Harm Reduction The Pain Management Mega Thread Version 4

[RodRamsey]

I wonder how many thousands of us suffer silently during the last week or two of the 30 day supply, underprescribed due to social stigma and personal bias in the corrupt field of pain management in the USA.

I have to agree with that and remember this happening to me every month. This forces people to make a decision. Stick with your unsympathetic dr or get your own side stash to outlast any redtape or insurance bs thats inevidibly going to happen. I always was like a squirrel stashing pills but now thats all over. I not giving any more money to the broken medical system of NY or the option B- going rouge in the street pharmacy which costs about the same in long run. Its just money thats it. They really don't care about your condition or pain levels.

 

[CodePammer]

Is morphine the most common painkiller after surgery?

 

[bennyZA]

A real time surgical update for a real time forum.

Surgery went extremely well, post-op, not so much. Apparently these physicians think that .4mg/hr of hydromorphone IV and 10mg hydrocodone is plenty of pain control for after a 6 hour, highly invasive, surgery. Suffice to say today was one of the worst days of my life, no exaggeration. Thankfully things were sorted out by my surgeons a few hours ago. Will update with my crazy story when I'm not so....

 

[LaskaBlue]

ARNP, working for Anesthesiologist in pain management...trying to answer any questions about the new laws in FL, but the threads are so scattered. Is there a pain management question forum?

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Hello Kenai Kings,

Is your question, how to get high? Or how to control your pain? OxyContin is a LA agent, and the Percocet should be used for BT pain. Just taking instant release oxycodone will wear off very shortly. It's about controlling the opioid receptors....so you get continual relief. But you probably know that. Purdue pharmaceuticals has a payor relief plan, if you want to afford the OxyContin. Getting euphoric will just overload the receptors, and then they don't take anymore.

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Hi RodRamsey--

Check into Anodyne Therapy... an infared therapy that revives nerve damage. Also, Gabapentin for nerve damage might help, or Lyrica or Cymbalta. Nerve damamge is tough, because the nerves don't conduct. I am sure you know that. Also, any PT you can do to increase the circulation and muscle strength may help.

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Glad to hear you made it through surgery OK. Try to remember, opioid pain meds suppress the respiratory system. Anesthesiologists, and responsible pain medicine Dr.'s have to take that under consideration. Unfortunately, respiratory death, is one of the biggest problems facing pain management. Need to treat real pain, but have to be safe for the patient. It's a tough balance. Hopefully, they will be able to give you medication, in limits, that will ease the pain.

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Why do you feel that way? If you have pain everyday, you usually should have medication everyday. Do you use a long acting and an immediate release for BT pain? If the pain is milder on somedays..maybe NSAIDS, alternate moist heat, and ice will help? If you have severe pain, you should have continual relief. In many instances, it may not relieve the pain completely, but you should have something blocking your pain receptors around the clock.

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There is no underprescribed due to social stigma or personal bias if you find the right board certified anesthesiologist. It is the patient's suing and stating "OMG my Dr. got me addicted" because many patient's don't understand, these medications come with an addictive property. It is risk, vs benefit. Due to the large abuse, Dr's have had to tighten the doses. Not a social stigma, it's laws, statutes created by non-legit pain management facilities, and everyone wanting to blame the Dr. when they realize they are "addicted" to the meds. Also, the people that use them just to get high.

 

[tricomb]

There is no underprescribed due to social stigma or personal bias if you find the right board certified anesthesiologist. It is the patient's suing and stating "OMG my Dr. got me addicted" because many patient's don't understand, these medications come with an addictive property. It is risk, vs benefit. Due to the large abuse, Dr's have had to tighten the doses. Not a social stigma, it's laws, statutes created by non-legit pain management facilities, and everyone wanting to blame the Dr. when they realize they are "addicted" to the meds. Also, the people that use them just to get high.

It's not that simple.

 

[tricomb]

From the time I was 4 I used to go into my Denver CO backyard and dig up some worms for bait. I'd the walk a couple of blocks to a little lake and fish for Blue Gills, Perch, And Catfish. I was addicted to it! When I was only a couple of years older my Father took me and my best friends Father took him on a trip to Anchorage Alaska. We got off our jet liner and only an hour or so later loaded all our gear into a float plane and went over to the Bristol Bay area. I think we fished the Alagnak, one of my favorites to this day., and we camped out alongside that magnificent river.
We fished for Rainbows and King Salmon.

But for some time now I am in such pain and an so debilitated I can't go fly fishing on one of those Rivers. I lived most of my Adult life spending a fortune ensuring I'd have a couple of weeks in Alaska. That kid that went in that first trip? He's STILL my best friend and he managed to move up here first. Today he's back in CO, he owns one of the largest undeveloped parcels on the Front Range over Denver. But I followed him up to Alaska after that quake that screwed me up PSTD etc. took out my six month old house overlooking Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Bay. I figured if I was going to have to put up with THAT shit I'd rather live in Alaska. More seismic activity or not. And so for a few years I lived in PARADISE. I'm less than a two hour drive from some INCREDIBLE fishing on the planet. The Kenai River from Cooper Landing on Down. Google it.

