Aa
I'm a first timer here.
Hey gang,
Hope all are doing well. A little history on me and my chronic pain. 4 years ago I had two diverticulum rupture, after emergency they removed 12 inches of my colon, placed a colostomy bag on me for 3 months, then had my colon reattached. 2 days later I had 2 ulcurs rupture, alomost bled to death, more emergency surgery to close up the ulcurs and spent 2 days in ICU, 4 days in the regular hospital then fianlly got to go home. In all I spent 2 months in the hospital.
One year later my gall bladder ruptured, almost bled to death again, more emergency surgery, spent 4 days in the hospital. 6 months later had two large kidney stones that would not pass so I had to have a tube inserted in a very sensitive place, I'm male by the way. had the tube for 30 days..it was heII.
8 months after that my appendix ruptered, more surgery. Last Jan I had Mono of all things...that put me down for a month. Since then I have developed some kind of food allergy. At first I thought it was dairy. Then I thought it was gluten. Then I thought it was sugar. Then I thought it was high fructose corn syrup....now I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING MY PAIN!
I have constant pain in my feet..they sting, ache and sometimes feel like they are on fire. My knees hurt, lower back pain, headaches, brain fog, anxiety, depression. I have this every minute of every day which is why the depression is setting in. IT *****! I'm sure most of you can relate.
Anyway...I am currently taking five 5/325 Norco's a day and have been doing so for the past 2 years. I've never called my doctor for an early refill in that time. I am unable to take NSAIDS as they are what caused my ulcurs and I am allergic to asprin so narcotics are my only option. They do help but I am tired of taking them. what scares me is I do get a high when I take a pilll but they do take away the pain. Just 4 short years ago I was pill free and my body did not hurt like it does now. I guess I'm having a hard time dealing with "old age" as I am now 44 years old getting ready to turn 45.
Will I eventurally require a higher dose? Will my body develop a tollerance to this drug? The first pain mgmt doctor i went to placed me on a 75mic Fentanyl patch. Being STOOPID..I applied the first patch and felt as though I was walking on air. I had no pain at all. Let me tell you...coming off that drug was the worst experience of my life which is why I am so scared of my current pain med.
I know this was long and I'm sure you realized that writing is not a gift i have. Thanks for letting me vent a little.
I'm scared of being a junkie, addict or whatever else goes with narcotics.
Hope all are doing well. A little history on me and my chronic pain. 4 years ago I had two diverticulum rupture, after emergency they removed 12 inches of my colon, placed a colostomy bag on me for 3 months, then had my colon reattached. 2 days later I had 2 ulcurs rupture, alomost bled to death, more emergency surgery to close up the ulcurs and spent 2 days in ICU, 4 days in the regular hospital then fianlly got to go home. In all I spent 2 months in the hospital.
One year later my gall bladder ruptured, almost bled to death again, more emergency surgery, spent 4 days in the hospital. 6 months later had two large kidney stones that would not pass so I had to have a tube inserted in a very sensitive place, I'm male by the way. had the tube for 30 days..it was heII.
8 months after that my appendix ruptered, more surgery. Last Jan I had Mono of all things...that put me down for a month. Since then I have developed some kind of food allergy. At first I thought it was dairy. Then I thought it was gluten. Then I thought it was sugar. Then I thought it was high fructose corn syrup....now I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING MY PAIN!
I have constant pain in my feet..they sting, ache and sometimes feel like they are on fire. My knees hurt, lower back pain, headaches, brain fog, anxiety, depression. I have this every minute of every day which is why the depression is setting in. IT *****! I'm sure most of you can relate.
Anyway...I am currently taking five 5/325 Norco's a day and have been doing so for the past 2 years. I've never called my doctor for an early refill in that time. I am unable to take NSAIDS as they are what caused my ulcurs and I am allergic to asprin so narcotics are my only option. They do help but I am tired of taking them. what scares me is I do get a high when I take a pilll but they do take away the pain. Just 4 short years ago I was pill free and my body did not hurt like it does now. I guess I'm having a hard time dealing with "old age" as I am now 44 years old getting ready to turn 45.
Will I eventurally require a higher dose? Will my body develop a tollerance to this drug? The first pain mgmt doctor i went to placed me on a 75mic Fentanyl patch. Being STOOPID..I applied the first patch and felt as though I was walking on air. I had no pain at all. Let me tell you...coming off that drug was the worst experience of my life which is why I am so scared of my current pain med.
I know this was long and I'm sure you realized that writing is not a gift i have. Thanks for letting me vent a little.
I'm scared of being a junkie, addict or whatever else goes with narcotics.
