monkey5
02-23-2009, 06:45 PM
Hi there, some know that i have been having a hard time with meds. I need true advice? Okay end of last week i started my second dose of methadone, real dizzy, spacy, first one of the day, second one still staying up all hours of the night, going on two and half hours right now as i have things i have to get done in the day time. I feel in my opinion i should stay at the one dose and call the pm dr.s office My step mom suggested i take one at 6am and 6 pm. Good suggestion if you can get up at that time and then also it's still going to keep me up somewhat. I am hurting so bad today, something needs to be done soon
Take care, monkey
Take care, monkey
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brianpain33
02-23-2009, 08:11 PM
monkey:
did you take any of my suggestions on the sleeping aid supplements:
1. benadryl (diphenhydramine)
2. melatonin
3. sleepy time tea
4. valerian root
I can pretty much guarantee if you take 2 benadryl that you will get much more sleep than you are getting now and it is OTC and safe to use. I have used it every night for years to be able to sleep.
brian
did you take any of my suggestions on the sleeping aid supplements:
1. benadryl (diphenhydramine)
2. melatonin
3. sleepy time tea
4. valerian root
I can pretty much guarantee if you take 2 benadryl that you will get much more sleep than you are getting now and it is OTC and safe to use. I have used it every night for years to be able to sleep.
brian
monkey5
02-23-2009, 09:45 PM
brian, i have checked into it, my sons dr. said that the use of benadrly is not good. And i am in a crappy mood as i am sleep and i have a good idea, stop taking all meds so your not considered a junkie because you take two meds a day! Thats a solution per family members!
I need to really sleep take care and talk better tommorrow!
monkey
I need to really sleep take care and talk better tommorrow!
monkey
slipperyslope
02-23-2009, 10:23 PM
I wouldn't take the advice from anyone but my Dr regarding your medication dosing schedules. you need to call your PM Dr tomorrow and let them know what is going on. There is nothing wrong with taking benedryl to help you sleep. this is an OTC medication that millions of people use to sleep. If I had the issues you were having I would try it, what do you have to loose I mean you can't function off no sleep that can be dangerous to your health. Can you ask the PM Dr to reccomend a sleeping med that you do feel okay about or are you just dead set against taking anything to help you sleep? I take klonapin and it works great for me, I sleep like a log. you have been suffering for to many days so I really hope you can get some help by tomorrow Monkey. Please do make a call.
It does take about 2 weeks or more for your body to adjust to the methadone or to any medication for that matter but sometimes one just can't take a certain med because the side effects out wheigh the good of the medication. your still very new to this medication so give it a little more time. it takes 5 days to even begin working ( methadone). How long have you been taking it?? I don't think its been 5 days has it?
Both Brian and myself have given you some good idea's as what to take for help with sleeping but for some reason you don't want to try it. so I don't know what else to say to help you.
good luck, SS
It does take about 2 weeks or more for your body to adjust to the methadone or to any medication for that matter but sometimes one just can't take a certain med because the side effects out wheigh the good of the medication. your still very new to this medication so give it a little more time. it takes 5 days to even begin working ( methadone). How long have you been taking it?? I don't think its been 5 days has it?
Both Brian and myself have given you some good idea's as what to take for help with sleeping but for some reason you don't want to try it. so I don't know what else to say to help you.
good luck, SS
monkey5
02-24-2009, 10:14 AM
SS, i hope you take the time to read this,i know i have been a pain, i'm just miserable lately!
it's not because i am dead set against taking this besides the dr. saying its not healthy for someone(my son used to take it to help him sleep at night until the bigshots came in and said it's not healthy for him to take it), and to mention i already have to pay for other prescriptions(and having ins.) but to take another medication, when is enough. and then take this then you end up taking another then that one doesn't work or too many side effects. I am trying like heck not to have to be taking twenty medications a day. Not to mention the feedback i get from having to take them. I swear before i even get a break somehing doesn't work or i am in so much pain i cannot even sit still to relax. I am not literally trying to be a pain, and i know some have been deal with this way longer than me and i'm just getting started on the why this and why that, side effects ect. thats why i wanted to stick with what worked for me and helped me to manage and then you get to suffer while a dr. try the trial and error crap. when are these dr.s going to start making home visits again so they can see some of the effects they really have on a person. I know i am picky, i want a magic pill/medicine that does the job, although i know there isn't one. And like my dr. said maybe in five years or so theyll have better scienticfic technology for people but in a sense i dont have five years to wait that long but then again i do because i am not going anywhere fast thats for sure! I need to give my kids a big present because if it werent for them i would just stop moving then i wouldnt have to worry about the pain as much! Yes i have tried therapy as well( they don't feel i need to even be seen because they say i handleit so well, but they don't realize i break down even so) but I am going to call my dr. and see what they say don't worry, and i will let you know! My dad couldn't believe that my dr. said i didn't have the the right to a second opinion or even a third if i wanted to do so. Okay i am going to rest hopefully, my son is home sick today, but sleeping mostly, but we are trying to help eachother he knows i cant move well right now, luckily hes a teen!
take care, monkey
it's not because i am dead set against taking this besides the dr. saying its not healthy for someone(my son used to take it to help him sleep at night until the bigshots came in and said it's not healthy for him to take it), and to mention i already have to pay for other prescriptions(and having ins.) but to take another medication, when is enough. and then take this then you end up taking another then that one doesn't work or too many side effects. I am trying like heck not to have to be taking twenty medications a day. Not to mention the feedback i get from having to take them. I swear before i even get a break somehing doesn't work or i am in so much pain i cannot even sit still to relax. I am not literally trying to be a pain, and i know some have been deal with this way longer than me and i'm just getting started on the why this and why that, side effects ect. thats why i wanted to stick with what worked for me and helped me to manage and then you get to suffer while a dr. try the trial and error crap. when are these dr.s going to start making home visits again so they can see some of the effects they really have on a person. I know i am picky, i want a magic pill/medicine that does the job, although i know there isn't one. And like my dr. said maybe in five years or so theyll have better scienticfic technology for people but in a sense i dont have five years to wait that long but then again i do because i am not going anywhere fast thats for sure! I need to give my kids a big present because if it werent for them i would just stop moving then i wouldnt have to worry about the pain as much! Yes i have tried therapy as well( they don't feel i need to even be seen because they say i handleit so well, but they don't realize i break down even so) but I am going to call my dr. and see what they say don't worry, and i will let you know! My dad couldn't believe that my dr. said i didn't have the the right to a second opinion or even a third if i wanted to do so. Okay i am going to rest hopefully, my son is home sick today, but sleeping mostly, but we are trying to help eachother he knows i cant move well right now, luckily hes a teen!
take care, monkey
brianpain33
02-24-2009, 01:38 PM
monkey:
If you don't feel comfortable taking the Benadryl then try the Melatonin. It is a safe OTC medication and you can get it nearly everywhere including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. If you can't find it just ask the pharmacist. It is something that your brain makes naturally to make you feel tired and sleep so taking the supplement kind of tricks your brain into making you fall asleep. I used it for over 2 years and it works pretty good. Let us know what happens
brian
If you don't feel comfortable taking the Benadryl then try the Melatonin. It is a safe OTC medication and you can get it nearly everywhere including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. If you can't find it just ask the pharmacist. It is something that your brain makes naturally to make you feel tired and sleep so taking the supplement kind of tricks your brain into making you fall asleep. I used it for over 2 years and it works pretty good. Let us know what happens
brian
monkey5
02-25-2009, 08:05 PM
Update: Talked with the pm nurse today as i have been in terrible pain two days now, she stated that i basically need to give the meds one more week to work. Who in thier right mind would suffer two weeks like this? She didnt seem to care about anything else i mentioned, good thing i was able to sleep easier last night. But i am not sure what i'm going to do if i cant move again tommorrow all day. Any suggestions?Do these people not care or what? I know not all pm and or md doc are all good but when do you know if you need to find a new one.? I told her i can't even barely move. I still cant believe it as well that testing wise there is nothing wrong, how can one be like this and nothing show up? According to them i have all the tests to done to man kind, yeah right one test does not tell all in every situation right. I know this ,but is it time for me to switch md if thier going to go on one test holding the ball in the court to say that nothings wrong? I am entitled to a second and third and even fourth opinion if i feel i need one right, if i had cancer or something you would get a second opininion right? I am not satified because i have had one plain MRI without contrast and not getting any relief to show the reason i cannot stand up straight and not walk right and not move off the couch without ascal 10 of pain and feel like someones jabbing a needle in my leg with nothing being wrong. One las thing while i'm on a rant i might as well add, i thought i would try a pm Dr. so that possibly they would do more testing unlike my md to see whats might be causeing the pain because my md say said she wouldnt refer me to get another opinion ect. and this dr. said at the get he would and you would think after tthree to four injections he would get the ball rolling on that but nope because i want relief yeah but i also want to know the whys and he could say this or that but i in my right mind have never seen anyone with my motivation and healthy like he even said i was to be in this kinda of condition. If i'm this bad now i hate to see what i'm like by the time they get off thier a^^ and find out what is the cause and maybe they won't but at least i will know they have tried all they have, i'd get more tests run going to the er for a broken dog than i would from a dr. with a degree.
Take care, monkey
Take care, monkey
brianpain33
02-25-2009, 08:44 PM
monkey,
are you getting any kind of relief from the Methadone that you are taking? I can see why they would want you take wait a week. Most PM docs will have you try it for a month before switching to something else.
Now as for not being able to find anything wrong on the test. Many, many times there is nothing that can be found on tests to see why you are still in pain. One of the definitions of chronic pain is still continuing to have pain after an injury or surgery where everything has healed but you are still experiencing the pain. Therefore every test in the world could be done and still find NOTHING wrong on any test. The reason is that your nervous system has malfunctioned. Your nervous system is still transmitting the pain signals from that area to your brain. The signals are saying "it still hurts", "there is still pain". So your brain automatically interprets this as PAIN. do you understand this? I learned this at a very well known Chronic Pain program at a hospital. It is not your fault that you still feel the pain and you are not crazy and it is not in your head. It's your nervous system malfunctioning and it has learned the wrong information.