Kings, Reds, Silvers, and RAINBOWS. I don't eat fish so I always release them, unless some friend asked (pleaded) for some Salmon.

http://www.fishalaskamagazine.com/guides/rainbowTrout2.cfm

But now I can no longer get on those rivers. And there have been times I've thought about just killing myself because I lost something I loved so dearly.

I've use something like 15 more Perc's than I should have, not for fun but because I hurt so BADLY. I'm hoping I can not take ANY on Sat and Sun because then I'd be OK numbers wise for my Appt on Thursday

Sorry for whining so much. I know there are a LOT of people worse off than me. I wish I could fly a bunch of the people that frequent the BlueLight Forum up here and then take us out to the REAL Alaska. See Brown Bear from less than 100 feet away and not have to fire a shot..

A couple of years back we were camped on the Alagnak again and one of my buddies said he thought there was something REALLY wrong with my pal.He was out in the River in a PRIMO spot and was casting his fly. And casting, and casting. The fly never hit the water. Finally one of the other guys who'd just flown up to join us a couple of hours early offered me some windowpane Acid. Of course I got a couple of hits and it was then he mentioned my Pal had met him when he docked the Beaver.

Suddenly it became clear he was having a LOT of fun watching the fly and line go up and over etc.

Happy Trails!

I like you already, offering to fly me up to alaska n shit! How'd you know what I wanted for my birthday this year?! haha, just playin. Nice to meet you, welcome to the BL pain management thread, I really hope we can get you sorted out so that your not taking 15 percocet a day, no matter how you slice that it's causing liver damage. Hopefully you can get switched to Roxicodone instead? Have you talked to your doctor? Surely they don't have you on 15+ percocet per day...? May I ask?

 

[tomatalli]

I don't know why I'm even typing this, hopefully I can get some advice on what to do. I've had back, hip, neck, ad right knee/ankle pain for the past year and a half, I've been in PT for the whole time and have gone to multiple specialists, noone has an answer. I've been doing heroin on and off during this time and am currently addicted again and if I don't get high everyday to treat my pain all I can do is lay down all day and do nothing. I won't ever be able to get pain meds and be treated legally because I used to get suboxone. I just don't know what to do, I wouldn't never resOrted to dope if my pain was treated by my doctor but of course im 18 and don't need to be addicted to pain pills according to my doctor but I think that's better than heroin, no? I just can't take this anymore I'm 18 years old and can't even play catch with my younger cousins who look up to me. I'll prolly just end up blowing my brians out anyway

 

[Lifeinpain]

ARNP, working for Anesthesiologist in pain management...trying to answer any questions about the new laws in FL, but the threads are so scattered. Is there a pain management question forum?

Hey thanks, yes the Pain management mega Thread is just one big ongoing thread, confusing and chaotic for me, I don’t know about others?
Hmm another Anesthesiologist in pain management here in Ontario almost all PM Doctors are Anesthesiologists, I inquired if their education was shorter but was told it was the same for all general practitioners.

 

[RodRamsey]

A real time surgical update for a real time forum.

Surgery went extremely well, post-op, not so much. Apparently these physicians think that .4mg/hr of hydromorphone IV and 10mg hydrocodone is plenty of pain control for after a 6 hour, highly invasive, surgery. Suffice to say today was one of the worst days of my life, no exaggeration. Thankfully things were sorted out by my surgeons a few hours ago. Will update with my crazy story when I'm not so....

Thats exactly what I was saying. The surgeon will tell you anything pre op to get you feeling relaxed. Post op you wake to hell and who is there to help? Nobody. Then they giving redicilous meds to you considering surgery and history. I'm glad they sorted it out but I know exactly what that first 6 hours of hell is like post op. Hope they treating you good and get out soon.

 

[bennyZA]

A real time surgical update for a real time forum.

Surgery went extremely well, post-op, not so much. Apparently these physicians think that .4mg/hr of hydromorphone IV and 10mg hydrocodone is plenty of pain control for after a 6 hour, highly invasive, surgery. Suffice to say today was one of the worst days of my life, no exaggeration. Thankfully things were sorted out by my surgeons a few hours ago. Will update with my crazy story when I'm not so....

Day 1, bad
Day 2, hell
Night 2, heaven
Day/Night 3, horrendous.

Truly an overall nightmare expire xr, anything that could go wrong, did. I think I have PTSD now. I don't want get into it right now, but I got bullshit pain support and I was treated like moldy shit. I don't know how'll recover and I think the pain worse

 

[queenbee2]

Hi everyone. I haven't been here in a while. A few months ago, I came here seeking advice and direction; I was in bad shape as my pain management regimen just was NOT working. Every month I was running out of pills, suffering withdrawals for the 4-5 days before I could refill my prescription. At the time, I was prescribed Percocet (6 per day, but I was taking 8-10) and Gabapentin for nerve pain (PTPS-Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome), but I hated taking it because of the side effects. In addition to the meds. I was also practicing yoga and trying to be as active as possible to manage my pain. Some days were better than others. That's still true.

