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The Pain Management Mega Thread v2.0

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Hi Z!
I'm sorry to here you are doing so badly. I did not realize....
anyway, I am glad you are trying to get a new doctor. Honestly the doses of the meds you are taking are not unreasonably high... especially if your condition is worsening. It is normal to need something stronger after a period of time. I hate the idea of you trying to suffer through this and feeling like you are doing something wrong, in feeling like you need something stronger. I am absolutely not advising you to overdo your meds, or to not follow the prescription....
but to me it seems like it is definitely time for you to move on.

Thank you for your compassion. That means a lot. I have successfully decreased my dosage to 1/2 tabs at a time. If I suffere more I take the other 1/2 and today I noticed I was not in too much pain. But I did notice that if I did not take in the 4th hr I felt weird. I took some and the feeling passed. I guess that was some Ed symptoms?? Idk but I'm glad this plan seems to be working.

I only have my prescription. I have no other sources or anything. I fear running out. So I rarely ever take more than my daily allotted dose. I usually worrie on the week of refill because anything can happen.
 
Congratulations on cutting back on your medications Zoeylynn.

Dosing some of my own medications for the first time in two days.


What medications are you taking and did you have any side effects when you first started taking them?
 
I've tried all the common ones. Hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and methadone. Each with varying degrees of analgesia/side effect ratios, they each have different dose-response curves. My favorite pain killer is morphine. Oxymorphone is great but the current formulations of it in the United States are unsatisfactory currently, to say the very very least, and also it has severe withdrawals unlike any other opioid in my subjective experience.

I'm currently only prescribed oxycodone, I'm not happy with it but don't have any other options currently, my pain management doctor isn't as compassionate as a pain patient would hope. Thankyou Drug Enforcement Agency, the war on drugs is an epic failure.


What are you prescribed? I've never really had much problems with side effects but I've been taking these medications for a long time, ever since adolescence. When taking large doses at once, I usually get mild to moderate itching, which I don't really mind, if it's overly bothersome I'll take a diphenhydramine (Benedryl), but I also get some constipation as well which I hate with utmost passion.

If opiates didn't cause constipation so much I would think they were much perfect a drug, but it is by far one of the most severe side effects which deters me from ever escalating my doses and doing my best to keep tolerance low and dosing as far apart as possible and as low as possible, pain permitting.
 
I too am curious about levorphanol as I am kind of at a point where my PM doc will either increase my ER meds (Methadone 20mg x 3) or change my IR meds (Oxycodone 30 x 4hrs) but will not increase my Oxy as he thinks above 180 Oxycodone's effectiveness has not been proven in studies. So I am curious about anything else out there that people have tried that compares in analgesia?
 
@ Zoe:

If your doc will prescribe xanax, will he prescribe vallium, klonopin, or ativan in place of it? I just ask because those three of those are good muscle relaxants as well as something to combat anxiety...Just a thought for the meantime...

Sorry in advance for what I'm about to ask, but here goes lmao:

Recently got back MRIs to find that I've got 3 herniated disks, DDD, lumbar stenosis, and hyperkyphosis...The stenosis is causing peripheral problems as well though...It causes me to have stabbing pain shoot down my buttocks, and leg, and also causes the numbness and tingling in my feet...Another issue it's causing however is FREQUENT, recurrent epididymitis...Should this be cause for concern if I'm having the painful swelling more than once a week? If this info is important, it's not just one of them, it will switch around or even affect both at times...From gentle palpitations during an episode, it felt as though there was something else inside one side of my scrotum...Hard to explain what it felt like...it was amorphous and almost seemed as if it were some type of tissue that was around the testicle-sort of like an egg wrapped in a towel. Could this possibly be a hernia? It kind of felt like it was something that was hanging down from above, so I worry it might have been intestine...It's not always present, but does show up on occasion when I have epididymitis episodes...
 
@ Zoe:

If your doc will prescribe xanax, will he prescribe vallium, klonopin, or ativan in place of it? I just ask because those three of those are good muscle relaxants as well as something to combat anxiety...Just a thought for the meantime...

Sorry in advance for what I'm about to ask, but here goes lmao:

Recently got back MRIs to find that I've got 3 herniated disks, DDD, lumbar stenosis, and hyperkyphosis...The stenosis is causing peripheral problems as well though...It causes me to have stabbing pain shoot down my buttocks, and leg, and also causes the numbness and tingling in my feet...Another issue it's causing however is FREQUENT, recurrent epididymitis...Should this be cause for concern if I'm having the painful swelling more than once a week? If this info is important, it's not just one of them, it will switch around or even affect both at times...From gentle palpitations during an episode, it felt as though there was something else inside one side of my scrotum...Hard to explain what it felt like...it was amorphous and almost seemed as if it were some type of tissue that was around the testicle-sort of like an egg wrapped in a towel. Could this possibly be a hernia? It kind of felt like it was something that was hanging down from above, so I worry it might have been intestine...It's not always present, but does show up on occasion when I have epididymitis episodes...