There are some people where there is something physically wrong like a disc bulging and pressing on a nerve but this is different in that it will show up on some kind of test. I hope this gives you a clearer picture of the 2 different kinds of chronic pain.
Hopefully this clears things up for you because there might not be anything that can be seen by any test if you do literally have the first type of chronic pain.
brian
are you getting any kind of relief from the Methadone that you are taking? I can see why they would want you take wait a week. Most PM docs will have you try it for a month before switching to something else.
Now as for not being able to find anything wrong on the test. Many, many times there is nothing that can be found on tests to see why you are still in pain. One of the definitions of chronic pain is still continuing to have pain after an injury or surgery where everything has healed but you are still experiencing the pain. Therefore every test in the world could be done and still find NOTHING wrong on any test. The reason is that your nervous system has malfunctioned. Your nervous system is still transmitting the pain signals from that area to your brain. The signals are saying "it still hurts", "there is still pain". So your brain automatically interprets this as PAIN. do you understand this? I learned this at a very well known Chronic Pain program at a hospital. It is not your fault that you still feel the pain and you are not crazy and it is not in your head. It's your nervous system malfunctioning and it has learned the wrong information.
There are some people where there is something physically wrong like a disc bulging and pressing on a nerve but this is different in that it will show up on some kind of test. I hope this gives you a clearer picture of the 2 different kinds of chronic pain.
Hopefully this clears things up for you because there might not be anything that can be seen by any test if you do literally have the first type of chronic pain.
brian
lisam1120
02-25-2009, 09:12 PM
Monkey,
I would suggest going to see a PM doc, they will do much more for you, but the main reason I am writing to you is to let you know that I had two MRI's done, and I Think 2 CT scans done as well as three or four xrays done on my back because I was in constant daily pain that was debilitating and all of my test came up normal and showed nothing was wrong.
I had an Ortho doc though that wasnt going to give up on me based on those tests and he ordered for me to get a discography done on my lower back. It was that test that showed there were in deed problems with my L5-S1 level and it required a spinal fusion to fix it. I had my fusion done I believe two weeks later. The words out of my surgeons mouth after my surgery though is what I will never forget and they were.....
"I cant explain why, but your back was in MUCH worse condition when I opened you up than we ever thought or the tests ever showed. It was anything but normal". I looked at him and said to him.... see, you cant always rely on xrays, MRI's and Ct scans to give you the answer. I kept telling you how much pain I was in and the doc before you gave up after the first MRI because it came back normal and he said there was nothing wrong with me and nothing to fix. I thanked him profusely for not giving up on me and for believeing me when I said how much pain I was in. If it were not for him, I very well could have been doctor hopping to find someone that would finally believe me and do other tests to get to the bottom of my pain.
Unfortunaltey though, i'm still not fixed and we are still battling severe pain and it appears that I may need a second fusion on the level above my first one. I have to go and have another discography done, which is the test that showed I had a problem the first time around. Its a horrible test to have to go through, but as you can see it is extremely beneficial and a very reliable test, that uncovers back problems that the regular MRI's ect... obviously dont pick up on.
So I would highly suggest going to find a PM doc. and seeking they're services. They can fun a battery of tests as well as take over your medications. They are more than likely to try other medication on you to find a combo that is right for you that other doc's wont mess around with.
Keep us posted.
Lisa
I would suggest going to see a PM doc, they will do much more for you, but the main reason I am writing to you is to let you know that I had two MRI's done, and I Think 2 CT scans done as well as three or four xrays done on my back because I was in constant daily pain that was debilitating and all of my test came up normal and showed nothing was wrong.
I had an Ortho doc though that wasnt going to give up on me based on those tests and he ordered for me to get a discography done on my lower back. It was that test that showed there were in deed problems with my L5-S1 level and it required a spinal fusion to fix it. I had my fusion done I believe two weeks later. The words out of my surgeons mouth after my surgery though is what I will never forget and they were.....
"I cant explain why, but your back was in MUCH worse condition when I opened you up than we ever thought or the tests ever showed. It was anything but normal". I looked at him and said to him.... see, you cant always rely on xrays, MRI's and Ct scans to give you the answer. I kept telling you how much pain I was in and the doc before you gave up after the first MRI because it came back normal and he said there was nothing wrong with me and nothing to fix. I thanked him profusely for not giving up on me and for believeing me when I said how much pain I was in. If it were not for him, I very well could have been doctor hopping to find someone that would finally believe me and do other tests to get to the bottom of my pain.
Unfortunaltey though, i'm still not fixed and we are still battling severe pain and it appears that I may need a second fusion on the level above my first one. I have to go and have another discography done, which is the test that showed I had a problem the first time around. Its a horrible test to have to go through, but as you can see it is extremely beneficial and a very reliable test, that uncovers back problems that the regular MRI's ect... obviously dont pick up on.
So I would highly suggest going to find a PM doc. and seeking they're services. They can fun a battery of tests as well as take over your medications. They are more than likely to try other medication on you to find a combo that is right for you that other doc's wont mess around with.
Keep us posted.
Lisa
monkey5
02-25-2009, 10:34 PM
brian, i understand the differnces this is one thing they explained to me a long time ago, and i have been told i have chronic pain, but dont we all wish we had something that could show the cause when or not it would be too easy then, the dr.s would be out of business. as far as the methadone giving me pain relief maybe yes if you mean in the regards to not doing nothing around the house;) I think i know what happened on monday i had intercourse with my husband wich he never pushes but we our all human then i was already bad but then yesterday i topped the cake when i vaccummed. but usually, usually one without the other i can do without it making me have this happened plus to add to it the stress of my sister in the hospital and me doing everything else i have to do as a mom/parent so yes and no, should i still have to suffer for a week even so?
Lisa, i understand that even though yes you do still deal with pain i feel for you even though they know whats mostly wrong right? Okay but dont you feel without just sticking needles blind into you or handing you this and that that maybe somehwat they know better what pain meds they should use or combination of meds to help with the pain? I mean i know that just because methadone works for you persay doesnt mean it works for me, i get that but they are the ones with the degree so they should have some idea i would think of what might. I already see a pm doc lisa, where else is there to turn, do they have to really get to know you before they give a med to get through the really unbearable times. I again have only had an mri without dye throughout this whole thing of almost two years. My pm doc said at the very first appt that he was not going to give up on me there are many more tests we can do but let me stick you with injections four different times first and then i might get back to you, it has never been brought up again, i guess you have to be more pushy than i thought, it seems like he would back his words. Yes i am bitter i am hurting. Okay was it the pm dr. that helped you in keeping you comfortable or an Ortho that did the tests? Who knows how much damage was done before they caught what they did, really scary. I wish you well and hope for the best!
monkey
Lisa, i understand that even though yes you do still deal with pain i feel for you even though they know whats mostly wrong right? Okay but dont you feel without just sticking needles blind into you or handing you this and that that maybe somehwat they know better what pain meds they should use or combination of meds to help with the pain? I mean i know that just because methadone works for you persay doesnt mean it works for me, i get that but they are the ones with the degree so they should have some idea i would think of what might. I already see a pm doc lisa, where else is there to turn, do they have to really get to know you before they give a med to get through the really unbearable times. I again have only had an mri without dye throughout this whole thing of almost two years. My pm doc said at the very first appt that he was not going to give up on me there are many more tests we can do but let me stick you with injections four different times first and then i might get back to you, it has never been brought up again, i guess you have to be more pushy than i thought, it seems like he would back his words. Yes i am bitter i am hurting. Okay was it the pm dr. that helped you in keeping you comfortable or an Ortho that did the tests? Who knows how much damage was done before they caught what they did, really scary. I wish you well and hope for the best!
monkey
lisam1120
02-26-2009, 05:16 AM
Monkey....
Several people on here have given you some really good and very SAFE suggestions for getting some sleep, such as taking the Benedryl and i'm a bit confused as to your adimancy about not taking this over the counter medication? You state that its not a good medicine to take because this is what you've been told, yet your ok with taking "methadone"? Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
I'm really confused about some of your posts as i'm sure some of us that are reading them are as well. I'd like to bring them to your attention in hopes you can clear some of MY confusion up? I speak for myself on this post as well and state MY opinions and no others.
On post #3 after Brian had suggested several great OTC meds that would help you get some sleep, you state that your "son's" doctor claimes that Benedryl is not good. I'm just curious why you didnt call your regular doctor or even ask the PM nurse today to ask about how safe the Benedryl is? Why the son's doctor? Benedryl is actually a very good medication that offers several benefits such as taking care of allergies and sleep and is used alot with children as you know because your son had been taking it. When I was pregnant with my son, he was VERY active in my belly, so much so that they hooked me up to a machine and tested his activity levels and were a bit concerned about the cord becoming wrapped around his neck, so they had me take benedryl twice a day as a maintence med, so it would travel from my blood stream into his to settle him down. It worked wonders for the both of us, he settled down and I was able to sleep. If it wasnt healthy for someone, they certainley wouldnt be selling it or suggesting it for children. You should give it a try once to see how it works for you. There are other OTC meds as well as tea's that Brian mentioned as well that work well too.
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
From what i'm reading, your only taking the methadone right? I"m asking because in numerous places throughout your posts, you mention medications, as in plural, but you only talk about the methadone.
As far as the PM nurse telling you that you need to give the meds another week, this is normal with any doctor you see. Most docs will NOT change out your new medication regimen UNLESS you have had a severe reaction to it and can not tolerate it. Some medications take several weeks to build up in your system in order for them to work the way they are suppose to. The fact that you were able to actually get some sleep last night might be an indication that your methadone is starting to work and if thats the case, then in a few more days you may start to feel pain relief. If you dont mind my asking, what was the reason that your doc put you on Methadone? It is a very very strong medication. It might help you if you do a search on it and read up on what it can do for you.
