorry for the long post. :-(
I've been a long-time lurker of this site, but got most all of the info I needed from the forums. I've had chronic pain for about 18 years now, and as my grandma would say, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". I shouted, screamed and pleaded with numerous doctors to help me, and finally found a good doctor to treat me, for the past 13 years. For the last 6 years, I was on a very high dose of MS Contin (520 mg. per day!) But, like all good opiates, I was becoming tolerant to its effects. My pain doctor, who is also an 'addiction specialist', didn't want to increase my dose, and suggested that I try the new Butrans (buprenorphine) patch, with the Suboxone strips (8/2 mg.) to supplement the patch.
Coming off the MS Contin was sheer hell, but soon I was on the strips and patch and the pain control was amazing. The brain-fog lifted, along with my depression and I started devouring books again... something that I just couldn't do on the MSC. We found the perfect combo that worked for me, which was the 10 mcg. patch (every 7 days) and 1-8 mg. sublinqual strip (per day). After being on this dose for only 3 months, I started having horrific side effects: profuse sweating, the underside of my tongue became raw and inflammed, my throat hurt and my glands were swollen, I was either nauseous or my stomach was cramping, I woke up daily with a headache, and the sites wherever I placed the patch would itch and burn like crazy.
I actually went back to see him the other day, in tears. I didn't know what to do. I loved the pain control and the clear-headedness that the Bupe offerred, but I couldn't keep living with all of these side effects. I was miserable. He suggested that I go on Methadone, but I had to remind him that his partner had taken me off of that horrible drug, long ago, after being on it for 10 months and gaining 60 lbs.! Then he suggested the Fentanyl patch, at 50 mcg. I was on Fentanyl (100 mcg.) a long, long time ago ~ before I found my current Doc, but the doctor who prescribed it was retiring, and no one was willing to continue prescribing it for me. All I remember is how fucked-up I was on that drug! I took my last Bupe strip on Thursday, and today is Saturday. My pain is coming back in full force, and I hurt all over. I know the Bupe must be wearing off if the pain is back, but I don't think the Fentanyl is helping at all. Do you think I just need to be more patient as far as the Bupe goes, or is it possible that my Fentanyl dose needs to be titrated upwards? I'm just a little frightened because once my pain gets outta control, it's hard as hell to get it down to bearable again. Sorry for the long post. :-(