75mcg Fentanyl is a lot for a jump from Norco, not sure why they went that high for you. I was on 180mg Morphine a day, and they only switched me to the 25mcg, which doesn't work at all.
If you could explain how long you were on the Fentanyl and what the withdrawal was like, I'm curious.
In terms of being an addict/junkie, we all have worried about that. However, if you're using them for actual pain, and it sure sounds like you are, it's not "addiction" per se, it's dependence. Anyone taking these meds will become dependent on them, it's a fact of life.
I see it like this, an addict will crave the drug strongly and uses them to get high, not for pain. Whenever I've stopped taking my pain meds, I've never craved them, ever. I have withdrawals, but not the craving like I have when I've tried to quit smoking.
So your fear is one we all have had before, you're not alone. Just know there is a difference, but talk to your doctor if you don't like the Fentanyl.
If you could explain how long you were on the Fentanyl and what the withdrawal was like, I'm curious.
In terms of being an addict/junkie, we all have worried about that. However, if you're using them for actual pain, and it sure sounds like you are, it's not "addiction" per se, it's dependence. Anyone taking these meds will become dependent on them, it's a fact of life.
I see it like this, an addict will crave the drug strongly and uses them to get high, not for pain. Whenever I've stopped taking my pain meds, I've never craved them, ever. I have withdrawals, but not the craving like I have when I've tried to quit smoking.
So your fear is one we all have had before, you're not alone. Just know there is a difference, but talk to your doctor if you don't like the Fentanyl.
Hi Tropicalsoul,
Welcome to our community. I am very sorry about all the pain issues you have going on. As you know we can relate.
As far as your current pain dose I wouldn't be overly concerned with it. It's fairly small. Hydrocodone (Norco) works for me too. Unlike Red, oxycodone though stronger is not as effective for me as hydrocodone. Different systems react differently to narcotics. I too have had trouble with most other meds. Antidepressants are intolerable for my system. And my darn system either will not adjust or is allergic to the more potent opiates. So I certainly understand where you are coming from. I have days that I cannot get out of bed for at least an hour after I take my meds. Just ambulating across the room often shoots stabbing pain through my hips, buttocks and into my foot. But we all deal with something.
And if the time comes that you are able to stop taking the Narco any good PCP will help wean you off the narcotic. It should not be the trip that Fentanyl was for you. There are medications that ease the w/d.
I hope it helps you to know that you are not alone and that we are here to support you. Please feel free to post at any time. I invite you and all newcomers to become an active member of our community. It has made a huge difference in my CP life (and for many others here) and I am hoping that the same will be true for you.
Peace and take care, Tuck
Welcome to our community. I am very sorry about all the pain issues you have going on. As you know we can relate.
As far as your current pain dose I wouldn't be overly concerned with it. It's fairly small. Hydrocodone (Norco) works for me too. Unlike Red, oxycodone though stronger is not as effective for me as hydrocodone. Different systems react differently to narcotics. I too have had trouble with most other meds. Antidepressants are intolerable for my system. And my darn system either will not adjust or is allergic to the more potent opiates. So I certainly understand where you are coming from. I have days that I cannot get out of bed for at least an hour after I take my meds. Just ambulating across the room often shoots stabbing pain through my hips, buttocks and into my foot. But we all deal with something.
And if the time comes that you are able to stop taking the Narco any good PCP will help wean you off the narcotic. It should not be the trip that Fentanyl was for you. There are medications that ease the w/d.
I hope it helps you to know that you are not alone and that we are here to support you. Please feel free to post at any time. I invite you and all newcomers to become an active member of our community. It has made a huge difference in my CP life (and for many others here) and I am hoping that the same will be true for you.
Peace and take care, Tuck
I am sorry to hear that you are going through this rough time. It is even more frustrating when doctors can't figure out what is causing your pain. Nick has given you some good advice. It sounds like you do have some issues with nerve damage. I just found out two days ago that I do also.
I would also like to tell you that I felt the same as you do about having to take pain medication everyday and that is what brought me here as well. You should ask your doctor any and all questions that you have regarding your medication and he or she should explain a plan to you on weaning you off the medication should the time come for that to happen. It is also true that your dose may have to be increased over time as you build a tolerance to the drug. I have been lucky so far that I have not had to do that, but I also use alternative ways to control my pain in between my dosages of medication. You also may want to discuss an alternative time released medication as Nick suggested.
Hydrocodone has been known to give you that feeling that you are telling us that you are experiencing. It did not agree with me at all and my doctor found that Oxycontin was a better drug for my conditions. I don't get that buzz feeling when I take my medication, I just notice the reduction in my pain in about thirty to forty minutes after taking my pill. I do get very sleepy sometimes and then other times I don't. Everyone metabolizes these medications differently.
