Need Help w Long Acting Painkiller. - opiate or synthetic - NEED SOME REAL EXPERIENCE

[GashterTravis]

Ok, there are 2 very significant and slightly incompatible things going on. First, I have back and neck pain that now justify 'long term opiate pain medicine. TWO - I love opiates and generally speaking that means that warm glow does it for me. Which came first - who know, I've had the back problems for years. I also have a very long history of opiate use. There are people who simply don't feel close to normal except via opiates - I may be one of the. When I don't have that calming of opiates ( I don't need it every second of the day, I often find substitute which are not safe and not good for me. Yes, I have strong addictive tendencies, but I'm also a professional who is quite successful, so I'm not hanging in a gutter looking for handouts (and I'm glad that is true, and people end up in gutters for a variety of reasons, many of which are not their fault.

ON TO THE ISSUE. Up until about 2 weeks ago I was on a low dose of suboxone - generally to come down from about 2 years of hydrocodone use - as that medicine truly does help my back/neck pain quite a bit. However I wanted a break from the narcotics, so subs seemed a decent way to go. I believe in switching every now and then and trying to take a weekend off every few months. For me it keeps the mess working and helps me from temptation to take more - we all know where that goes.

PROBLEM 1 - I have very significant sleep problems on suboxone above 2nd, which is generally too low a dose for effective pain management. I also feel impaired even on low doses in ways not felt w other opiates Also, I,ve found I can get quite high on subs by taking 3-4 days dose at once iv. It lasts a long time, and I cut dose in between (have to wait 4 or 5 days between 'good doses,. So,this isn't what is supposed to be happening.

PROBLEM 2 - sub doc does not take insurance, and though we live a good life, we are trying to cut costs. Sub doc really just does sub, not other pain meds (long story)

PROBLEM 3 - I have a pain dr., so I went in and told them the weren't working. He said I needed a 'long acting opiate' AND PUT ME ON 5 mg a day of METHADONE. I know it is an ok pain killer and cheap, but 5 mg isnt doing much. However I have very serious concerns. In would have kicked thevsuboxone over avyear ago, except when I tied in could not function ( not good for home or work like). Somewhere around day 12 I cracked and started the subs again. My concer is that because I feel the best was to fight tolerance is to either switch or just stop once a year and deal with it (ah, the price we pay) that this is avterrible medicine for me. Stopping and coming off takes many months and while an appropriate taper is probably the way to go, even the tamperers are clear that it is really bad. I'llgladly pay more for something different z(it is dirt cheap). I'm in my mid 40s and knowing me, I might never get off this stuff.

Ok, so I know I'm mixing my chronic pain patient and my " I love opiates" metaphors, and I'm sure someone will get pissed, but I need a new plan. I can't stay on methadone. I'll never get off it, and generally speaking it is going to kill my ability to get high from other opiates (I know this I'd debatable, but I had a good bit of vi Odin thatbi took over the first weeknandvreally felt nothing. Also makes me very naseaus, and generally I like food.

My med records clearly justify at least a medium grade opiate or synthetic med. I WOULD REAALY APPRECIATE SOME ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS. Hydrocodone worked well, but i guess that is 'short acting' and Tylenol... I understand thatbwhen you take something that is long actingbevery day, it probably won't get you high - though sometimes different 'methods of administration' can change that a bt. But, there's got to be something that I could add a 'supplement' to to reach the desired effect, or, if need be, horde and take celebrex and use that more recreationally ( for my back's recreation, of course). I like to administer fairly directly, if the option is there.

So, I know better than to walk in on my next vaptnandvsaynn "I want --------. I'm not dying so I'm not going to get the really strong stuff, but am hoping you experienced opers can throw me a few names...what about plain and simple percs? I'm pretty good w doctors and am patient, but I really don't to stay on methadone too long (like no longer) cause it will just get harder and harder to kick, and subs not so good w methadone..harder and more painful.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

This is not Advanced Drug Discussion,

Moving over to Other Drugs.

-NT

 

[sekio]

Make the decision to go opiate-free, or tell your doctor about the negative effects of the methadone.

Methadone is a very good long-acting opiate for chronic pain patients. It's long lasting, potent,. and more than a simple opiate... If you find yourself needing to taper off of it all the time, perhaps you need to find a shorter acting one. You could also switch over to something like oxycodone or hydrocodone, but those are much shorter-lasting and would require multiple doses a day.

Of course, using opiates for pain control and recreation at the same time doesn't work. Honestly, any opiate is going to become ineffective if you use it for long periods of time, even SUboxone or hydrocodone. This is why it's important to find alternate sources of pain management.

Celexa is non-recreational BTW.

 

[Irony XR]

Many chronic pain patients try to find that holy grail through which they can both manage their pain and get high at the same time. It doesn't work like that. Everything balances out. If you double up your dose one day to get high, at the end of the month you'll end up short and will get w/d symptoms. You'll either run out early and be forced to go a few days without opiates (no fun) or you'll have to do some math and lower your daily dose to make up for the meds you popped in an attempt to get high. Either way, it will balance out. A day of pleasure now for a day of pain later. It sounds simple but I'm still learning that lesson.

That being said, I'm sure you didn't log on to BL to be preached to. Let's cut to the chase: you want better pain meds. Setting the morality of lying to your doctor aside, I'd recommend telling him/her that while the suboxone/methadone helps somewhat, you are sometimes overwhelmed with episodes of breakthrough pain. I wouldn't use the term actually, just say "The pain medication you gave me brings the pain level from a 5 to a 3 (use your own numbers, duh), but even then it sometimes will shoot up to a 7 for a few hours. Is there anything you can do about that?"

If you're lucky, he'll prescribe you something for breakthrough pain, such as Oxy IR. If you want a higher dose, you can say that the new medication works but not well enough. A few weeks later, you might mention that the oxycodone (if that's what you get) works a lot better than the methadone. Inquire if you can be switched to it permanently.

I'm kind of ambivalent about this write-up, you seem to be in legitimate pain but your reasons for wanting the "good stuff" are questionable. That being said, good luck. I hope you get medication that manages your pain successfully.

Mods: my aim was to give advice to allow the OP to manage his pain better. However, if you consider my post unacceptable due to the "how to get drugs from the good doctor" vibe it gives off, I completely understand.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

You will have to keep looking for doctors until you find the one that works for you.

Best of luck in finding the correct doctor, but here at Bluelight, we really can't help you with this any more than we already have.