During my search to find a PM Doc, the doc that had been prescribing for me, placed me on Methadone, but I was not able to take it due to the side effects. Its also a medication that is VERY affordable too. I know you mentioned in another post about the cost of prescriptions. If your not already aware, just so you know ahead of time, IF any of your docs should put you on Oxycontin, it is a very very expensive med. A 30 day supply for me is $1200.00 and many insurance's will not cover it, or will require a letter from your doctor as to why you need to be placed on such an expensive medication. The insurance company has the right to not pay for it and ask that something else be tried instead that is less expensive. Just a little heads up to be prepared if you are ever put on this.
In your posts you keep mentioning that you've had an MRI done without the contrast and your not satisfied. Most will not use contrast unless you have had a previous surgery. Contrast isnt going to change the results of the MRI's you've already had done.
Lastly, Here is MY opinion on your entire last post #10. First and foremost..... I'm going to be honest and blunt with you for a bit and please dont take this personal as i'm only trying to give you some advice for future postings..... I personally would not write on a public forum that you are having "intercourse". If you feel its that important to let others know about a very private part of your life, you may want to word it differently, such as... you and your husband had some "Intimate time" or "personal time" together. I think most readers will get what you are trying to say, but to come right out and say you had "intercourse" I think is just innapropriate for a public forum. We have private messaging now and I know if I were Brian and i'm not so I speak about my opinion only, this is not the type of information that I would want directed to me on a public forum, if its something you felt I needed to know, then it probably should have been done using the private messaging option. This is just my opinion and I felt that it should be brought to your attention to maybe keep some things about your personal life alittle more on the private side.
I suffer from Chronic pain as do many on here and its no fun at all, not only do we suffer but our families, friends, co-workers ect... suffer along with us too and it is very hard to find quality care when it comes to our pains. Its even harder to find doctors that are willing to prescribe stronger medications, even if this is they're field of expertise.
I believe that there are many people out there that do not understand the meaning of or properly know how to use the pain scale that we CPer's have to use to explain our pain. I am referring to the scale of 0-10. Normally when asked where your rating is, most doc's offices will tell you that 0 is NO pain at all and 10 being you feel as though your dieing, literally. I've seen in your posts that you have referred to your pain several times as being a 10, I am by no means saying that you are not in any pain, i'm sure that you are suffering, but I think maybe one of the problems you may be running into is explaining to your doctor the level of pain you are in. If you are walking (literally) into your docs office, sitting down for the entire office visit, and are talking to him with no problems breathing and you tell him that you are in a pain level of 10. They are NOT going to take you seriously. PM Doctors take the pain scale very seriously and expect you as a PM patient to do the same, to learn the levels and understand them and a patient with a pain level of 10 first and foremost would not be able to walk into an office appt, you would not be able to sit during the duration of the appt and you would have a hard time talking due to intensity of pain. If you say you are at a level 10, they are going to expect you to be in the ER fighting for your life. You may want to pull up on the internet a pain management docs pain scale, so that when you go into your appts, you can provide accurate levels of pain.
You stated in your post that you can usually do one of the two things you mentioned (personal relations or vaccuum) without any problems, but not both without putting you in alot of pain. I would have to say that if you are able to vaccuum and do all the other things that a mother/parent does, then more than likely your Methadone is working just fine and doing whats it suppose to do, which is reduce your pain. There isnt a patient in the world that is at a level 10 pain and can vaccuum or have relations with they're sig. other. You said to Brian that as long as you were NOT doing anything around the house, then yes you thought the Methadone was working. What is it that makes you feel differently if you are doing housework that the methadone ISNT working? Is it because you start to feel pain when you are doing cleaning ect?? I gotta be honest in that I think anybody that isnt doing anything is going to experience much less pain and anybody that does start to do work around the house, they're levels of pain are going to increase, I dont think that this is an indication that your methadone isnt working, its just a case of your doing more, so your body is going to be sore or painful. The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Given the fact that you can vaccuum, have relations, be a mother/parent, attend appts, I believe 100% that the medication your on is working. Its also very possible that if you were taking pain meds that produced a euphoric feeling before, that since you are not getting that feeling with the Methadone then your mind is playing tricks on you saying that its not working and in actual fact it is working well, you just dont get that "happy" feeling with this type of medication. Methadone is meant to go straight to your pain receptors and also put a block on your pleasure sensors, meaning if you were to take another medication that would normally produce a euphoric feeling, methadone blocks that from happening and shuts down any "happy" feelings you would have felt. Like I said, many people then think that its not working if they dont get that feeling, its also were the danger is with Methadone, because people are searching for a euphoric feeling and they end up taking more and more until they get it, however because of Methadone's long half life, that person then has hundreds, sometimes thousands of mg's building up in they're system, which can then cause death in some cases.
My whole point is that because you are able to vaccuum and do other things around the house, then I think your medicine is working fine. In the end you need to be careful with how you rate your pain levels and be honest and real with what they are. Just remember that nobody in a level 10 pain walks into and sits down for an office visit.
When I take my pain meds I am at a level 2-3 pain daily, which I am satisfied with, however even at those levels I still cant walk for more than 1/2 hour or sit for more than 15 mins without having to adjust myself. My worst pain ever was about an 8.5 and I was in the ER with that level. Even with my meds today, vaccumming is not an option for me, luckily I have a husband that enjoys cleaning and doing laundry.
I really hope that you do get your pain under control, i'm still not even sure I know what your pains are, other than leg pain. I'd be curious to know as well what are all the tests that have been done on you. I know an MRI, but what other tests have been done?
Best of luck to you,
Lisa
Several people on here have given you some really good and very SAFE suggestions for getting some sleep, such as taking the Benedryl and i'm a bit confused as to your adimancy about not taking this over the counter medication? You state that its not a good medicine to take because this is what you've been told, yet your ok with taking "methadone"? Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
I'm really confused about some of your posts as i'm sure some of us that are reading them are as well. I'd like to bring them to your attention in hopes you can clear some of MY confusion up? I speak for myself on this post as well and state MY opinions and no others.
On post #3 after Brian had suggested several great OTC meds that would help you get some sleep, you state that your "son's" doctor claimes that Benedryl is not good. I'm just curious why you didnt call your regular doctor or even ask the PM nurse today to ask about how safe the Benedryl is? Why the son's doctor? Benedryl is actually a very good medication that offers several benefits such as taking care of allergies and sleep and is used alot with children as you know because your son had been taking it. When I was pregnant with my son, he was VERY active in my belly, so much so that they hooked me up to a machine and tested his activity levels and were a bit concerned about the cord becoming wrapped around his neck, so they had me take benedryl twice a day as a maintence med, so it would travel from my blood stream into his to settle him down. It worked wonders for the both of us, he settled down and I was able to sleep. If it wasnt healthy for someone, they certainley wouldnt be selling it or suggesting it for children. You should give it a try once to see how it works for you. There are other OTC meds as well as tea's that Brian mentioned as well that work well too.
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
From what i'm reading, your only taking the methadone right? I"m asking because in numerous places throughout your posts, you mention medications, as in plural, but you only talk about the methadone.
As far as the PM nurse telling you that you need to give the meds another week, this is normal with any doctor you see. Most docs will NOT change out your new medication regimen UNLESS you have had a severe reaction to it and can not tolerate it. Some medications take several weeks to build up in your system in order for them to work the way they are suppose to. The fact that you were able to actually get some sleep last night might be an indication that your methadone is starting to work and if thats the case, then in a few more days you may start to feel pain relief. If you dont mind my asking, what was the reason that your doc put you on Methadone? It is a very very strong medication. It might help you if you do a search on it and read up on what it can do for you.
During my search to find a PM Doc, the doc that had been prescribing for me, placed me on Methadone, but I was not able to take it due to the side effects. Its also a medication that is VERY affordable too. I know you mentioned in another post about the cost of prescriptions. If your not already aware, just so you know ahead of time, IF any of your docs should put you on Oxycontin, it is a very very expensive med. A 30 day supply for me is $1200.00 and many insurance's will not cover it, or will require a letter from your doctor as to why you need to be placed on such an expensive medication. The insurance company has the right to not pay for it and ask that something else be tried instead that is less expensive. Just a little heads up to be prepared if you are ever put on this.
In your posts you keep mentioning that you've had an MRI done without the contrast and your not satisfied. Most will not use contrast unless you have had a previous surgery. Contrast isnt going to change the results of the MRI's you've already had done.
Lastly, Here is MY opinion on your entire last post #10. First and foremost..... I'm going to be honest and blunt with you for a bit and please dont take this personal as i'm only trying to give you some advice for future postings..... I personally would not write on a public forum that you are having "intercourse". If you feel its that important to let others know about a very private part of your life, you may want to word it differently, such as... you and your husband had some "Intimate time" or "personal time" together. I think most readers will get what you are trying to say, but to come right out and say you had "intercourse" I think is just innapropriate for a public forum. We have private messaging now and I know if I were Brian and i'm not so I speak about my opinion only, this is not the type of information that I would want directed to me on a public forum, if its something you felt I needed to know, then it probably should have been done using the private messaging option. This is just my opinion and I felt that it should be brought to your attention to maybe keep some things about your personal life alittle more on the private side.
I suffer from Chronic pain as do many on here and its no fun at all, not only do we suffer but our families, friends, co-workers ect... suffer along with us too and it is very hard to find quality care when it comes to our pains. Its even harder to find doctors that are willing to prescribe stronger medications, even if this is they're field of expertise.
