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Norco Is Becoming Useless, How Do I Get Help?

H

Hecatonchires

Greenlighter
Joined
May 13, 2008
Messages
24
Hello,

I won't go into the particulars; but I have life altering pain in the knee's. The right knee is the main problem and now the left one hurts from putting so much pressure on it due to having to limp.

I've been on Norco's 10/325 for as long as I can remember (TONS of other medical problems that require it) and its effectiveness is almost nil. I get a couple hours of mild pain relief and a bit of loopyness (I do get a little "high"). Then it fades away. I'm prescribed 4 a day. The doctor I have is extremely stingy about prescribing narcotics (mostly due to my age:23). But right now I can't even help my 65 year old mom prime my room for painting because of the pain; that's ridiculous. I've been out maybe once every month to see friends and even then it's short lived as I lose interest in anything.

I'm prescribed xanax, klonopin and they both do nothing; for any sort of problem. As far as sleep goes, I've been prescribed Ambien and it's now useless.

Anyway my problem is convincing my doctor that something needs to be done so I can act like a normal person, I'm in the depths of hell sometimes and she seems so nonchalant about it. I've been in and out of hospitals since I was 14 (dialysis, 2 transplants, multiple other "maintenence" surgeries). She acts like I'm out to get drugs just because I'm 23 and generally that's not the age you really have problems. The knee problem stems from the fact that when I was on dialysis I was in high-school, my bones didn't form right and my knee's bend inward; a gymnastics accident didn't help either. The right knee disclocates on a regular basis and I just tough it out; I don't want to seem like some junkie going to the ER constantly to get norco.

I don't oxycodone is just a jump in pain relief but I feel like I have no recourse, I've tried Tramadol (omfg yuck), Darvocet (didn't feel a thing) and plain old tylenol. In order for my Norco to work longer than it normaly does I have to take 2000+ APAP along with it; and I have a kidney transplant, that is WAY too much APAP for a transplant patient. I need something WITHOUT APAP in it. I'm not even allowed to use ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. APAP is the only OTC drug I'm allowed to use. So basically it's APAP or narcotics, and obviously APAP AND norco are losing their effectiveness.

I'm not asking you how to word what I say to get what I want; my doctor is smart and can see through that shit. Her exact words for prescribing morphine were "now way in hell I'm giving you morphine". I've already broached the subject about oxy with her and she seemed to blow it off, saying that a higher narcotic isn't the answer. But I doubt being in pain IS the answer. She's afraid I'll ruin my life; problem is, IT ALREADY IS. I haven't been in school for god knows how long, I stay home and stare at the wall while laying in bed and try to go to another place.

Sorry this is so long...

One last question, can a psychiatrist prescribe painkillers? If I can't get through to my PCP, I'm going to try my psych, he's a little less strict.

Help?
 
A psychiatrist isn't going to provide you with pain medication. That is not their field of expertise and I am sure a shitton of red flags would fly up if a prescription for them would be written, especially multiple times.

If I were in your shoes, I'd simply try and find another doctor. If what you say is true and you are not being treated properly due to age discrimination then I would say take your business elsewhere. You do not have to stay with a certain doctor, especially if you feel you are not getting the treatment you need.

Also, are there surgeries that could possibly relieve the pain? What are other steps that you can take? If there are alternatives to pain medication and you go out and seek them; you'll get a much better result from your PCP, generally.

Try those options and then go back or change your doctor. I guanrtee the results will be a bit more positive than saying, "Give me stronger medication!" as that rarely looks good in any situation.
 
APAP has nothing to do with kidneys, its metabolized by the liver. You want to avoid ibuprofen with kidney problems.

My advice as far as your doctor is concerned is to see her and let her know that your current medications are not controlling your pain effectively and that it is affecting your life negatively.

If she is willing to try something else, stick with it. If not, see a different doctor. Given your conditions I would try and see a pain management clinic that will both help you effectively control your pain and keep you in line as far as preventing abuse or addiction.

I do not want to come across in any way as being accusatory, but I want to warn you against developing an addiction or abusing your pain medication. If you start down that road, it will get bad and eventually you will have to detox and recover from the addiction, which is a hellacious experience for anyone much less someone with chronic pain.

Good luck man!
 
Other drugs isn't about doctors, health care, and pain management, it's only about drugs. Those type of threads belong in the healthy living forum.

