paulo60
12-05-2007, 09:06 PM
Hi, new to the board and grateful to have found all of you. I have been treated for chronic pain for about 9 years now for a painful peripheral neuropathy of still unknown causes, most likely CMT. I spent the first 6 years on hydrocodone 10/325 which while slightly difficult to manage, worked. That treatment came through my primary care doctor, an amazingly informed and kind man. After moving I came under the care of PM doctors, some of whom have done more injury than good in overprescribing. During all these years, I learned how to manage the side effect of constipation. I spent most of the year back on Norco due to lack of insurance, but now have insurance and am under the care of PM clinic and on oxycodone SR. Is there some difference between the SR and the Contin compounds that might account for a much more difficult time managing that particular side effect? I take fiber, eat fruit, stay away from cheese, and use an effervescent vitamin C to stimulate peristalsis, but still have problems. Appreciate any input as this is starting to wear on me. Paulo:o
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123dietdrpepper
12-05-2007, 09:13 PM
I have found eating fiberone bars to be quite effective. They are located in the granola bar section of the grocery store and are like eating a chocolate chip bar. Very good and low in calories.
Also there is a product called miralex which you can buy over the counter. You mix it with water. It is good and does not clump like metamucil does. It is also tasteless.
Good luck!
Also there is a product called miralex which you can buy over the counter. You mix it with water. It is good and does not clump like metamucil does. It is also tasteless.
Good luck!
ibake&pray
12-06-2007, 01:39 PM
Miralax taken on a regular basis will help take care of this problem. Constipation is a common side effect of narcotics that we all tend to share-much against our bettre judgment...I have found that miralax has wored beyond my wildest dreams....thank heavens. Once you get (ahem) regular-so to speak-you can skip a day or so and still have it work.
You do need to be aware that it does seem to cause a little -blush-gas. Unfortunately I can't take the dog to work to blame it on the dog......:nono:
You do need to be aware that it does seem to cause a little -blush-gas. Unfortunately I can't take the dog to work to blame it on the dog......:nono:
butrfligirl28
12-06-2007, 02:14 PM
I agree with the others. I am on oxycodone as well, and tried many things before finally finding that Miralax is the easiest and most effective product for constipation. It works great for me, and I hope it helps you too! I also have tried taking Colace stool softeners at bedtime. Sometimes would need two, but one every night can keep you regular once you get on a good schedule.
Take Care!
Take Care!
Backinthesaddle
12-06-2007, 02:46 PM
Add nuts to your diet I find that that really works for me. I also do benefactor and eat fiber one bars. I am still lucky if I go 2 times a week.
paulo60
12-06-2007, 05:10 PM
I have not heard of miralex. Is it available at any pharmacy? Thanks so much for the feedback from all who replied. It is weird. I have been on oxycontin at much higher doses following major surgery, but after spending most of this year on norco, which I have to say allowed me a higher quality of life although managing the prescription was a bit harder, now that I am back on oxycontin, this um problem has become a headache for me.
brianpain33
12-06-2007, 05:33 PM
I take the generic colace stool softener (usually 3 at bedtime). I have taken the generic pericolace (the one with the senna laxative). It is not supposed to make you cramp but I get cramping when I take that and a lot of gas. I only take it when things get really backed up. I might try that Miralax though when I get paid tomorrow I will need to make that trip to CVS.
Brian
Brian
paulo60
12-06-2007, 05:58 PM
I use psycillium husk fiber, will that be a problem if I also try the miralax? I have another concern, which may be harder to resolve, and that is that my mood seems depressed much more since I started back on oxycontin, 20mg twice a day, than it was when taking norco (hydrocodone 10/325) five times a day. Has anyone else had a reaction like that, or am I placing the blame on the wrong thing, and am in fact experiencing good old fashioned depression, which I am no stranger to.
dietcoke
12-11-2007, 07:23 AM
You're sure right. Constipation is a huge problem, for it makes me very uncomfortable, and I find myself "planning around" it (and I will not go into specifics, but you probably know what I mean).
If all else fails, try Magnesium Citrate. You can purchase it at just about any store that carries over-the-counter medication. It is unpleasant to drink. It is a tad bit unpredictable as far as how soon it will work.
It is, however, cheap. A bottle of 11.5 Fl. Oz. costs me about 2-dollars. I started using it when Mom had cancer, for she used it, and it worked.