Well as a person with my own back issues, I can completely sympathize after going through 3 spinal fusions. Just recently, I had a friend experiencing the same issues as you between the back and genital area and he required emergency surgery as 2 disks had completely collapsed onto a nerve causing numbness and pain through his leg and genital area. So I suggest if this is a persistent issue that you need to pursue some medical attention as it is not a normal side effect of the usual lumbar issues: Stenosis, DDD and so on.

Get it checked out ASAP! Even if it means surgery, and this is coming from someone with so much titanium inside my body I could audition for Iron Man 3!
 
I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has tried Levorphanol (sp?)but like Tri ...
My MD said if my oxycodone dosage needs adjustment again, he'd consider that or Nucynta, which I know nothing about either!
 
Nucynta is extremely expensive don't go on that unless it REALLY works for you, do a trial before having your doctor write your next months of pain killers of pure Nucynta.
 
I am a CPP as well. I have been receiving treatment for my back since adolesence. I am <30 and have been taking pain meds for 4+ yrs. My daily intake is 80mg Oxycontin, 40mg Perc, and a variable amt of Soma. Also the occasional Gabapentin and Klonopin. I have experience with just about all the other pain meds as well.

I am interested in feedback from my experience with meds. First off, I have been taking opiates the whole time and have never felt the euphoria that most people talk about. Am I Weird?? If anything, I am irritable. I am more productive with them for sure, considering I can't even get out of bed, much less be productive without them. But I definitely don't feel euphoric. Other people I know who take them say they bet a "buzz" or feel high. I don't. I've tried to take more to get the feel good feelings, but just puked my guts out instead.

I tried to use meds sparingly for a couple yrs but my tolerance and pain did not allow for that to last. It actually took almost 3 yrs to become physically dependent on opiates. I swear it was the damn Opana :X, but anyway... I now have a physical clock for a body that has me sweating every 3 hrs, on the dot, for my dose. I will admit, I took my pills as I saw fit, whether that was more or less than my daily alottment, for the last year. I am not pleased with my current meds but, even tho my doc is great, my age and drug companies kinda ruin things for me. My doc is very kind and considerate but he is conservative with my dosing bc he said I will probably be on meds for the rest of my life, so he doesn't want to max the mg so early on. Drug companies have also ruined Opana and Oxycontin so they are now like digesting rocks and don't work half as well.

Some questions I have are... 1) Does anyone else not feel the "euphoria" or am I an enigma? 2) What can be done about the irritability from perc and such? 3) Is there a med for the sweats? 4) Any other recommended pain med combos that could prevent the previous concerns?

Thanks :)
 
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Hi samsonite....

I am in much the same boat as you, and yes, opana did the exact same thing to me. I was stable for years, took opana and bam! My tolerance ratcheted up into the stratosphere and I would begin to withdraw at about the three hour mark.

I don't feel the euphoria at all anymore, either. I think that this comes with tolerance...the body needs larger and larger doses to feel anything at all. When I first started, 20 mgs of oxycodone made me feel great, now I can take 150+ mgs for the same effect. I wonder if it would be helpful for you to switch your long acting med? I switched to MS Contin, and it made a huge difference. Different receptors and all that. In regards to the sweating, you could try clonidine. That worked very well for me. It is a blood pressure med that they give to people in withdrawal and it helps your CNS stabilize, reduces sweating and RLS.

Good luck!
 
Thank you for the advice, especially about the Clonidine! I was on MS Contin before the Opana and it didn't seem to be as effective :(. Maybe my dose was too low? I never felt the euphoria, even in the beginning, but I have also always struggled with the nausea meds give me. Maybe the nausea always kept me at a dose too low for the warm and fuzzy feelings. I'm just an irritable, barely functioning adult.
 
Welcome Samsonite, is this your first time in the Chronic Pain Megathread?

Clonidine is indeed a very helpful tool to have in your medicine cabinet, if your doctor gives you the green light of course ;)

For nausea, have you tried Ondasetron (Zofran)? Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)? I know that Zofran should have much less side effects than thorazine, which is a member of the typical anti-psychotic class of medications.

Usually, 2-8mg of ondasetron will set any nausea I have straight.
 
Yes it is tricomb. Well... posting anyway. I haven't tried those. Just otc stuff. Are those hard to obtain from Drs?
 
Welcome!

No they're not, we can't give you advice on obtaining medications from your doctor, I was under the impression that you were already being prescribed anti-nausea medications which is why I listed two prescription only medications.

What OTC meds have you tried, I would imagine Dramamine, and what else?
 
I have a great doc who listens so I don't need advice on what to say or how to obtain it. I was just wondering if it is a med they are generally willing to prescribe or if its one of those they are scared to give out. Yes on Dram. and just about all the others, including store brand. Even that Gripe Water for babies :D
 
samsonite, I have never felt any euphoria from my meds either, they barely touch my pain let alone make me feel good. Prochlorperazine (thorazine) is brilliant, I vomit alot due to my condition and it helps loads, it is also vert easy to obtain a script so I wouldnt worry about that. morphine never worked very well for my pain either, and caused a lot of problems for my stomach.

anyway I hope you manage to get some relief from your pain and nausea.
 
Thanks guys! And I'm glad to know, but sorry to hear, you share my experience Doomed. I see my doc this Thurs so I'll present these suggestions to him.
 
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