I believe that there are many people out there that do not understand the meaning of or properly know how to use the pain scale that we CPer's have to use to explain our pain. I am referring to the scale of 0-10. Normally when asked where your rating is, most doc's offices will tell you that 0 is NO pain at all and 10 being you feel as though your dieing, literally. I've seen in your posts that you have referred to your pain several times as being a 10, I am by no means saying that you are not in any pain, i'm sure that you are suffering, but I think maybe one of the problems you may be running into is explaining to your doctor the level of pain you are in. If you are walking (literally) into your docs office, sitting down for the entire office visit, and are talking to him with no problems breathing and you tell him that you are in a pain level of 10. They are NOT going to take you seriously. PM Doctors take the pain scale very seriously and expect you as a PM patient to do the same, to learn the levels and understand them and a patient with a pain level of 10 first and foremost would not be able to walk into an office appt, you would not be able to sit during the duration of the appt and you would have a hard time talking due to intensity of pain. If you say you are at a level 10, they are going to expect you to be in the ER fighting for your life. You may want to pull up on the internet a pain management docs pain scale, so that when you go into your appts, you can provide accurate levels of pain.
You stated in your post that you can usually do one of the two things you mentioned (personal relations or vaccuum) without any problems, but not both without putting you in alot of pain. I would have to say that if you are able to vaccuum and do all the other things that a mother/parent does, then more than likely your Methadone is working just fine and doing whats it suppose to do, which is reduce your pain. There isnt a patient in the world that is at a level 10 pain and can vaccuum or have relations with they're sig. other. You said to Brian that as long as you were NOT doing anything around the house, then yes you thought the Methadone was working. What is it that makes you feel differently if you are doing housework that the methadone ISNT working? Is it because you start to feel pain when you are doing cleaning ect?? I gotta be honest in that I think anybody that isnt doing anything is going to experience much less pain and anybody that does start to do work around the house, they're levels of pain are going to increase, I dont think that this is an indication that your methadone isnt working, its just a case of your doing more, so your body is going to be sore or painful. The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Given the fact that you can vaccuum, have relations, be a mother/parent, attend appts, I believe 100% that the medication your on is working. Its also very possible that if you were taking pain meds that produced a euphoric feeling before, that since you are not getting that feeling with the Methadone then your mind is playing tricks on you saying that its not working and in actual fact it is working well, you just dont get that "happy" feeling with this type of medication. Methadone is meant to go straight to your pain receptors and also put a block on your pleasure sensors, meaning if you were to take another medication that would normally produce a euphoric feeling, methadone blocks that from happening and shuts down any "happy" feelings you would have felt. Like I said, many people then think that its not working if they dont get that feeling, its also were the danger is with Methadone, because people are searching for a euphoric feeling and they end up taking more and more until they get it, however because of Methadone's long half life, that person then has hundreds, sometimes thousands of mg's building up in they're system, which can then cause death in some cases.
My whole point is that because you are able to vaccuum and do other things around the house, then I think your medicine is working fine. In the end you need to be careful with how you rate your pain levels and be honest and real with what they are. Just remember that nobody in a level 10 pain walks into and sits down for an office visit.
When I take my pain meds I am at a level 2-3 pain daily, which I am satisfied with, however even at those levels I still cant walk for more than 1/2 hour or sit for more than 15 mins without having to adjust myself. My worst pain ever was about an 8.5 and I was in the ER with that level. Even with my meds today, vaccumming is not an option for me, luckily I have a husband that enjoys cleaning and doing laundry.
I really hope that you do get your pain under control, i'm still not even sure I know what your pains are, other than leg pain. I'd be curious to know as well what are all the tests that have been done on you. I know an MRI, but what other tests have been done?
Best of luck to you,
Lisa
monkey5
02-26-2009, 05:51 AM
Monkey....
Several people on here have given you some really good and very SAFE suggestions for getting some sleep, such as taking the Benedryl and i'm a bit confused as to your adimancy about not taking this over the counter medication? You state that its not a good medicine to take because this is what you've been told, yet your ok with taking "methadone"? Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
I'm really confused about some of your posts as i'm sure some of us that are reading them are as well. I'd like to bring them to your attention in hopes you can clear some of MY confusion up? I speak for myself on this post as well and state MY opinions and no others.
On post #3 after Brian had suggested several great OTC meds that would help you get some sleep, you state that your "son's" doctor claimes that Benedryl is not good. I'm just curious why you didnt call your regular doctor or even ask the PM nurse today to ask about how safe the Benedryl is? Why the son's doctor? Benedryl is actually a very good medication that offers several benefits such as taking care of allergies and sleep and is used alot with children as you know because your son had been taking it. When I was pregnant with my son, he was VERY active in my belly, so much so that they hooked me up to a machine and tested his activity levels and were a bit concerned about the cord becoming wrapped around his neck, so they had me take benedryl twice a day as a maintence med, so it would travel from my blood stream into his to settle him down. It worked wonders for the both of us, he settled down and I was able to sleep. If it wasnt healthy for someone, they certainley wouldnt be selling it or suggesting it for children. You should give it a try once to see how it works for you. There are other OTC meds as well as tea's that Brian mentioned as well that work well too.
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
From what i'm reading, your only taking the methadone right? I"m asking because in numerous places throughout your posts, you mention medications, as in plural, but you only talk about the methadone.
As far as the PM nurse telling you that you need to give the meds another week, this is normal with any doctor you see. Most docs will NOT change out your new medication regimen UNLESS you have had a severe reaction to it and can not tolerate it. Some medications take several weeks to build up in your system in order for them to work the way they are suppose to. The fact that you were able to actually get some sleep last night might be an indication that your methadone is starting to work and if thats the case, then in a few more days you may start to feel pain relief. If you dont mind my asking, what was the reason that your doc put you on Methadone? It is a very very strong medication. It might help you if you do a search on it and read up on what it can do for you.
During my search to find a PM Doc, the doc that had been prescribing for me, placed me on Methadone, but I was not able to take it due to the side effects. Its also a medication that is VERY affordable too. I know you mentioned in another post about the cost of prescriptions. If your not already aware, just so you know ahead of time, IF any of your docs should put you on Oxycontin, it is a very very expensive med. A 30 day supply for me is $1200.00 and many insurance's will not cover it, or will require a letter from your doctor as to why you need to be placed on such an expensive medication. The insurance company has the right to not pay for it and ask that something else be tried instead that is less expensive. Just a little heads up to be prepared if you are ever put on this.
In your posts you keep mentioning that you've had an MRI done without the contrast and your not satisfied. Most will not use contrast unless you have had a previous surgery. Contrast isnt going to change the results of the MRI's you've already had done.
Lastly, Here is MY opinion on your entire last post #10. First and foremost..... I'm going to be honest and blunt with you for a bit and please dont take this personal as i'm only trying to give you some advice for future postings..... I personally would not write on a public forum that you are having "intercourse". If you feel its that important to let others know about a very private part of your life, you may want to word it differently, such as... you and your husband had some "Intimate time" or "personal time" together. I think most readers will get what you are trying to say, but to come right out and say you had "intercourse" I think is just innapropriate for a public forum. We have private messaging now and I know if I were Brian and i'm not so I speak about my opinion only, this is not the type of information that I would want directed to me on a public forum, if its something you felt I needed to know, then it probably should have been done using the private messaging option. This is just my opinion and I felt that it should be brought to your attention to maybe keep some things about your personal life alittle more on the private side.
I suffer from Chronic pain as do many on here and its no fun at all, not only do we suffer but our families, friends, co-workers ect... suffer along with us too and it is very hard to find quality care when it comes to our pains. Its even harder to find doctors that are willing to prescribe stronger medications, even if this is they're field of expertise.
I believe that there are many people out there that do not understand the meaning of or properly know how to use the pain scale that we CPer's have to use to explain our pain. I am referring to the scale of 0-10. Normally when asked where your rating is, most doc's offices will tell you that 0 is NO pain at all and 10 being you feel as though your dieing, literally. I've seen in your posts that you have referred to your pain several times as being a 10, I am by no means saying that you are not in any pain, i'm sure that you are suffering, but I think maybe one of the problems you may be running into is explaining to your doctor the level of pain you are in. If you are walking (literally) into your docs office, sitting down for the entire office visit, and are talking to him with no problems breathing and you tell him that you are in a pain level of 10. They are NOT going to take you seriously. PM Doctors take the pain scale very seriously and expect you as a PM patient to do the same, to learn the levels and understand them and a patient with a pain level of 10 first and foremost would not be able to walk into an office appt, you would not be able to sit during the duration of the appt and you would have a hard time talking due to intensity of pain. If you say you are at a level 10, they are going to expect you to be in the ER fighting for your life. You may want to pull up on the internet a pain management docs pain scale, so that when you go into your appts, you can provide accurate levels of pain.
You stated in your post that you can usually do one of the two things you mentioned (personal relations or vaccuum) without any problems, but not both without putting you in alot of pain. I would have to say that if you are able to vaccuum and do all the other things that a mother/parent does, then more than likely your Methadone is working just fine and doing whats it suppose to do, which is reduce your pain. There isnt a patient in the world that is at a level 10 pain and can vaccuum or have relations with they're sig. other. You said to Brian that as long as you were NOT doing anything around the house, then yes you thought the Methadone was working. What is it that makes you feel differently if you are doing housework that the methadone ISNT working? Is it because you start to feel pain when you are doing cleaning ect?? I gotta be honest in that I think anybody that isnt doing anything is going to experience much less pain and anybody that does start to do work around the house, they're levels of pain are going to increase, I dont think that this is an indication that your methadone isnt working, its just a case of your doing more, so your body is going to be sore or painful. The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Given the fact that you can vaccuum, have relations, be a mother/parent, attend appts, I believe 100% that the medication your on is working. Its also very possible that if you were taking pain meds that produced a euphoric feeling before, that since you are not getting that feeling with the Methadone then your mind is playing tricks on you saying that its not working and in actual fact it is working well, you just dont get that "happy" feeling with this type of medication. Methadone is meant to go straight to your pain receptors and also put a block on your pleasure sensors, meaning if you were to take another medication that would normally produce a euphoric feeling, methadone blocks that from happening and shuts down any "happy" feelings you would have felt. Like I said, many people then think that its not working if they dont get that feeling, its also were the danger is with Methadone, because people are searching for a euphoric feeling and they end up taking more and more until they get it, however because of Methadone's long half life, that person then has hundreds, sometimes thousands of mg's building up in they're system, which can then cause death in some cases.