For me, it literally always works, and that's what is so good about it.
Just a thought... Good luck. :)
If all else fails, try Magnesium Citrate. You can purchase it at just about any store that carries over-the-counter medication. It is unpleasant to drink. It is a tad bit unpredictable as far as how soon it will work.
It is, however, cheap. A bottle of 11.5 Fl. Oz. costs me about 2-dollars. I started using it when Mom had cancer, for she used it, and it worked.
For me, it literally always works, and that's what is so good about it.
Just a thought... Good luck. :)
dietcoke
12-11-2007, 07:28 AM
...my mood seems depressed much more since I started back on oxycontin, 20mg twice a day, than it was when taking norco (hydrocodone 10/325) five times a day....
My mood was just the opposite of what it should have been. I was euphoric taking any opiod (I thought I was Superman), and it felt great. I had to get off of it because I abused it and had paradoxical side effects.
My mood was just the opposite of what it should have been. I was euphoric taking any opiod (I thought I was Superman), and it felt great. I had to get off of it because I abused it and had paradoxical side effects.
123dietdrpepper
12-11-2007, 08:16 AM
Yes, Miralex was perscription until 2007. It is now available at the pharmacy - walmart- target - cvs. What is nice is the fact that it does not gel in your water and it is tasteless. Very easy to jug down.
paulo60
12-11-2007, 11:26 AM
[QUOTE=dietcoke;3345157]My mood was just the opposite of what it should have been. I was euphoric taking any opiod (I thought I was Superman), and it felt great. I had to get off of it because I abused it and had paradoxical side effects.
If that be the case, may I ask why it was prescribed in the first place:confused: I don't know this for sure, having never done a survey, but I suspect that many people are similar in that they would much rather not 'have' to take a chemical for pain if they did not absolutely need it. Very commendable decision to take yourself off if you were abusing it and did not absolutely need it in order to have a life. I may complain about unwanted side effects, but I would be horribly depressed and unable to function or even get out of bed were it not for the one primary effect I tolerate well, which is pain relief. I applaud your honesty, not many would come out front with what you have stated. Best of luck to you in life...Paulo
If that be the case, may I ask why it was prescribed in the first place:confused: I don't know this for sure, having never done a survey, but I suspect that many people are similar in that they would much rather not 'have' to take a chemical for pain if they did not absolutely need it. Very commendable decision to take yourself off if you were abusing it and did not absolutely need it in order to have a life. I may complain about unwanted side effects, but I would be horribly depressed and unable to function or even get out of bed were it not for the one primary effect I tolerate well, which is pain relief. I applaud your honesty, not many would come out front with what you have stated. Best of luck to you in life...Paulo
paulo60
12-11-2007, 11:34 AM
[QUOTE=123dietdrpepper;3345178]Yes, Miralex was perscription until 2007. It is now available at the pharmacy - walmart- target - cvs. What is nice is the fact that it does not gel in your water and it is tasteless. Very easy to jug down.
I took the advice and bought some. Also bought some Senna on the advice of the pharmacist, which I have been using along with my normal protocol of fiber and a fizzing high dose vitamin C in powder form. I feel rather "heavy" if I don't go at least once a day. What is perplexing is that I have managed this side effect so well for about 9 years, until just the past six weeks. I have reached the conclusion that either my body chemistry has changed, or the manufacturer, Purdue, is taking shortcuts and the compound has changed; but that line of thinking is a bit paranoid so I am going to switch off oxycontin at the end of the month and get back on mscontin. Maybe tonight I will give the Miralax a try....Paulo
I took the advice and bought some. Also bought some Senna on the advice of the pharmacist, which I have been using along with my normal protocol of fiber and a fizzing high dose vitamin C in powder form. I feel rather "heavy" if I don't go at least once a day. What is perplexing is that I have managed this side effect so well for about 9 years, until just the past six weeks. I have reached the conclusion that either my body chemistry has changed, or the manufacturer, Purdue, is taking shortcuts and the compound has changed; but that line of thinking is a bit paranoid so I am going to switch off oxycontin at the end of the month and get back on mscontin. Maybe tonight I will give the Miralax a try....Paulo
ibake&pray
12-11-2007, 11:54 AM
YOu will probabaly need about three days before you will see anyd ifference with the Miralax. Then you will see a daily effect. It gets where I can almost set my clock to the regularity it gives me. No, no medals please......but it really does work better than anything else I have tried including metamuck as my kids call it, and everything else. It beats being "plugged up" as my father used to say. Costco or Target seem to be the best in price. I saw it as BJs also. The box stores are the best cost wise....
dietcoke
12-11-2007, 01:37 PM
Paulo, your questions are certainly reasonable. I’ll try to answer them. First, I deserve no applause. None at all. I did get off the MS Contin alone, but I had no choice, for the doctor that prescribed them was nuked (not allowed to practice for 1 year) by the DEA or some narcotics task force in Tarrant County (Fort Worth).