You have been through a lot of surgery in a short period of time and I can relate to that as I too have had too many trips to the operating room in the last three years. Your body can't seem to catch up after being put through all of the stress that comes with surgery when they are so close together. You haven't recovered from the last one and the next thing you know your in there again.
Hang in there my friend. I hope you can get some kind of a diagnosis soon and I would talk to your doctor about your concerns with your medication to either find something better for you or ease your anxiety once you know that there is a plan to wean you off when the time comes and that your doctor will be there for you. It made a big difference for me.
Stick around and vent when you feel the need. There are good people here that are going through similar experiences as yours and are here to listen and share.
Good Luck
I would also like to tell you that I felt the same as you do about having to take pain medication everyday and that is what brought me here as well. You should ask your doctor any and all questions that you have regarding your medication and he or she should explain a plan to you on weaning you off the medication should the time come for that to happen. It is also true that your dose may have to be increased over time as you build a tolerance to the drug. I have been lucky so far that I have not had to do that, but I also use alternative ways to control my pain in between my dosages of medication. You also may want to discuss an alternative time released medication as Nick suggested.
Hydrocodone has been known to give you that feeling that you are telling us that you are experiencing. It did not agree with me at all and my doctor found that Oxycontin was a better drug for my conditions. I don't get that buzz feeling when I take my medication, I just notice the reduction in my pain in about thirty to forty minutes after taking my pill. I do get very sleepy sometimes and then other times I don't. Everyone metabolizes these medications differently.
You have been through a lot of surgery in a short period of time and I can relate to that as I too have had too many trips to the operating room in the last three years. Your body can't seem to catch up after being put through all of the stress that comes with surgery when they are so close together. You haven't recovered from the last one and the next thing you know your in there again.
Hang in there my friend. I hope you can get some kind of a diagnosis soon and I would talk to your doctor about your concerns with your medication to either find something better for you or ease your anxiety once you know that there is a plan to wean you off when the time comes and that your doctor will be there for you. It made a big difference for me.
Stick around and vent when you feel the need. There are good people here that are going through similar experiences as yours and are here to listen and share.
Good Luck
talking about your feet aching and hurting and stinging and feel like they are on fire makes me wonder if your diabetic.. have u ever been checked for it? im diabetic and my feet are the same way especiallywhen my sugar is high and with diabetics you can have diabetic nerve pain and that is very painful and my doctor prescribe me neurontin but i couldnt take it .. it made me feel like i was going crazy! another thing do you use any artificial sweetners in your drinks or foods? i just found out that art. sweetners can lead to alot of problems like brain fog and short term memory loss and pain and all kinds of things if so look up ..sweetpoison.. you will be shocked to see the things that stuff can do to a person.... sorry if this doesnt help you any and hope you find out what is causing your pain... and have you been diagonosed with fibro?
Hi again,
we sure are a miserable bunch, lol.
what about other anti-convulsants like sodium valproate? carbamazepine? etc
there are quite a few. It might be worth trying every single one.
I also had lots of trouble with anti-depressants, i understand the side effects all too well.
If i was in your position I would try more nerve meds and look for longer acting pain meds like fentanyl and methadone. low doses would be okay as you are currently surviving on low doses of norco.
the relief of having round the clock pain meds can provide substantial benefits as far as our mood is concerned. definately something to think about and talk to your dr about.
I hope you now have a few ideas to hit your dr with next time you see him/her?
as far as tolerance goes, i think you are in a very good position. you are mid-forties and on a very low dose of narcotics. there is lots of room to move. I really would talk to your doc about the weakest Duragesic patch or the smallest methadone dosage available so that you can get constant pain relief without taking high doses, without having excessive euphoria(which makes you feel depressed when it wears off)etc.
I really think there is a good chance of you getting a good outcome.
but please don't take my word for it, these are descisions to be made by you and your dr.
best of luck to you.
Nick.
we sure are a miserable bunch, lol.
what about other anti-convulsants like sodium valproate? carbamazepine? etc
there are quite a few. It might be worth trying every single one.
I also had lots of trouble with anti-depressants, i understand the side effects all too well.
If i was in your position I would try more nerve meds and look for longer acting pain meds like fentanyl and methadone. low doses would be okay as you are currently surviving on low doses of norco.
the relief of having round the clock pain meds can provide substantial benefits as far as our mood is concerned. definately something to think about and talk to your dr about.