-> Healthy Living

Best of luck to you. I hope you find something that works for your pain and doesn't get you seriously addicted to opiates. You might want to consider something like the buprenorphine patch. How do you talk to your doctor about it? Just be honest and tell them what's up. If they're a good doctor they'll help you. After all, you do have legitimate pain. If you have any questions about the specifics of opioids and their neurochemistry whether it's related to pain relief or not, feel free to post another thread here.
 
get a 2nd opinion NOT from your psych. do you have any paperwork or charts that show you're in pain? i'd say take yourself to another pain doc or gp and just explain about your transplants and the "problems" you've experienced taking norco and other weaker meds you mentioned. you don't have to talk about your old doctor but at the same time explain that you would like to start some sort of physical rehabilitation/treatment along with something that works for your knee pain and let the doc know norco is giving you problems/not working for you.
 
I think a psychiatrist normally doesn't prescribe "pain pills". However they are MD"s and have the ability to write prescriptions as they see fit. If the psychiatrist is nice they may write a small script for you. BUT most likely tell you to visit another doc to get the "pain pills". These days the DEA is after anyone prescribing too many narcotics and can ruin a Physicians preactice!!
 
I do physical therapy everyday. All kinds of nonsense lifting my legs with weights.

As for the APAP comment, I mention it because too much of it is bad for your liver AND kidney, just not AS bad for you kidney as your liver. Either way I'd like to avoid having TWO organs transplanted, hm?

I've seen countless docs about the problem and none of them can seem to fix it. I can't do surgery because the muscles are too weak from being so sedentary (hospital life is the life!). So I need to bulk up my quads before they even think of doing anything to my kneecaps, etc. Problem is, it's hard to do physical therapy when you're in massive pain.

So you can see how the problem is sort of circular in nature and until I can get the pain to go away so I can to therapy, nothing will happen. By not helping my pain the doc is making the situation worse.

Anyway, I contacted my old pain clinic and the doc is gone until next thursday (wtf kind of pain clinic is this, everytime I call the doc is on vacation). The nurse there ok'd Darvocet for a week until I see the doc next thursday which is when I get my next dosage of Norco from the doc! Lovely.
 
serious question, when you say "Lovely." to the darvocet you got to hold you over were you being serious or sarcastic? j/w.
 
I just meant that the pain doctor who only seems to prescribe darvocet I'll be meeting the same day my norco refills; which is better than darvocet. It just seems silly.
 
You have to tell your doctor exactly what you told us. Don't put on an act, don't try to tell you what you think she will want to hear. Pour your heart out - doctor's are people too. And if that doesn't work, find a new doctor.
 
^^^ I agree with the above. Be totally straight, and if that doesn't work, ask them for a referral to a pain doctor who might be more comfortable assessing your condition. Or just look it up in the yellow pages. Show up with a billion x-rays and do your best. It took me a long time to find the right doc when I was in pain, but it *did* happen eventually! I was 18 and he gave me methadone, morphine, then finally levorphanol. I never abused any of them, and he made me do a whole integrated program. It was fantastic. When I wanted to get off the pills, he helped me do it and gave me the support medications I needed. Cost me an arm and a leg 'cause he was out of network, but the best docs usually *are*!
 
i think u should get off ur ass and get a job and do shit instead of "sit and stare at a wall" first off....then, try things like exercise and eating healthy. Ur doctor is prob. on to something when she says "stronger meds aren't the answer".
 
My suggestion: Start using DLPA. (use google to find it)

Anywhere from a gram to a gram and a half for two weeks will allow the narcotics to work better. You have to be committed to it. You won't hotice anything at first but I can guarantee you this: After about two weeks, one day you will take your pain medicine and it will floor you.
 
i agree with being honest and/or finding a new doc. it sounds like you are "entitled" to something stronger.

a note about healing. you MUST believe that one day you will be healthy. attitude is EVERYTHING. with a positive attitude and visualization, your weak, damaged cells will die and be replaced by normal, healthy cells. breath deeply into your knees every time your are just sitting around. also, stretching is just as important as muscle building. take it slow!

this sounds tough, i hope you can find an inner peace

namaste
 
Mehm said:
you MUST believe that one day you will be healthy. attitude is EVERYTHING. with a positive attitude and visualization, your weak, damaged cells will die and be replaced by normal, healthy cells.

namaste
Click to expand...

Hmmm, not to derail this thread, but please don't make claims that are patently absurd. Positive mental attitudes have been shown to increase life expectancy and help with illness, but it does not correlate with helping purely mechanical damage. Saying that weak, damaged cells will be replaced by healthy cells because of visualization is entirely too vague and unfounded.
 
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