#1, MS Contin was prescribed so I could salvage my career while I pursued a cure for what later was diagnosed as CRPS. (The doctor that prescribed them is the most heroic doctor I have ever seen, for he risked his license to help people like me.)
#2, “Desperate people do desperate things” and I was absolutely desperate.
#3, Bizarrely, I did not realize how much my behavior changed. I did know that I was euphoric, and it felt good. But I didn’t realize that my wife was “afraid of me” and that she was “afraid” that I would hurt one or both of our 5-year-old twin boys. That was a huge “wake up call” when she admitted that to a counselor we were seeing.
#4, I did not tell my doctor about the mood swings.
#5, I did tell the doctors at the pain clinic about the MS Contin, but they offered me a Fentanyl patch, I was willing to try it, it greatly reduced the pain, etc.
#6, When I passed-out at the pain clinic because my blood pressure was so low, that ended any and all Opioids for dietcoke (me). That fact became a part of my medical records, and no doctor will prescribe them for me now unless I lie, and lying to a doctor is a good way to get booted, etc.
If I could legally obtain narcotics now, I would. That's how stupid I am, and admittedly, that is very stupid. Applause? Not for me. :(
Pity me? No thanks. I'm way beyond that stage, thankfully. :)
#1, MS Contin was prescribed so I could salvage my career while I pursued a cure for what later was diagnosed as CRPS. (The doctor that prescribed them is the most heroic doctor I have ever seen, for he risked his license to help people like me.)
#2, “Desperate people do desperate things” and I was absolutely desperate.
#3, Bizarrely, I did not realize how much my behavior changed. I did know that I was euphoric, and it felt good. But I didn’t realize that my wife was “afraid of me” and that she was “afraid” that I would hurt one or both of our 5-year-old twin boys. That was a huge “wake up call” when she admitted that to a counselor we were seeing.
#4, I did not tell my doctor about the mood swings.
#5, I did tell the doctors at the pain clinic about the MS Contin, but they offered me a Fentanyl patch, I was willing to try it, it greatly reduced the pain, etc.
#6, When I passed-out at the pain clinic because my blood pressure was so low, that ended any and all Opioids for dietcoke (me). That fact became a part of my medical records, and no doctor will prescribe them for me now unless I lie, and lying to a doctor is a good way to get booted, etc.
If I could legally obtain narcotics now, I would. That's how stupid I am, and admittedly, that is very stupid. Applause? Not for me. :(
Pity me? No thanks. I'm way beyond that stage, thankfully. :)
paulo60
12-11-2007, 02:45 PM
Thanks all, I'll give the miralax a shot tonight. Never thought this would be a topic for discussion, that's what is so great about this anonymous board, the freedom to discuss even the most personal problems we have with our medical and medication issues. Yeah, plugged up is not a good feeling:(...Paulo
paulo60
12-11-2007, 03:05 PM
Hi Dietcoke,
Thanks for taking the time to explain a complex history. Now for me to be honest also. In my experience, once you have been on any pain meds for awhile, and have a significant pain disorder such as you describe, any euphoria that might have come the first few weeks is either due to a dose too high, or popping an extra pill on top of the regular prescription. That would drop my blood pressure also, as these drugs depress respiration and conversely, blood pressure. Syncope, (fainting) can come from many things, drug interactions being one of them, excess serum opioids another. Did your CRPS somehow resolve itself? If not, how do you manage pain now? Several things come to mind when you mention aberrant behavior, the type that would frighten your wife. A. wrong dose, or wrong med, one that you might have an allergy to or be unable to metabolize due to enzyme deficiency, or B. Getting into recreational use. Please do not get me wrong, I am not passing judgment of any sort, the whole thing with pain and narcotics is a slipper slope and fraught with dangers. But the only times I have ever had any of the behavioral symptoms you described is when I first got started on pain meds 9 years ago at doses too high for me to handle; or when I also did the thrill seeking thing before realizing that was a quick way to spiral down, crash and burn. So you are not the only one who has done that. But I am interested in how you are managing pain symptoms? And, thank you for such honesty.....Best wishes for a happy marriage and good health....Paulo