My whole point is that because you are able to vaccuum and do other things around the house, then I think your medicine is working fine. In the end you need to be careful with how you rate your pain levels and be honest and real with what they are. Just remember that nobody in a level 10 pain walks into and sits down for an office visit.
When I take my pain meds I am at a level 2-3 pain daily, which I am satisfied with, however even at those levels I still cant walk for more than 1/2 hour or sit for more than 15 mins without having to adjust myself. My worst pain ever was about an 8.5 and I was in the ER with that level. Even with my meds today, vaccumming is not an option for me, luckily I have a husband that enjoys cleaning and doing laundry.
I really hope that you do get your pain under control, i'm still not even sure I know what your pains are, other than leg pain. I'd be curious to know as well what are all the tests that have been done on you. I know an MRI, but what other tests have been done?
Best of luck to you,
Lisa
Lisa, i'm not getting where you say i stated i didn't need pt, the only thing i stated is that i had to get my dr. to rerefer me as i missed a few appt.s and that is was hard for me to go with out a pain medication that helped with the pain this was causing me, please reread. And as far as medication's i am on the methadone and i'm on Lyrica the most dosing there is and i'm on thyroid medication and stress and anxiety meds. Sorry i didnt mention that. The reasonmy regular md wont prescribe anything is because one she stated she wanted me to go to a pm dr. she said they know more about that then her and that they would have to take over meds or could. And then if you read my post you would have seen i do have some over the counter melatonin and benyadrly for sleep.The things is the methadone i believe kicked in because i could go to sleep last night but then i find myself knocked out and waking up with a headache like a hangover effect. And you know you dont think of everything when you in a lot of pain and cant move, sorry i didnt think about the otc while on the phone to the pm nurse as i just needed to know how long the methadone will take to get in my system because i'm miserable. I'm sure if you have true pain you can relate and like i said i missed an important appt. today and millioms of things were going through my mind, like i need a shower my house needs cleaned, i need to call and make appt.s and my sisters in the hospital so thats why i didnt think of that! I am not trying to be rude and i dont feel i should have to spill my guts to you but i am sorry. I also had a pm dr.two year prior to all this that did the bone scan and said yes i have a great deal of pain because i was at a six daily and ten when i overdo things and he said alot of people do and you have to live with it. Thats real proffesional you think!
The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Okay i dont know where i confused you here and yes i'm sorry for being so blunt about being intimate it's one of those things that you cant think of how to put it. Okay i am in pain right now it bothers me to sit and stand, i have leg pain , foot pain and lower left back pain raidiating all the way acrose when i do too much. Yes i do vacumm on days i'm not so bad, so yeah it's hard for me to tell if it's working yet or not and okay i know people say 0-10 ect. but your talking about someone here who gave birth first time with no pain meds, they actually scare me, not to mention i had all my inkections done with no sedations up to including the epidural, some people cant tolerate that but yes so like some i have a hard time describing my pain level ect. I can tell dont you dare touch my left lower facet joint or i may hurt someone. I will reufuse Oxycotin as i have heard really bad stories and morphine was going to be it but i figured maybe thats my problem is i have only tried short acting pain meds but i tell you i was on vicodin for a long time and at least that helped me if i need to be intimate and vacum in one day . My kids and hubby do alot but they cant do it all they go to school three of have a disablity with an ability so it's hard on the whole family but i cant just sit around waiting for something to all of a sudden kick in. I am on the go or like to be spending time with my family and staying on top of appt,s ect.
I'm sorry if i madeyou upset, Ever since i was in a car accident i had left hip pain and then my lower back started to ache but i didnt let that stop me from working and then a few months later i kept losing my balance because of my leg/hip/back and i fell a few times and thats when things got really bad, and i started getting pain when i wore jeans as it put pain and pressure on my back and i also lost weight and i thought cool my back might not hurt as bad, yeah right.
Take care, monkey
Several people on here have given you some really good and very SAFE suggestions for getting some sleep, such as taking the Benedryl and i'm a bit confused as to your adimancy about not taking this over the counter medication? You state that its not a good medicine to take because this is what you've been told, yet your ok with taking "methadone"? Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
I'm really confused about some of your posts as i'm sure some of us that are reading them are as well. I'd like to bring them to your attention in hopes you can clear some of MY confusion up? I speak for myself on this post as well and state MY opinions and no others.
On post #3 after Brian had suggested several great OTC meds that would help you get some sleep, you state that your "son's" doctor claimes that Benedryl is not good. I'm just curious why you didnt call your regular doctor or even ask the PM nurse today to ask about how safe the Benedryl is? Why the son's doctor? Benedryl is actually a very good medication that offers several benefits such as taking care of allergies and sleep and is used alot with children as you know because your son had been taking it. When I was pregnant with my son, he was VERY active in my belly, so much so that they hooked me up to a machine and tested his activity levels and were a bit concerned about the cord becoming wrapped around his neck, so they had me take benedryl twice a day as a maintence med, so it would travel from my blood stream into his to settle him down. It worked wonders for the both of us, he settled down and I was able to sleep. If it wasnt healthy for someone, they certainley wouldnt be selling it or suggesting it for children. You should give it a try once to see how it works for you. There are other OTC meds as well as tea's that Brian mentioned as well that work well too.
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
From what i'm reading, your only taking the methadone right? I"m asking because in numerous places throughout your posts, you mention medications, as in plural, but you only talk about the methadone.
As far as the PM nurse telling you that you need to give the meds another week, this is normal with any doctor you see. Most docs will NOT change out your new medication regimen UNLESS you have had a severe reaction to it and can not tolerate it. Some medications take several weeks to build up in your system in order for them to work the way they are suppose to. The fact that you were able to actually get some sleep last night might be an indication that your methadone is starting to work and if thats the case, then in a few more days you may start to feel pain relief. If you dont mind my asking, what was the reason that your doc put you on Methadone? It is a very very strong medication. It might help you if you do a search on it and read up on what it can do for you.
During my search to find a PM Doc, the doc that had been prescribing for me, placed me on Methadone, but I was not able to take it due to the side effects. Its also a medication that is VERY affordable too. I know you mentioned in another post about the cost of prescriptions. If your not already aware, just so you know ahead of time, IF any of your docs should put you on Oxycontin, it is a very very expensive med. A 30 day supply for me is $1200.00 and many insurance's will not cover it, or will require a letter from your doctor as to why you need to be placed on such an expensive medication. The insurance company has the right to not pay for it and ask that something else be tried instead that is less expensive. Just a little heads up to be prepared if you are ever put on this.
In your posts you keep mentioning that you've had an MRI done without the contrast and your not satisfied. Most will not use contrast unless you have had a previous surgery. Contrast isnt going to change the results of the MRI's you've already had done.
Lastly, Here is MY opinion on your entire last post #10. First and foremost..... I'm going to be honest and blunt with you for a bit and please dont take this personal as i'm only trying to give you some advice for future postings..... I personally would not write on a public forum that you are having "intercourse". If you feel its that important to let others know about a very private part of your life, you may want to word it differently, such as... you and your husband had some "Intimate time" or "personal time" together. I think most readers will get what you are trying to say, but to come right out and say you had "intercourse" I think is just innapropriate for a public forum. We have private messaging now and I know if I were Brian and i'm not so I speak about my opinion only, this is not the type of information that I would want directed to me on a public forum, if its something you felt I needed to know, then it probably should have been done using the private messaging option. This is just my opinion and I felt that it should be brought to your attention to maybe keep some things about your personal life alittle more on the private side.
I suffer from Chronic pain as do many on here and its no fun at all, not only do we suffer but our families, friends, co-workers ect... suffer along with us too and it is very hard to find quality care when it comes to our pains. Its even harder to find doctors that are willing to prescribe stronger medications, even if this is they're field of expertise.
I believe that there are many people out there that do not understand the meaning of or properly know how to use the pain scale that we CPer's have to use to explain our pain. I am referring to the scale of 0-10. Normally when asked where your rating is, most doc's offices will tell you that 0 is NO pain at all and 10 being you feel as though your dieing, literally. I've seen in your posts that you have referred to your pain several times as being a 10, I am by no means saying that you are not in any pain, i'm sure that you are suffering, but I think maybe one of the problems you may be running into is explaining to your doctor the level of pain you are in. If you are walking (literally) into your docs office, sitting down for the entire office visit, and are talking to him with no problems breathing and you tell him that you are in a pain level of 10. They are NOT going to take you seriously. PM Doctors take the pain scale very seriously and expect you as a PM patient to do the same, to learn the levels and understand them and a patient with a pain level of 10 first and foremost would not be able to walk into an office appt, you would not be able to sit during the duration of the appt and you would have a hard time talking due to intensity of pain. If you say you are at a level 10, they are going to expect you to be in the ER fighting for your life. You may want to pull up on the internet a pain management docs pain scale, so that when you go into your appts, you can provide accurate levels of pain.