The pain specialist saw me twice--once to put me on new meds and once to refill my prescriptions and turn my care back over to my regular doctor as she felt I was on the right track with controlling my pain. Here is what I currently take:

15 mg MS Contin every 8 hours
75 mg Topamax (I just had my doctor increase this from 50 mg as the nerve pain was what I was having the hardest time controlling and the narcotics really don't do much for my nerve pain)
up to 3 5mg oxycodone per day for breakthrough pain (and holy shit, sometimes I don't NEED all three)

My chronic pain comes from (as mentioned above) the thoracotomy I had a few years ago and then two abdominal surgeries (a distal pancreatectomy to remove a cyst and later they had to open me back up due to a lovely abscess). I know that every one's pain is unique to them and it seems that compared to some of you here, what I've been through is small-time. But, chronic pain is chronic pain. For me, the Topamax is like a miracle drug. The only side effect I had was some hand tingling when I first started taking it and that was solved by eating a few bananas. Don't get my wrong--I'm still in pain. But what was before a rushing, crushing storm is now just wind.

Alaska salmon guy--I've been thinking about what you wrote and...I want to say something to you, but I don't know how I want to say it. I guess I want to ask you--do you want to control your pain or do you want to chase the high? Because for me, they're two different things. I can sit here and take enough of my breakthrough meds to get high and feel great...and oh hey, my pain isn't so bad, in fact, it's just about gone...but it doesn't last long and eventually I nod off. OR, I can take my MS Contin and not feel that floaty feeling but...oh hey...my pain isn't so bad....and I carry on with my day and live my life. Do you understand what I'm saying??

Wishing you all as well as you can be.

B

P.S.--Benny, I'm sorry you're having such a terrible time post-surgery.

 

[RodRamsey]

Day 1, bad
Day 2, hell
Night 2, heaven
Day/Night 3, horrendous.

Truly an overall nightmare expire xr, anything that could go wrong, did. I think I have PTSD now. I don't want get into it right now, but I got bullshit pain support and I was treated like moldy shit. I don't know how'll recover and I think the pain worse

Ya that sounds about right unfortunately. They tell you the best scenario going in then you wake to a diff story. All of a sudden pain management is? ??? And surgeons are??? Playing golf high on the meds you were supposed to get maybe. Who knows but my experience in 3 surgeries recently is very similar to what your describing. They really are ok leaving patients in maximum pain. Its really not good for you to be in pain like that, forget about what problems strong meds can cause long term. We in pain right now, need something strong now. Later after post op hell can deal with coming off strong meds. It kills me that there are soooo many meds available for pain but they pretend like hydrocodone is the only drug they ever heard of. This is why I would rather die than go back to hospital. You going to feel better bro, just try to maintain and not get in hospital depression. I was there and know all about that. Once you get home, start eating real food going to feel better just from that. Its hard taking a step backwards in pain levels and recovery. Thats what happens with multiple operations. Every one put you right back to the original pain condition.

 

[Doomed2pain]

I had my op 4 weeks ago and i'm still in hell from it, and the procedure didnt help my pain either so it was a complete waste of time, and the hellish recovery. I hope you feel better soon benny

 

[RodRamsey]

Sorry to hear that, seems to be a reaccuring theme here. Surgery with no results or post op help. Its a business and we are the hospitals only chance at paying the bills. Surgeons are like salesman trying to sell you on this and that procedure. Bottom line they could care less and nowhere to be found post op for questions, answers, or pain relief. The next time I go to the hospital will be for an autopsy of my corpse. Done with the medical system. I'm my doctor and prescribe whatever I need to survive.

 

[xanderbar]

Severe pain

Hey everyone. I'm a chronic pain patient, and have been on opiates for three years. I would like some input on my rx meds. I still have constant pain and I don't know what else to do. I need decompression brain surgery and I've been putting it off... Just don't know what else to try

I'm on
Opana er 40mg 3x daily
Oxymorphone 10mg ir 3 x daily
Promethazine 25mg 3x daily
Sonata 10mg at night

 

[opiodmaniac]

wow that's a FUCK LOAD of oxymorphone!!! honestly there's nothing much more you can get than what you currently have except for maybe switching out your oxyM 40s for fentanyl and keep your oxyM 10s as breakthrough meds but you'll have to talk to your doc about this and let him/her know that you're still in alot of pain (allthough I don't see how that's possible with your current meds because that really is ALOT of oxyM...

 

[mrflowers00]

if that isn't working you don't have much of a hope in feeling better you might want to ask about fentanyl

 

[xanderbar]

Swim uses a dremel tool to turn the er pills into powder. So the bioavailability is 40% (nasal roa) instead of 10% oral

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

We don't use SWIM here, we all know its you (all it does it make your posts hard to read).

 

[bennyZA]

Omg, I want tell you guys the whole story of this ridiculous surgery and the subsequent week of total chaos. The stories about the nurses or the orderlies or the other patients could be made into their own movies TV shows and books. For me, tomorrow morning determines the fate of my chronic pain regiment and so much more.

The last week was def in the top 5 worst weeks of my life, but it's also one of those awful weeks that will make me crack up in 27.4 yest