Thanks for taking the time to explain a complex history. Now for me to be honest also. In my experience, once you have been on any pain meds for awhile, and have a significant pain disorder such as you describe, any euphoria that might have come the first few weeks is either due to a dose too high, or popping an extra pill on top of the regular prescription. That would drop my blood pressure also, as these drugs depress respiration and conversely, blood pressure. Syncope, (fainting) can come from many things, drug interactions being one of them, excess serum opioids another. Did your CRPS somehow resolve itself? If not, how do you manage pain now? Several things come to mind when you mention aberrant behavior, the type that would frighten your wife. A. wrong dose, or wrong med, one that you might have an allergy to or be unable to metabolize due to enzyme deficiency, or B. Getting into recreational use. Please do not get me wrong, I am not passing judgment of any sort, the whole thing with pain and narcotics is a slipper slope and fraught with dangers. But the only times I have ever had any of the behavioral symptoms you described is when I first got started on pain meds 9 years ago at doses too high for me to handle; or when I also did the thrill seeking thing before realizing that was a quick way to spiral down, crash and burn. So you are not the only one who has done that. But I am interested in how you are managing pain symptoms? And, thank you for such honesty.....Best wishes for a happy marriage and good health....Paulo
dietcoke
12-12-2007, 10:17 AM
Paulo,
You gave me credit where none was due because my post about opioids was confusing. I did get off of MS Contin, but not willingly. The doctor that had prescribed them for me was indicted by the Fort Worth Police Department’s “drug taskforce unit,” or the Tarrant County “something or other” (I have forgotten the correct name, etc.) Although he had broken no laws, it would have cost him $100,000 in legal fees to go to court, and his attorneys believed he could have lost. Ultimately, he brokered a pea: 1 year without practicing medicine. I am a CPA, and since it was hard for me to pass the exam and build a practice, I could not blame him for the decision he made. He wrote me one final prescription of MS Contin and I did get off of it myself. I had to, for the only other option was a “forever” option, which I cannot name and hope I do not get in trouble for alluding to it.
CRPS did not resolve itself. I have been told by one of the leading “experts” in CRPS in the D/FW Metroplex that it will never “resolve” itself. Other doctors have told me the same thing. Of the 9 (or was it 10?) others in the group that I ventured through the last pain clinic with, 5 others had CRPS, and they still struggle every day, just like you and I do. I do have hope that, in the future, some treatment will be available that will help me that will be affordable.
A small percentage of people—very small, I have been told—experience paradoxical side effects with certain medications, and for me, the medication just happened to be opioids. All of the drug interactions were assiduously studied by psychiatrists at the pain clinics (3 of them), changed, studied, and yet the paradoxical side effects simply never could be decreased. The pathetic irony of it is that no other drug I have ever taken has caused me any side effects that were not easily manageable, yet uploads—all of them—do, etc.
I have tried: 2 Implants, both stimulation and a morphine pump, both of which had to come out because they eventually stopped working. The morphine pump caused an infection, which hospitalized me. I have had a 4-level Facet Rhizotomy. Every form of alternative medicine I could possibly try, some of which are almost comical, like sleeping for 3 years on a mattress full of magnets (didn’t do anything except cost me a bundle of $$, which insurance did not cover). Scherotherapy. Cognitive therapy, where the healthy therapist told me that pain “really wasn’t that bad” and that I could learn to “rethink” the way I viewed pain (I tried, and she was wrong in my situation). Homeothapy. Deep tissue massage. Physical therapy from 3 different facilities. Acupuncture. A man with a master in Nutrition worked with me for a year. I took so many vitamins, minerals, and other pills—well over 100 every day—that all I could do was laugh when my twins kidded me (laughing beats crying). I did that for one solid year, and when the man finally admitted that he could not help me. I’ve seen over 35 doctors. I’ve been to Mayo in Rochester (which is the most overrated research/”teaching” hospital I have ever been to), Scott & White in Temple, Texas, John Hopkins in Baltimore and a slew of both hospitals and clinics in the D/FW Metroplex. I’ve been through 3 pain clinics. 9 MRIs. 2 drug influxes. I have no doubt that I have forgotten things that I have tried, but I can look into the mirror and honestly say that I have done every thing I can do at this present time. No stone has been left unturned, and I have no regrets for the somewhat bizarre things that I have tried. I would do all of them—every one of them—again if I were starting over and knew so little about it, as I did when I started.