You stated in your post that you can usually do one of the two things you mentioned (personal relations or vaccuum) without any problems, but not both without putting you in alot of pain. I would have to say that if you are able to vaccuum and do all the other things that a mother/parent does, then more than likely your Methadone is working just fine and doing whats it suppose to do, which is reduce your pain. There isnt a patient in the world that is at a level 10 pain and can vaccuum or have relations with they're sig. other. You said to Brian that as long as you were NOT doing anything around the house, then yes you thought the Methadone was working. What is it that makes you feel differently if you are doing housework that the methadone ISNT working? Is it because you start to feel pain when you are doing cleaning ect?? I gotta be honest in that I think anybody that isnt doing anything is going to experience much less pain and anybody that does start to do work around the house, they're levels of pain are going to increase, I dont think that this is an indication that your methadone isnt working, its just a case of your doing more, so your body is going to be sore or painful. The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Given the fact that you can vaccuum, have relations, be a mother/parent, attend appts, I believe 100% that the medication your on is working. Its also very possible that if you were taking pain meds that produced a euphoric feeling before, that since you are not getting that feeling with the Methadone then your mind is playing tricks on you saying that its not working and in actual fact it is working well, you just dont get that "happy" feeling with this type of medication. Methadone is meant to go straight to your pain receptors and also put a block on your pleasure sensors, meaning if you were to take another medication that would normally produce a euphoric feeling, methadone blocks that from happening and shuts down any "happy" feelings you would have felt. Like I said, many people then think that its not working if they dont get that feeling, its also were the danger is with Methadone, because people are searching for a euphoric feeling and they end up taking more and more until they get it, however because of Methadone's long half life, that person then has hundreds, sometimes thousands of mg's building up in they're system, which can then cause death in some cases.
My whole point is that because you are able to vaccuum and do other things around the house, then I think your medicine is working fine. In the end you need to be careful with how you rate your pain levels and be honest and real with what they are. Just remember that nobody in a level 10 pain walks into and sits down for an office visit.
When I take my pain meds I am at a level 2-3 pain daily, which I am satisfied with, however even at those levels I still cant walk for more than 1/2 hour or sit for more than 15 mins without having to adjust myself. My worst pain ever was about an 8.5 and I was in the ER with that level. Even with my meds today, vaccumming is not an option for me, luckily I have a husband that enjoys cleaning and doing laundry.
I really hope that you do get your pain under control, i'm still not even sure I know what your pains are, other than leg pain. I'd be curious to know as well what are all the tests that have been done on you. I know an MRI, but what other tests have been done?
Best of luck to you,
Lisa
Lisa, i'm not getting where you say i stated i didn't need pt, the only thing i stated is that i had to get my dr. to rerefer me as i missed a few appt.s and that is was hard for me to go with out a pain medication that helped with the pain this was causing me, please reread. And as far as medication's i am on the methadone and i'm on Lyrica the most dosing there is and i'm on thyroid medication and stress and anxiety meds. Sorry i didnt mention that. The reasonmy regular md wont prescribe anything is because one she stated she wanted me to go to a pm dr. she said they know more about that then her and that they would have to take over meds or could. And then if you read my post you would have seen i do have some over the counter melatonin and benyadrly for sleep.The things is the methadone i believe kicked in because i could go to sleep last night but then i find myself knocked out and waking up with a headache like a hangover effect. And you know you dont think of everything when you in a lot of pain and cant move, sorry i didnt think about the otc while on the phone to the pm nurse as i just needed to know how long the methadone will take to get in my system because i'm miserable. I'm sure if you have true pain you can relate and like i said i missed an important appt. today and millioms of things were going through my mind, like i need a shower my house needs cleaned, i need to call and make appt.s and my sisters in the hospital so thats why i didnt think of that! I am not trying to be rude and i dont feel i should have to spill my guts to you but i am sorry. I also had a pm dr.two year prior to all this that did the bone scan and said yes i have a great deal of pain because i was at a six daily and ten when i overdo things and he said alot of people do and you have to live with it. Thats real proffesional you think!
The difference between you and I is that even if I am NOT doing anything, I am still in pain and if I do start chores around the house, it just intensify's my pain alot more, but I dont think that its because my meds arent working.
Okay i dont know where i confused you here and yes i'm sorry for being so blunt about being intimate it's one of those things that you cant think of how to put it. Okay i am in pain right now it bothers me to sit and stand, i have leg pain , foot pain and lower left back pain raidiating all the way acrose when i do too much. Yes i do vacumm on days i'm not so bad, so yeah it's hard for me to tell if it's working yet or not and okay i know people say 0-10 ect. but your talking about someone here who gave birth first time with no pain meds, they actually scare me, not to mention i had all my inkections done with no sedations up to including the epidural, some people cant tolerate that but yes so like some i have a hard time describing my pain level ect. I can tell dont you dare touch my left lower facet joint or i may hurt someone. I will reufuse Oxycotin as i have heard really bad stories and morphine was going to be it but i figured maybe thats my problem is i have only tried short acting pain meds but i tell you i was on vicodin for a long time and at least that helped me if i need to be intimate and vacum in one day . My kids and hubby do alot but they cant do it all they go to school three of have a disablity with an ability so it's hard on the whole family but i cant just sit around waiting for something to all of a sudden kick in. I am on the go or like to be spending time with my family and staying on top of appt,s ect.
I'm sorry if i madeyou upset, Ever since i was in a car accident i had left hip pain and then my lower back started to ache but i didnt let that stop me from working and then a few months later i kept losing my balance because of my leg/hip/back and i fell a few times and thats when things got really bad, and i started getting pain when i wore jeans as it put pain and pressure on my back and i also lost weight and i thought cool my back might not hurt as bad, yeah right.
Take care, monkey
monkey5
02-26-2009, 06:04 AM
Lisa Qote you:
Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
Yes i do, but what am i supposed to say i dont know that much about meds.I do know i was scared taking it after i got and read everything on it, it's not like i said wait let me go home and look it up as the nurse did say some freakout when they mentioed it, i could post the name of the dr. that stated that about the benydyl but i can't as tgghey wont let me i could get it later. But that not the point in this reply. I have only ever been on two to three persay pain meds. One was the vicodin, the lyrica but that pain/nerve pain, percocet when i had shoulder surgery and strong doses of morphine wheni had premature birth on one of my others okay so know i dont know how these meds work, i have actually heard that methadone is great for pain and safe by my pm dr. and others, it scares me but i am listeing to them as they are proffessionals. Maybe it is working i dont know all i know is i just sit here not being able to move, not being comfotable sitting but a little better than trying to walk around and i told my dad that i think it was the vacuming that topped it and he said what are doing vacuming you know when your bad you cant and i said well it has to be done and he gave me a big speech. I have noone other than him and with my hubby being sick bothing gets done the right way, like i said my kids do things and understand but sometimes i want things done right even down to folding towels right yes i sound bad with that but thats the way i am, i dont like things going to he^^ and i do not like being like this no did i ask for it, i didnt deserve this!
monkey
Dont you think that Methadone is alittle more on the risky side, than an over the counter medicine?
Yes i do, but what am i supposed to say i dont know that much about meds.I do know i was scared taking it after i got and read everything on it, it's not like i said wait let me go home and look it up as the nurse did say some freakout when they mentioed it, i could post the name of the dr. that stated that about the benydyl but i can't as tgghey wont let me i could get it later. But that not the point in this reply. I have only ever been on two to three persay pain meds. One was the vicodin, the lyrica but that pain/nerve pain, percocet when i had shoulder surgery and strong doses of morphine wheni had premature birth on one of my others okay so know i dont know how these meds work, i have actually heard that methadone is great for pain and safe by my pm dr. and others, it scares me but i am listeing to them as they are proffessionals. Maybe it is working i dont know all i know is i just sit here not being able to move, not being comfotable sitting but a little better than trying to walk around and i told my dad that i think it was the vacuming that topped it and he said what are doing vacuming you know when your bad you cant and i said well it has to be done and he gave me a big speech. I have noone other than him and with my hubby being sick bothing gets done the right way, like i said my kids do things and understand but sometimes i want things done right even down to folding towels right yes i sound bad with that but thats the way i am, i dont like things going to he^^ and i do not like being like this no did i ask for it, i didnt deserve this!
monkey
Jema X
02-26-2009, 06:29 AM
Dear monkey, I just wanted to say that I think you misunderstood Lisa's message to you. You see, I too have been confused by some of your posts. I find it difficult to type and think properly when I'm in a lot of pain and perhaps this is what is happening with you too. I'm sorry if you were upset, I was confused about what you meant with the benedryl too. With respect, perhaps you could take time to reread some of your previous posts and then you may understand our confusion. I am sure that no one wanted to hurt you. We understand what it is like when you can't sleep and you're in pain, It can be difficult to relate. I applaud you for doing so much for your family, I wish that I could vacuum etc,
monkey5
02-26-2009, 08:06 AM
Dear monkey, I just wanted to say that I think you misunderstood Lisa's message to you. You see, I too have been confused by some of your posts. I find it difficult to type and think properly when I'm in a lot of pain and perhaps this is what is happening with you too. I'm sorry if you were upset, I was confused about what you meant with the benedryl too. With respect, perhaps you could take time to reread some of your previous posts and then you may understand our confusion. I am sure that no one wanted to hurt you. We understand what it is like when you can't sleep and you're in pain, It can be difficult to relate. I applaud you for doing so much for your family, I wish that I could vacuum etc,
I am okay, this happens i know and maybe i will go back over them because i totally agree. How are you so lucky, you must be rich! I do push myself and thats why i end up like this. There are times i need to slow down and i think i can do everything and my says different! I am i can say to have this board to come and vent ect.
Take care, monkey
I am okay, this happens i know and maybe i will go back over them because i totally agree. How are you so lucky, you must be rich! I do push myself and thats why i end up like this. There are times i need to slow down and i think i can do everything and my says different! I am i can say to have this board to come and vent ect.
Take care, monkey
monkey5
02-26-2009, 08:55 AM
lisa, sorry i had to quote on this one:
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
I cannot find this post that i wrote, maybe it's there maybe not i am not going to argue on here, but the only thing i recall saying about PT is that i had to have my dr rerefer me to it again as i missed a few appts. when the things that they had me doing put me down for a few days and they had appts down that were from before. I actually love pt because they can find alot out about where exactly your pain is and document it for your dr. ect.
