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Posted by
David Charles on December 04, 2000 at 18:24:32:
In Reply to: pain management posted by Rheal on December 02, 2000 at 21:20:09:
: I'm a 49 year old male who live with chronic pain. I had a previous back surgery and a total hip replacement. I'm now on morphine for pain and I must I do like that. I know that will become dependant on this. I'm now on 25mg and the DR. wants t increase the doses. I was also told that I may need a device called I believe a neuro stimilator. I have never heard of this or if this is sucessful. ANY advice. I'm lost and yeap depressed. I have spent 7 weeks in a clinic in pain management. When you are at theses center you feel understood but once out. BOY what a chocker.
Hi Rheal, I have had 3 failed back surgerys, I'm fused from L1-S1 I'm sure you were educated a little about using opiates. Your on a very low dose now but you will develop some physical dependence on it. Diabetics are dependent on insulin and if the narcotics improve the quality of life and the side effects aren't overwelming they are very safe to use. The short acting drugs normally contain tylenol or an ansaid and these drugs are harmful yo liver. You body easily metobolizes opiates and they have no neuro permanent effects. You may be forgetfull while takingt them but if you stop your memory improves. Most study's swhow that using narotics for painare not addictive. Here you have to split the difference between psychological addiction and physically dependent. If your not taking them to get high, stealing script pads, doc shopping, hoarding them, etc you can probably take them following the advise of good Pain Management Doc. Along with physical depence, which means basically you get sick if you stop taking them abruptly, you will also develop atolerance for opiates. I have met people on the internet that takes several grams of morphine daily, a gram is 1000 mgs. If you have found Skip Bakers web site click on to the kink to Mass General dept of neuro. There is a great chronic Pain forum there. You gotta go there!!!!!!! It's the best support system you will find outside of clinic. So many knowledable people with the one comon thread. I don't know how to post a link but you should be able to find it under Chronic Pain. I posted my email on an ealier post here. If you cant find it email me an I'll forward something from that forum to you. Good Luck..David