I have not tried Voodoo. I also have not “Drawn Down the Moon” or attempted to conjure any villian up. Those are options to me because I am a Christian.
Yet, in many ways, I am fortunate, considering my trek through the medical mountains and the CRPS. Thankfully, my wife is still here and, according to her, isn’t leaving, and the divorce rate is rather high for people with intractable pain (which is a gross understatement). Why hasn’t she left me? Because she loves me? Partially, but she is committed, and that is the primary reason she stays and will stay. My boys are healthy and doing fine. We are neither “rich” nor “poor” and we have decent medical insurance. My wife teaches third-grade “miscreants” and somehow, she loves it, which means that my pre-existing condition is covered. The people in my “group” at the last pain clinic that had CRPS are either bedridden or very, very inactive. I’ve stayed as active as I can, for that was preached at the pain clinics, and I am glad it was, and I actually listened (which is amazing for me).
I manage my pain with a “cocktail” of 5 medications, by daily water-therapy, by daily self-hypnosis, by continuing to stay abreast of any new technology or medications, and by screaming (I am just kidding about that one). I also see a therapist—an L. P. C., that is—who listens to me rant (I’m not kidding about that one).
Incidentally, Mayo advised me to “kill” my right ilioinguinal nerve with a mixture containing alcohol, and that would “stop the pain.” The doctors at Scott & White read the letter from Mayo, and then they called Mayo. Then I was informed that they only do that on people that have a short time to live, that they would never do that on someone like me, and they explained it to me, etc. I called Mayo back to ask, “What now?” Basically, the answer was, “Good luck and Good Bye.” Mayo was, for me, more than a “bust.”
Wow... My response is too long. I'm a lunatic. :dizzy:
Paulo, I wish you well.
You gave me credit where none was due because my post about opioids was confusing. I did get off of MS Contin, but not willingly. The doctor that had prescribed them for me was indicted by the Fort Worth Police Department’s “drug taskforce unit,” or the Tarrant County “something or other” (I have forgotten the correct name, etc.) Although he had broken no laws, it would have cost him $100,000 in legal fees to go to court, and his attorneys believed he could have lost. Ultimately, he brokered a pea: 1 year without practicing medicine. I am a CPA, and since it was hard for me to pass the exam and build a practice, I could not blame him for the decision he made. He wrote me one final prescription of MS Contin and I did get off of it myself. I had to, for the only other option was a “forever” option, which I cannot name and hope I do not get in trouble for alluding to it.
CRPS did not resolve itself. I have been told by one of the leading “experts” in CRPS in the D/FW Metroplex that it will never “resolve” itself. Other doctors have told me the same thing. Of the 9 (or was it 10?) others in the group that I ventured through the last pain clinic with, 5 others had CRPS, and they still struggle every day, just like you and I do. I do have hope that, in the future, some treatment will be available that will help me that will be affordable.
A small percentage of people—very small, I have been told—experience paradoxical side effects with certain medications, and for me, the medication just happened to be opioids. All of the drug interactions were assiduously studied by psychiatrists at the pain clinics (3 of them), changed, studied, and yet the paradoxical side effects simply never could be decreased. The pathetic irony of it is that no other drug I have ever taken has caused me any side effects that were not easily manageable, yet uploads—all of them—do, etc.