Okay i think i addressed everything you pointed out, except that maybe i am delusional and crazy but yup i already saw a psychiatrist who thought she was crazy for seeing me and wanted to have me checked for MS possibly because i was too young for dimentia.
Lisa, juliet, i am just like you comeing on here to get advice people can take or leave it right! I have never had experience with anything like this type of medication so can we keep it simple, like juliet said when your in pain your miserable and right now this is the only place really to turn so i'm sorry if i came at you like i wasn't open to suggestion ,brian as well i'm sorry for this bbut any support helps right.
monkey
In post #5 you ask why you couldnt be kept on what was working for you? I'm just curious, what was it that you were taking that did work so well for you and why did your doctor take you off of it? You also state that you have done PT and that they will not allow you to go back to doing it because it worked so well? I'm having a hard time with this, because if PT was working well for you and you were handling it well, then why wouldnt your doctor continue to have you do it? Most doctors would be very happy that PT was working and have you continue to do it, this way they dont need to prescribe that many meds for you to take or may even be able to do away with them all together.
I cannot find this post that i wrote, maybe it's there maybe not i am not going to argue on here, but the only thing i recall saying about PT is that i had to have my dr rerefer me to it again as i missed a few appts. when the things that they had me doing put me down for a few days and they had appts down that were from before. I actually love pt because they can find alot out about where exactly your pain is and document it for your dr. ect.
Okay i think i addressed everything you pointed out, except that maybe i am delusional and crazy but yup i already saw a psychiatrist who thought she was crazy for seeing me and wanted to have me checked for MS possibly because i was too young for dimentia.
Lisa, juliet, i am just like you comeing on here to get advice people can take or leave it right! I have never had experience with anything like this type of medication so can we keep it simple, like juliet said when your in pain your miserable and right now this is the only place really to turn so i'm sorry if i came at you like i wasn't open to suggestion ,brian as well i'm sorry for this bbut any support helps right.
monkey
slipperyslope
02-26-2009, 09:32 AM
I am 6 years out of back surgery and have CP. There are many things I can't do anymore no matter what meds I take, and one is vacuuming. there is no way on god's earth can I push a vacuum. its way to painful. And I am not rich by any means, My husband does the vacuuming for me. I wish he did it a few times a week but he will only do it weekly, if that. But its better than nothing as it is very hard on your back. Ask your husband to help you with the chores so the pressure is not all on you.
Monkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
I have to agree with Lisa on the pain scale of a 10. you need to be very careful with that. Because if you keep saying your pain is at a 10 when all of the test are showing nothing is wrong, they might start to think this is in your " head " and you wouldn't want them to think that your making this up for attention or anything, so just be careful with your wording to your PM Dr. And give the methadone more time to work. We have all told you it takes a few weeks to begin working. Even your Dr told you that, so just go along with it and let them titrate you up, if that is there plan because you may just need a dose increase for it to really work. These things take time. You can't rush it and be so impatient when it comes to PM, it’s a process of elimination. It took 3 months for my Dr to get my medication dosing at the correct level for my pain to go down, so please have more patience and let your Dr help you. Give your PM some credit, they are really trying to get your pain levels down. Your actually Quite lucky your Dr is giving you narcotics, not all PM Dr's will even do this when the few test you have had show nothing wrong. It will also help if you are more positive and less negative all the time.
It would also help for you to slow down in your postings, re read what you have written so we can all understand what your trying to say, as its hard to follow your post as they are all over the place and hard to read. One other thing that might help you is to see a pain physiologist. A Lot of pain clinics have Dr's that they refer patients to that helps them cope with CP better. This might be a good option for you as well.
SS
Monkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
I have to agree with Lisa on the pain scale of a 10. you need to be very careful with that. Because if you keep saying your pain is at a 10 when all of the test are showing nothing is wrong, they might start to think this is in your " head " and you wouldn't want them to think that your making this up for attention or anything, so just be careful with your wording to your PM Dr. And give the methadone more time to work. We have all told you it takes a few weeks to begin working. Even your Dr told you that, so just go along with it and let them titrate you up, if that is there plan because you may just need a dose increase for it to really work. These things take time. You can't rush it and be so impatient when it comes to PM, it’s a process of elimination. It took 3 months for my Dr to get my medication dosing at the correct level for my pain to go down, so please have more patience and let your Dr help you. Give your PM some credit, they are really trying to get your pain levels down. Your actually Quite lucky your Dr is giving you narcotics, not all PM Dr's will even do this when the few test you have had show nothing wrong. It will also help if you are more positive and less negative all the time.
It would also help for you to slow down in your postings, re read what you have written so we can all understand what your trying to say, as its hard to follow your post as they are all over the place and hard to read. One other thing that might help you is to see a pain physiologist. A Lot of pain clinics have Dr's that they refer patients to that helps them cope with CP better. This might be a good option for you as well.
SS
brianpain33
02-26-2009, 05:04 PM
monkey:
I think that you need to realize that most of us on these boards can not do alot of the things that we used to do before chronic pain. Do I get upset and angry about it? Yes I do sometimes. I don't have anyone to help me out since I am single and live by myself. I get down and depressed sometimes and think that no one will ever want to be with me because I am somewhat limited. Maybe that is just something that I need to work through. All of us with CP need to deal with acceptance. Acceptance of the pain. Acceptance that the meds do not take away all the pain. Acceptance that we will probably be in pain every day for the rest of our lives. Acceptance of the medications that we need to take to have a quality of life.
I truly think that you need to slow down and look at the reality of your situation. Most PM docs will try to get your pain levels down to 50% of what they were when you first started with them. If you get to a pain level of less than 5 out of 10 then most PM docs will be OK with that. I don't like the side effects that I have to deal with every day (drowsy, tired, fatigue, spaced out, etc). I have to also take testosterone supplements due to the side effects of the meds. Do you think that I like this? NO but I have to do it in order to have somewhat of a quality of life.
There are many, many people on these boards that are much worse off than you. Try to be grateful for the things that you do have and not be angry and hateful for the things that you have lost. I am not mad at you, just trying to get you to see things for what they are. If you are not able to vaccum any more then you will have to get someone else to do it. I am limited to what I can do in 1 day like most of us are.
brian
I think that you need to realize that most of us on these boards can not do alot of the things that we used to do before chronic pain. Do I get upset and angry about it? Yes I do sometimes. I don't have anyone to help me out since I am single and live by myself. I get down and depressed sometimes and think that no one will ever want to be with me because I am somewhat limited. Maybe that is just something that I need to work through. All of us with CP need to deal with acceptance. Acceptance of the pain. Acceptance that the meds do not take away all the pain. Acceptance that we will probably be in pain every day for the rest of our lives. Acceptance of the medications that we need to take to have a quality of life.
I truly think that you need to slow down and look at the reality of your situation. Most PM docs will try to get your pain levels down to 50% of what they were when you first started with them. If you get to a pain level of less than 5 out of 10 then most PM docs will be OK with that. I don't like the side effects that I have to deal with every day (drowsy, tired, fatigue, spaced out, etc). I have to also take testosterone supplements due to the side effects of the meds. Do you think that I like this? NO but I have to do it in order to have somewhat of a quality of life.
There are many, many people on these boards that are much worse off than you. Try to be grateful for the things that you do have and not be angry and hateful for the things that you have lost. I am not mad at you, just trying to get you to see things for what they are. If you are not able to vaccum any more then you will have to get someone else to do it. I am limited to what I can do in 1 day like most of us are.
brian
monkey5
02-26-2009, 05:51 PM
I am 6 years out of back surgery and have CP. There are many things I can't do anymore no matter what meds I take, and one is vacuuming. there is no way on god's earth can I push a vacuum. its way to painful. And I am not rich by any means, My husband does the vacuuming for me. I wish he did it a few times a week but he will only do it weekly, if that. But its better than nothing as it is very hard on your back. Ask your husband to help you with the chores so the pressure is not all on you.
Monkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
I have to agree with Lisa on the pain scale of a 10. you need to be very careful with that. Because if you keep saying your pain is at a 10 when all of the test are showing nothing is wrong, they might start to think this is in your " head " and you wouldn't want them to think that your making this up for attention or anything, so just be careful with your wording to your PM Dr. And give the methadone more time to work. We have all told you it takes a few weeks to begin working. Even your Dr told you that, so just go along with it and let them titrate you up, if that is there plan because you may just need a dose increase for it to really work. These things take time. You can't rush it and be so impatient when it comes to PM, it’s a process of elimination. It took 3 months for my Dr to get my medication dosing at the correct level for my pain to go down, so please have more patience and let your Dr help you. Give your PM some credit, they are really trying to get your pain levels down. Your actually Quite lucky your Dr is giving you narcotics, not all PM Dr's will even do this when the few test you have had show nothing wrong. It will also help if you are more positive and less negative all the time.
It would also help for you to slow down in your postings, re read what you have written so we can all understand what your trying to say, as its hard to follow your post as they are all over the place and hard to read. One other thing that might help you is to see a pain physiologist. A Lot of pain clinics have Dr's that they refer patients to that helps them cope with CP better. This might be a good option for you as well.
SSMonkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
SS,
the pm dr. was has talked to me about nerve burning but that was only if the injection gave me relief. The second one gave me alot of relief where i didnt even have tenderness in that area as usual but then not knowing he went higher the thierd time was brutual and no relief so he may try the second one again and see agin and then try the Rhizotomy if my guess, I have an appt. next week.