I hope you now have a few ideas to hit your dr with next time you see him/her?
as far as tolerance goes, i think you are in a very good position. you are mid-forties and on a very low dose of narcotics. there is lots of room to move. I really would talk to your doc about the weakest Duragesic patch or the smallest methadone dosage available so that you can get constant pain relief without taking high doses, without having excessive euphoria(which makes you feel depressed when it wears off)etc.
I really think there is a good chance of you getting a good outcome.
but please don't take my word for it, these are descisions to be made by you and your dr.
best of luck to you.
Nick.
Here goes. For the depression I've tried Prozac, Amatryptaline, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Celexa and Effexor. I was unable to tollerate the side effects...each one made me feel like I had just drank a gallon of coffee and they all made me shake and very aggitated. For the nerve pain I tried Lyrica with the same bad side effects.
I have had every test known to man run on me in order to find out my problem. I've had a shot in the back, shots in both feet, all kinds of nerve tests done. I've seen two chiropractors, an orthopedic surgeon, two different podiatrists, my family doctor, a GI doctor and a so--called nerve specialist. Each one told me all tests came back fine.
The Norco does take away the pain but just for a few hours and I can deffinately tell when it wears off. I guess I'm just struggling with the fact that I may have to be on pain meds to function.
I'm glad I found this forum as I can now talk to others have pain issues as well. You know....missery loves company.
I have had every test known to man run on me in order to find out my problem. I've had a shot in the back, shots in both feet, all kinds of nerve tests done. I've seen two chiropractors, an orthopedic surgeon, two different podiatrists, my family doctor, a GI doctor and a so--called nerve specialist. Each one told me all tests came back fine.
The Norco does take away the pain but just for a few hours and I can deffinately tell when it wears off. I guess I'm just struggling with the fact that I may have to be on pain meds to function.
I'm glad I found this forum as I can now talk to others have pain issues as well. You know....missery loves company.
hi there,
with the norco's not taking away your pain there doesn't seem to be much point staying on them. the 75mcg patch was a monsterous step up from 5x 5mg norco's. would you consider the weakest patch? it is 12.5mcg. It won't make you feel high like norco can. also methadone is said not to provide a noticable euphoria as well. It is a pity that so many people are allergic to NSAIDS(or can't take them because of ulcers etc). If your pain is getting on top of you, and causing depression and anxiety then it may be time to consider the other options. Try not to be scared of being a junkie or addict. you are taking a low dose at the moment.
I should also mention other treatments. treating your depression may also have an impact on your pain tolerance. there are also other types of meds that can help reduce pain. Have you talked in depth to your dr's about the problems you are having in regards to your depression?
I noticed you have some serious anxiety issues and i wonder if you are being a little too worried about your likelyhood of getting addicted. you shouldn't obsess about it because you are on a low dose, and are not running out early.
You also mentioned on another post that your pain may be nerve related in which case you could try meds like gabapentin instead of the narcotics. This may help alleviate the pain as well as your anxiety over being addicted(or your fear of becoming addicted).
You still have some options left so please talk to your dr's about all of these issues and i'm sure you can achieve a good outcome.
let us know how you go.
Nick.
with the norco's not taking away your pain there doesn't seem to be much point staying on them. the 75mcg patch was a monsterous step up from 5x 5mg norco's. would you consider the weakest patch? it is 12.5mcg. It won't make you feel high like norco can. also methadone is said not to provide a noticable euphoria as well. It is a pity that so many people are allergic to NSAIDS(or can't take them because of ulcers etc). If your pain is getting on top of you, and causing depression and anxiety then it may be time to consider the other options. Try not to be scared of being a junkie or addict. you are taking a low dose at the moment.
I should also mention other treatments. treating your depression may also have an impact on your pain tolerance. there are also other types of meds that can help reduce pain. Have you talked in depth to your dr's about the problems you are having in regards to your depression?
I noticed you have some serious anxiety issues and i wonder if you are being a little too worried about your likelyhood of getting addicted. you shouldn't obsess about it because you are on a low dose, and are not running out early.
You also mentioned on another post that your pain may be nerve related in which case you could try meds like gabapentin instead of the narcotics. This may help alleviate the pain as well as your anxiety over being addicted(or your fear of becoming addicted).
You still have some options left so please talk to your dr's about all of these issues and i'm sure you can achieve a good outcome.
let us know how you go.
Nick.
Welcome!
Wow you have had an eventful time. I am sorry.
You will need to have adjustments after awhile to get the same relief. No one here likes taking these medications we do it to have a life and be able to enjoy it somewhat pain free.
Are you seeing a pain management doctor?
Wow you have had an eventful time. I am sorry.
You will need to have adjustments after awhile to get the same relief. No one here likes taking these medications we do it to have a life and be able to enjoy it somewhat pain free.
Are you seeing a pain management doctor?
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