I have tried: 2 Implants, both stimulation and a morphine pump, both of which had to come out because they eventually stopped working. The morphine pump caused an infection, which hospitalized me. I have had a 4-level Facet Rhizotomy. Every form of alternative medicine I could possibly try, some of which are almost comical, like sleeping for 3 years on a mattress full of magnets (didn’t do anything except cost me a bundle of $$, which insurance did not cover). Scherotherapy. Cognitive therapy, where the healthy therapist told me that pain “really wasn’t that bad” and that I could learn to “rethink” the way I viewed pain (I tried, and she was wrong in my situation). Homeothapy. Deep tissue massage. Physical therapy from 3 different facilities. Acupuncture. A man with a master in Nutrition worked with me for a year. I took so many vitamins, minerals, and other pills—well over 100 every day—that all I could do was laugh when my twins kidded me (laughing beats crying). I did that for one solid year, and when the man finally admitted that he could not help me. I’ve seen over 35 doctors. I’ve been to Mayo in Rochester (which is the most overrated research/”teaching” hospital I have ever been to), Scott & White in Temple, Texas, John Hopkins in Baltimore and a slew of both hospitals and clinics in the D/FW Metroplex. I’ve been through 3 pain clinics. 9 MRIs. 2 drug influxes. I have no doubt that I have forgotten things that I have tried, but I can look into the mirror and honestly say that I have done every thing I can do at this present time. No stone has been left unturned, and I have no regrets for the somewhat bizarre things that I have tried. I would do all of them—every one of them—again if I were starting over and knew so little about it, as I did when I started.
I have not tried Voodoo. I also have not “Drawn Down the Moon” or attempted to conjure any villian up. Those are options to me because I am a Christian.
Yet, in many ways, I am fortunate, considering my trek through the medical mountains and the CRPS. Thankfully, my wife is still here and, according to her, isn’t leaving, and the divorce rate is rather high for people with intractable pain (which is a gross understatement). Why hasn’t she left me? Because she loves me? Partially, but she is committed, and that is the primary reason she stays and will stay. My boys are healthy and doing fine. We are neither “rich” nor “poor” and we have decent medical insurance. My wife teaches third-grade “miscreants” and somehow, she loves it, which means that my pre-existing condition is covered. The people in my “group” at the last pain clinic that had CRPS are either bedridden or very, very inactive. I’ve stayed as active as I can, for that was preached at the pain clinics, and I am glad it was, and I actually listened (which is amazing for me).
I manage my pain with a “cocktail” of 5 medications, by daily water-therapy, by daily self-hypnosis, by continuing to stay abreast of any new technology or medications, and by screaming (I am just kidding about that one). I also see a therapist—an L. P. C., that is—who listens to me rant (I’m not kidding about that one).
Incidentally, Mayo advised me to “kill” my right ilioinguinal nerve with a mixture containing alcohol, and that would “stop the pain.” The doctors at Scott & White read the letter from Mayo, and then they called Mayo. Then I was informed that they only do that on people that have a short time to live, that they would never do that on someone like me, and they explained it to me, etc. I called Mayo back to ask, “What now?” Basically, the answer was, “Good luck and Good Bye.” Mayo was, for me, more than a “bust.”
Wow... My response is too long. I'm a lunatic. :dizzy:
Paulo, I wish you well.
paulo60
12-12-2007, 03:21 PM
D/C. I think you more or less thoroughly answered any questions I had, may have had, or ever will have:) no seriously, I appreciate reading a persons intricate journey through the world of choices to find health and freedom from pain. It's a lesson for all of us who do have fairly well established and intractable pain disorders caused by an underlying disease that until we see a treatment or a touted cure in a medical journal and then a doctors office, the chances of finding one elsewhere are slim. You have a marriage and a family, may you also find and keep some golden nugget that will make your pain less of a burden. I wonder where I would be if I could not take opioid medication? But you have found a way, so more power to you...Paulo
mattiemay
12-13-2007, 02:54 AM
i was on vicodin, then switched to kadian, then to fentanyl and back to kadian, no problems on vicodin and fentanyl but big problems on the kadian. I usually go several times a day, so to skip 3 or 4 makes me very uncomfortable. i have tried colace and pericolace, and had to even resort to fleets..which pretty much made me explode...i felt like my body was turning inside out! And my bottom wasn't such a mess since immediately after childbirth if you know what I mean. The colace doesn't seem to do anything, and the pericolace gives me such bad cramps that i can't move! It will take me three days of agony to empty my colon..and then my body is so sore from it, not to mention how painful my back is from all that pain, strain, and sitting. I guess I'll have to try the miralax (?). Also, does anyone know, if I need to see a doc about this (I probably should) do I use my regular insurance or the worker's compensation stuff? I have ended up skipping doses of the kadian to try to keep myself regular but then i'm hurting and just immobile so that isn't good either. I guess I'll ask my PM doc if I can go back on the fentanyl patch to see if i tolerate that better as far as constipation..it didn't help my pain as much as the kadian, but this is getting ridiculous..i feel like i'm totally preoccupied by my elimination patterns.