If you have alot of pain and your waiting for meds two weeks to kick how do deal? I know i am not a ten but it feels like it when i'm laying down and can't move i dont tell them that unless i'm barely walking into the er, i am at the least a six or seven daily even with meds, i'm sure you get what i'm saying. I know i am just beggining with this but i'm sure most can relate to the first time they started dealing with this. p.s. I have really been patient, for almost two years, i was very very depressed and then i looked at it this way, i can ithier waste away worrying about this or that and sulk in my pain but i have never wanted to go down that road and i started doing really good and still am but you this holds you back alot and takes a toll on one and then you sometimes have to pick yourself up again and i'm alright i just had a few bad days and i know i will be alright because i have you guys and gals!
Monkey
take care, monkey
Monkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
I have to agree with Lisa on the pain scale of a 10. you need to be very careful with that. Because if you keep saying your pain is at a 10 when all of the test are showing nothing is wrong, they might start to think this is in your " head " and you wouldn't want them to think that your making this up for attention or anything, so just be careful with your wording to your PM Dr. And give the methadone more time to work. We have all told you it takes a few weeks to begin working. Even your Dr told you that, so just go along with it and let them titrate you up, if that is there plan because you may just need a dose increase for it to really work. These things take time. You can't rush it and be so impatient when it comes to PM, it’s a process of elimination. It took 3 months for my Dr to get my medication dosing at the correct level for my pain to go down, so please have more patience and let your Dr help you. Give your PM some credit, they are really trying to get your pain levels down. Your actually Quite lucky your Dr is giving you narcotics, not all PM Dr's will even do this when the few test you have had show nothing wrong. It will also help if you are more positive and less negative all the time.
It would also help for you to slow down in your postings, re read what you have written so we can all understand what your trying to say, as its hard to follow your post as they are all over the place and hard to read. One other thing that might help you is to see a pain physiologist. A Lot of pain clinics have Dr's that they refer patients to that helps them cope with CP better. This might be a good option for you as well.
SSMonkey, I know you have had injections and an MRI, But there are many more procedures the Dr can do for you to help figure out where this pain is coming from. One is a discography. Has your Dr mentioned this? there are also a few nerve burning techniques they could also do, so your not at the end of the rope as far as testing goes.
SS,
the pm dr. was has talked to me about nerve burning but that was only if the injection gave me relief. The second one gave me alot of relief where i didnt even have tenderness in that area as usual but then not knowing he went higher the thierd time was brutual and no relief so he may try the second one again and see agin and then try the Rhizotomy if my guess, I have an appt. next week.
If you have alot of pain and your waiting for meds two weeks to kick how do deal? I know i am not a ten but it feels like it when i'm laying down and can't move i dont tell them that unless i'm barely walking into the er, i am at the least a six or seven daily even with meds, i'm sure you get what i'm saying. I know i am just beggining with this but i'm sure most can relate to the first time they started dealing with this. p.s. I have really been patient, for almost two years, i was very very depressed and then i looked at it this way, i can ithier waste away worrying about this or that and sulk in my pain but i have never wanted to go down that road and i started doing really good and still am but you this holds you back alot and takes a toll on one and then you sometimes have to pick yourself up again and i'm alright i just had a few bad days and i know i will be alright because i have you guys and gals!
Monkey
take care, monkey
brianpain33
02-26-2009, 06:13 PM
Monkey:
you could always try adding some other OTC pain reliever such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Aleve(naproxen). I don't know if any of these help you or not. Even if they did not before, they might now along with the Methadone. Just a thought
brian
you could always try adding some other OTC pain reliever such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Aleve(naproxen). I don't know if any of these help you or not. Even if they did not before, they might now along with the Methadone. Just a thought
brian
monkey5
02-26-2009, 06:22 PM
Monkey:
you could always try adding some other OTC pain reliever such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Aleve(naproxen). I don't know if any of these help you or not. Even if they did not before, they might now along with the Methadone. Just a thought
brian
brian, yes thats what the pm dr. said but i waited for them to say this as i had a lot of problems with my regular md saying if i was taking this or that then i couldnt take it (tylenol) ect. but the pm dr. said i could try that so i have been , maybe that and rest is what helped for me to fell better today! I am trying to be positive it's just nerve racking when this happens.
monkey
you could always try adding some other OTC pain reliever such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Aleve(naproxen). I don't know if any of these help you or not. Even if they did not before, they might now along with the Methadone. Just a thought
brian
brian, yes thats what the pm dr. said but i waited for them to say this as i had a lot of problems with my regular md saying if i was taking this or that then i couldnt take it (tylenol) ect. but the pm dr. said i could try that so i have been , maybe that and rest is what helped for me to fell better today! I am trying to be positive it's just nerve racking when this happens.
monkey
monkey5
02-26-2009, 06:29 PM
brian, all i can say to this is DITTO: I need to accept the things that i cannot change, there is a saying. it's just hard, come on i'm a independent thirty even year old that supposedly is young and healthy and i cannot even vacumm anymore it takes alot from a person. I do not like to call on anyone and i frown on not being dependent on someone else!. But i deal most of the time.
Thanks a bunch for being here.
Monkey
Thanks a bunch for being here.
Monkey
slipperyslope
02-26-2009, 07:12 PM
Monkey Like I said before, anytime you start a new type of pain medication, the Dr slowly tirates you up. They never start out high because you may have a reaction to the medication. They need to see how you handle the medication First. you have to get used to it and than they will increase it to a higher dose if you are able to tolerate it. So this process can take months. You have only been on the medication a week and a half, so you have not been on the medication long enough to make to many negative judgments. When you go to the DR for your next apt, tell them your still in tremendous pain and your DR will at that time make some adjustments. Rarely does any CP patient get total relief on the first few visits. I am sure in time the Dr will get your pain under better control and they will get to the root of your pain issue. Right now you need to cooperate and be thankful they are even treating you with strong narcotics. Not all Dr's will even give you pain meds. Just be grateful instead of complaining about it constantly. we all go through this, unfortunately this is the nature of pain management. it does not happen over night. Since you have been in extreme pain for 2 years now, I don't think a few more weeks to even months will be that intolerable for you. Think about the good things in your life and try and stay positive, as negativity does and can increase your pain and ruin your outlook on life. Be sure and communicate correctly to your PM DR at your next apt what your pain levels are and they will hopefully either increase your dose or try a different medication. Not everyone responds to the same medication, so what may work for others, my not work for you, and Dr's understand this and realize it. It took me months to get to a level of 4-5 that I am at now. so have faith that you will be okay and that your in good hands with a good Dr, and you will have improvement once your dose is at the right level for you to function and be able to do some of things you enjoy. I will never be able to do the things I used to do. Like gardening for 6 hours at a time, or cleaning my entire house in a day, or hiking for 4 hours. I now have to limit myself to an hour of gardening, or an hour of house work, or an hour long hike. I just am not the person I used to be, and I except it and live with it. And I am thankful that I can still do the things I like to do, I just can't do them for long periods of time. and I have to use special methods that protect my back. I took a class on gardening for people with bad backs, and my physical therapist came to my house and taught me how to clean and how to do things that are much less strenuous on my spine. I am so happy to be walking and that I am not paralyzed as the DR thought I was going to be, so my outlook is much different than yours is. I hope you can learn to be a happy person, eventually. even if you can't do the things you want to ,Maybe in time you can do some of those things in total moderation. But right now you can't. It will get better, just give it time and try and focus on the good, not how bad your pain is.
All the best, SS
All the best, SS
brianpain33
02-26-2009, 08:08 PM
it's just hard, come on i'm a independent thirty even year old that supposedly is young and healthy Monkey
Well I am a 34 year old single guy that tries to be independent. I have no girlfriend to help me so I have to do everything myself and most of the time it takes alot longer to do things that I have to do (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, etc.) So try to be grateful for what you do have that others don't have. Just imagine being single, alone, and having no one to help you plus having to work a full time job then you can see that I go through.
brian
Well I am a 34 year old single guy that tries to be independent. I have no girlfriend to help me so I have to do everything myself and most of the time it takes alot longer to do things that I have to do (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, etc.) So try to be grateful for what you do have that others don't have. Just imagine being single, alone, and having no one to help you plus having to work a full time job then you can see that I go through.
brian
Jema X
02-26-2009, 08:35 PM
Monkey, thank you for taking the time to read my post and those of others. I still feel that you do not understand the debilitating pain that people like ss,brian, lisa and myself go through. I have severe nerve damage and no matter what I take my pain never goes below a 5 or 6. I take many medications and do pt etc to help. I am not rich as you suggested, I just CAN'T vacuum - it is impossible for me to vacuum. Perhaps you need to take a step back and understand that most of us here have just as many problems but with no end in sight. I have suffered many times because I don't have enough pain relief. I have chest spasms that stop me from breathing for a minute at a time. I am not trying to make you feel bad, simply to explain that you may habe to accept a certain level of pain that will never go away, in fact - don't know any dr that will treat you to a 0 on the pain scale. We are all here to support you, monkey, but please take the time to have empathy for others too. I found the 'you must be rich' comment a little hurtful to be honest.
Be strong Monkey, we come to these boards to give and receive support and we each have to show empathy and understanding. I see us a lot like a family, so it'sexpected we will have disagreements. Let us support you. I'm so glad you are feeling a bit better. Take care, monkey
Be strong Monkey, we come to these boards to give and receive support and we each have to show empathy and understanding. I see us a lot like a family, so it'sexpected we will have disagreements. Let us support you. I'm so glad you are feeling a bit better. Take care, monkey
monkey5
02-26-2009, 10:22 PM
Juliet, i in no way intended that to be hurtful, it's the not thinking before we act thing. Like someone said it's the worst when your in pain and i did need to go back and reread posts. I know there are others alot worse and i really dont know how they do it, but you know that sometimes your in pain and it's the worst and you dont think of others feeling it as much kinda like if you lost something and noone could even understand even though it hurst you just as bad, it hurts them more than anyone could know because your not in thier shoes, i totally understand where you and others are coming from!
truly sorry.
Monkey
truly sorry.
Monkey