Incredible realization

[Done with Drugs]

Dear Joan Harvest.

I want to say something that others on this board may not agree with, but having family members with intractable pain, I want to say it.

If you truly have terrible pain and take pain meds. you will become dependent on them. However, you are not an addict. American doctors have made the idea of chronically using pain pills a negative thing. My brother had a major back problem, he had three surgeries, he was left not only still with the pain, but with leaking spinal fluid which causes him to be dizzy weak and nauseated, most of the time. He recently (two weeks ago) had another surgery to put in what they called "a blood patch", to stop the dangerous leakage of the cerebrospinal fluid. He still has pain that is from an 8 to a 10 daily. He takes Oxycontin, time release and huge doses of Naproxen. This helps him. He is able to function ok, if he is not nauseated. He will probably have to be on the pain meds for a very long time. But, unlike me, he is not an addict, he would have withdrawals, as you did, if he quit suddenly, but pain docs. do not make patients quit suddenly. They always, have them taper. So, you were not turning into an addict because you needed the pain meds. you just were not on the right type, or dose. Combining opiates with anti-inflammatory drugs often work when neither work alone.

A chronic pain patient who is "addicted" is not an addict. So, please pursue a pain clinic and if they do put you on an opiate to relieve your pain, use it. You know the difference between using it and "abusing it". You are just very sensitive because of your son.

I hope you feel better.

emily's mom

[shadyk]

Have you tried having your knee (s) injected? They use a deadener and hyaluronic acid which is supposed to stimulate new cartilage growth. Severe pain often comes about when the cartilage has worn away. Often the pain is felt in the front of knee, just below kneecap.Sounds grisley but doesnt heart that bad. Ive had it done twice and it gave me terrific relief for almost 6 months. Good luck.
shadyk

[joanharvest]

I actually have thought about that but I lost my health insurance and have to wait until I can afford it again. I've heard procedure help other people too. Hopefully I will be able to get insurance soon. I own a smal business and have to pay my own and at $560 a month, it's just too much right now. Thanks for the suggestion.

[KFld]

Hi Joan,
Don't really have anything to add. Just wanted to say hi! I check in once in awhile to see what is going on but really haven't had anything to write about, which I guess is a good thing. Hope everything else is going good with your son still. I think mine is doing o.k. Counseling is again tonight, so that seems to be going well also

[Nervous Nellie]

Oh Joan,

I can understand your sensitivity about taking medications for your pain, especially as your son is a recovering drug addict (so is mine). I also have chronic pain from severe nerve damage in my spine. Over time, it has lessened quite a bit (it's been almost 3 years), but in the beginning, I needed whatever would work to lessen the pain and not make me feel "loopy".

I found that whatever I was prescribed would be "sucked up" by the pain and I didn't get a buzz. Yes sometimes I was aware of the pain, but it didn't seem to matter as much. Gradually I lessened my dosages ( I guess testing myself to see if I was really getting better or it was just the drugs), and am now not on any drugs (granted I rest a lot during the day and can't hold a full time job yet either).

I hope and pray that you can find something to make your own physical pain more tolerable. There's an amazing array of options out there, and not all of them are opiate derivatives. There are the SSRI's (anti-depressants) that calm the central nervous system, the anti-epileptic drugs (Neurontin, Dilantin, etc) that calm the hyper-firing of damaged nerves, there are anti-inflammatories for bone and joint problems...there is a huge choice. If your doctor can work with you to find the right one for your specific pain, there are also subsidized drug assistance plans in the U.S. to ensure folks who can't afford their prescriptions can still get them.

Alternative non-prescriptive supplements such as glucosamine for example have helped at least three people I know to greatly alleviate their knee joint pain.

My thoughts and prayers are with you that you find something to alleviate your physical pain because you deserve that. No one should have to live with intolerable pain.

My best wishes to your son also in his recovery.

Nellie