paulo60
12-13-2007, 03:17 AM
Hi Mattiemay,
I know just what you mean when you say you are getting preoccupied with what should be normal elimination. I have been treated for chronic pain daily for about 9 years, and over that period of time been on quite a few different medications, several times on much higher doses of the oxycontin I currently take. I have done a little research on Purdue, the maker of oxycodone and oxycontin, plus a few derivatives. They had some big patent lawsuits and also other legal problems, but that hasn't stopped them from making billions from an ever increasing use by doctors of their pain meds. Since as I said I have used it several times before without having this level of constipation, only two things seem reasonable. There may have been a very slight change to the filler products that help bind the narcotic in pill form; or my body has changed. I eat a high fiber diet, take supplemental psyillium fiber, and still have a daily problem. I even take very high doses of powdered vitamin c which would ordinarily induce diarrhea; I too am used to managing this side effect well, and having more than one BM every day, so when I don't, or only have partial elimination I feel uncomfortable, and also find myself frustrated that I am so concerned about something that I have never had to worry about. Today I started miralax, and hope that I will see some progress in this area within a couple of days. I am glad we have this site to discuss what would be a laughing matter to normal, pain and med free family or friends. You aren't alone:( Let's hope that everyone who has commented thus far finds the right protocol so we can all move on and feel comfortable that our bodies are not betraying us further...Best of luck to you. Paulo
I know just what you mean when you say you are getting preoccupied with what should be normal elimination. I have been treated for chronic pain daily for about 9 years, and over that period of time been on quite a few different medications, several times on much higher doses of the oxycontin I currently take. I have done a little research on Purdue, the maker of oxycodone and oxycontin, plus a few derivatives. They had some big patent lawsuits and also other legal problems, but that hasn't stopped them from making billions from an ever increasing use by doctors of their pain meds. Since as I said I have used it several times before without having this level of constipation, only two things seem reasonable. There may have been a very slight change to the filler products that help bind the narcotic in pill form; or my body has changed. I eat a high fiber diet, take supplemental psyillium fiber, and still have a daily problem. I even take very high doses of powdered vitamin c which would ordinarily induce diarrhea; I too am used to managing this side effect well, and having more than one BM every day, so when I don't, or only have partial elimination I feel uncomfortable, and also find myself frustrated that I am so concerned about something that I have never had to worry about. Today I started miralax, and hope that I will see some progress in this area within a couple of days. I am glad we have this site to discuss what would be a laughing matter to normal, pain and med free family or friends. You aren't alone:( Let's hope that everyone who has commented thus far finds the right protocol so we can all move on and feel comfortable that our bodies are not betraying us further...Best of luck to you. Paulo
trowftd3
12-13-2007, 04:33 PM
I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Yakima Fruit Paste yet.
Yakima Fruit Paste
DOSE: 1-2 tablespoons per day
1 pound prunes
1 pound raisins-pitted
1 pound figs
4 oz senna tea (look in your health food store, it looks like a bunch of leaves)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1. Prepare tea-use about 2 1/2 cups boiled water added to tea and steep 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea to remove tea leaves and add only 1 pint tea to a large pot, then add fruit.
3. Boil fruit and tea for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add sugar & lemon juice. Allow to cool.
5. Use hand mixer or food processor to blend fruit mixture into smooth paste.
6. Place in plastic container and place in freezer. (Paste will not freeze but will keep forever in freezer).
7. Spoon out what you require each day.
Enjoy eating it straight off the spoon.
Spread it on toast or add hot water and make a drink.
* If the fruit paste is not working (you are not having bowel movements) then you need to increase the amount of fruit paste you are taking.
* If the fruit paste makes you have very loose stools then you need to cut down on the amount of fruit paste you are taking. Perhaps even taking it every other day in some cases.
I use the senna tea bags because I couldn't find the loose leaves and it works fine.
I got this recipe from Dave(Shoreline) and it works wonders.
I even made it for my mom when she was taking opiods while she was on Hospice care. It doesn't take very much and it actually tastes good....kind of like a fig newton. It's a little bit of work to make a batch but it will last you a good while in the freezer.
Hope this helps~Mush
ps Dietcoke, thanks for telling us your story. I think all of us can gain a little something from each story that we here on this board. I'm sorry that you haven't found something to help your pain that you can live with.
We're all still waiting for that 'magic cure' that the doctors assure us is right around the corner!
Yakima Fruit Paste
DOSE: 1-2 tablespoons per day
1 pound prunes
1 pound raisins-pitted
1 pound figs
4 oz senna tea (look in your health food store, it looks like a bunch of leaves)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1. Prepare tea-use about 2 1/2 cups boiled water added to tea and steep 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea to remove tea leaves and add only 1 pint tea to a large pot, then add fruit.
3. Boil fruit and tea for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add sugar & lemon juice. Allow to cool.
5. Use hand mixer or food processor to blend fruit mixture into smooth paste.
6. Place in plastic container and place in freezer. (Paste will not freeze but will keep forever in freezer).
7. Spoon out what you require each day.
Enjoy eating it straight off the spoon.
Spread it on toast or add hot water and make a drink.
* If the fruit paste is not working (you are not having bowel movements) then you need to increase the amount of fruit paste you are taking.
* If the fruit paste makes you have very loose stools then you need to cut down on the amount of fruit paste you are taking. Perhaps even taking it every other day in some cases.
I use the senna tea bags because I couldn't find the loose leaves and it works fine.
I got this recipe from Dave(Shoreline) and it works wonders.
I even made it for my mom when she was taking opiods while she was on Hospice care. It doesn't take very much and it actually tastes good....kind of like a fig newton. It's a little bit of work to make a batch but it will last you a good while in the freezer.
Hope this helps~Mush
ps Dietcoke, thanks for telling us your story. I think all of us can gain a little something from each story that we here on this board. I'm sorry that you haven't found something to help your pain that you can live with.
We're all still waiting for that 'magic cure' that the doctors assure us is right around the corner!
paulo60
12-13-2007, 08:19 PM
Thanks for the recipe. Since I am just recently back in the U.S. from abroad, and new to the city I am in now I am sharing a house with a couple of others and there is not much in the way of good kitchen utensils such as even the modest ones you mentioned. I am also broke from previous medical bills before I got medicare, so I can go about as far as the senna tea and prunes. I got quite a few recommendations to try a laxative called Miralax, and it has put me down and in bed with the worst stomach cramps. In fact, this is the first time in my life that (outside of appendicitis) I have ever felt any stomach pain. I may either have to reduce the dose, I have taken it as indicated on the box, or stop it altogether, or instead of morning take it in the evening. If anyone reading this has used miralax please let me know if there is some secret to taking it. Thanks again for taking the time to write out that recipe. I am going to probably have to switch medications, as it has been six weeks and I still have not adjusted well; and I have been on oxycontin three times before for good lengths of time, and even at much higher doses...Paulo
mattiemay
12-14-2007, 01:25 AM
arrggh...i was thinking of trying that miralax stuff, but i don't need to have that terrible cramping again...but not taking my kadian twice a day is hurting me too...i have been taking one or two on the days that i have had a bm, but skipping doses on other days, plus taking colace twice a day, the pericolace really made me cramp....so if i cramped from that senna, how would i do on the miralax or the paste, i'm not much of a fan of raisins, figs, or prunes either. Its hard to experiment with trial and error because i'm really afraid of getting badly constipated again...its sad but at least the back pain is something that i am used to having to put up with...better the enemy you know...
123dietdrpepper
12-14-2007, 03:26 AM
I got quite a few recommendations to try a laxative called Miralax, and it has put me down and in bed with the worst stomach cramps. In fact, this is the first time in my life that (outside of appendicitis) I have ever felt any stomach pain. I may either have to reduce the dose, I have taken it as indicated on the box, or stop it altogether, or instead of morning take it in the evening.
Ughhhhhh and I am one of the ones that probably recommended it to you. I am so sorry. I take mine at night. It might be that it is cleaning out or unstopping you (Sorry to be gross....) and you will be fine after the next dose. I would skip tomorrow then take 1/2 the next day. This stuff really works and in your case it sounds like it works to good. SORRY!! I truly like you and did not mean any harm. LOL
Ughhhhhh and I am one of the ones that probably recommended it to you. I am so sorry. I take mine at night. It might be that it is cleaning out or unstopping you (Sorry to be gross....) and you will be fine after the next dose. I would skip tomorrow then take 1/2 the next day. This stuff really works and in your case it sounds like it works to good. SORRY!! I truly like you and did not mean any harm. LOL