Re:Painkillers

[Guest guest]

I vehemently disagree with this article that pain killers take a " viscious " hold

on users. I am not sure as to why that article was posted for our group...but

most if not all people in our group know the devestating results of living day

in and day out with pain. If there is some reason this was posted to the group

- I can provide you with up to the date, science backed proof that opioid

medications are a necessary part of the healing process. Some people only need

them for a short period of time - and others require continued use on a long

term basis. But the point I am trying to make is that pain medications - like

it or not - are necessary - and even life saving - for some patients.

Don't get me started.....

Chris

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

wrote:

I vehemently disagree with this article that pain killers take a " viscious "

hold on users. I am not sure as to why that article was posted for our

group...but most if not all people in our group know the devestating results

of living day in and day out with pain. If there is some reason this was

posted to the group - I can provide you with up to the date, science backed

proof that opioid medications are a necessary part of the healing process.

Some people only need them for a short period of time - and others require

continued use on a long term basis. But the point I am trying to make is

that pain medications - like it or not - are necessary - and even life

saving - for some patients.

Kathleen's response:

The link was posted by Roz, not one of the staff. I would imagine she posted

it because one of the people discussed had syringomyelia. The article

discusses pain management for patients that have had an addiction.

For some addiction is a possibility of the pain meds aren't taken as

prescribed. Weaning off of the pain meds has to be a slow process for

everyone.

As a person that needs pain management I am aware of the risks of strong

narcotics, but I couldn't live day to day without something to control my

pain.

Kathleen

Diagnosed with CM/hydrocephalus 1990, decompression/shunt. Since diagnosed

with craniocervical instability, Ehlers Danlos, and Tethered Cord Syndrome,

surgery for everything but EDS since 1998.

http://chiariconnectioninternational.com/

[Guest guest]

Thank You Kathleen,

Roz is a great lady! I know that Roz did not mean to imply that

painkillers are bad for everyone. She posts many articles here from

around the country that mention CM/SM because of the awareness it

brings to our conditions.

I do want to say that addiction is also possible even when taken as

prescribed. When I was first diagnosed, my doctors told me to take my

percocet 2 pills, every 2-3 hours. As time went on, I noticed if I

missed a dose, my pain was out of control (then diagnosed with " rebound

headaches " )

After a while, I realized that I did not need to take so much. I

discussed this with my doctor and he agreed that I should only use

these as needed to break the pain cycle when it started to get really

bad.

I think the biggest thing I needed to realize was that the pills were

there to make my pain " tolerable " and not necessarily to make me " pain-

free " . I now take 1 pill, maybe once or twice a day if needed

(sometimes I don't take any at all for a few days!), first trying other

things like hot/cold packs or hot showers, to reduce the pain.

I think that the point of this article, however, was about those who

abuse these drugs. The gentlemen mentioned in this article, turned to

painkillers after dealing with alcohol addiction. In essence, they

turned to illegally abusing prescription drugs as a way to get high

instead of drinking. It became a problem for them years later when they

really needed to have the pills for pain.

Most of our situations are different. We have been prescribed these

medications by our physicians to help relieve pain from a very real

condition, not as a crutch to stop drinking or as a way to get high. If

not used responsibly and monitored carefully, the potential does exist

for addiction, but that is why we are under the care of our physicians.

Each of us needs to be aware of this and use these meds with caution.

But for many of us, our quality of life would not be very good without

some type of assistance.

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

Forwarded with Amy's permission:

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

Hi all,

I wanted to second this...Roz and I have spoken also..SHE IS A VERY

KNOWLEDGABLE WOMAN and i respect her but she doesn't pull many

punches, she says what she feels is important.

With regard to pain medications I am one of those who doesn't respond

as a " normal " person would. I take them and within a VERY short

period of time that dosage is no better than eating M & M's..they

either have to change the dose, the medication or I have to suffer ..

i build a tolerence to things very quickly...also I develop allergic

reactions to medications out of the blue! I had prescriptions of

Toradol at least 10 times over the past 5 years for pain but the last

time they prescribed it I swelled up like a Baloon my throat swelled

up so bad I couldn't breathe and I ended up in the hospital. We

didn't think it was the Toradol, they didn't know what to think. A

few days later at the hospital they gave me more of it for a SEVERE

cramping spasmic pain in my neck that would NOT go away and we got

the same result, luckily I was at the hospital when it happened and

they were able to give me something to reverse it.

Also have you all heard about seizures associated with combinations

of pain killers and other meds? Cymbalta seemed like a perfectly safe

medication and it seemed to help me tremendously and it's a shame I

can't take it now because it REally helped with the Neuropathic pain

BUT....I developed seratonin syndrome from it mixed with Dilantin and

other medications..No one caught it I just realized the seizures kept

getting worse from only a few occasionally to up to 30 or 40 a day

for several months. I shrunk down to 81 lbs and I was SOOOOOOOO sick!

Too sick to hold medications down at all so they got out of my

system..and I am here to tell you....even though NO one thought I was

addicted to anything I HAD HORRIBLE LIFE THREATENING WITHDRAWALS..At

the hospital at least 50 or 75 times in the past year, had to have a

breathing tube 3 times because I could not breathe on my own with

some of those seizures/catatonic(?) episodes They never showed on an

EEG or any other test but they were NOT FAKE either...After MONTHS of

rehab/phys.therapy I am well again..and just recently learned that i

had ALL of the symptoms for Seratonin Syndrome...My doctor had not

even heard of that happening as a result of such a mild mixtures of

meds. now we know we have to really be careful..also...just because

the doctor gives them to you and the pharmacy checks them on thier

database doesn't guarantee their safety! There are TONS of meds which

are dangerous if taken with some kinds of foods, beverages such as

grapefruit juice can cause serious reactions, also some just being in

the sunlight with them can pose major risks to you! Medications which

were checked by my pharmacy and showed to be OK together nearly cost

me my life. I went around to different places on the internet only to

find Containdications and Warning For 12 different serious possible

risks that were associated with the combination of medications I had

been taking on a long term basis. SO ALWAYS DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK

YOUR MEDS. ALSO ALWAYS DOUBLE THINK BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM TO MAKE SURE

YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO! Also I do have a friend who had taken pain

meds due to serious injuries...He became addicted and ended up very

very ill, we almost lost him before he was able to get into a

treatment center. Shortly after returning home he had to have pain

medications for a surgery and only took what he REALLY needed his

medication was monitored by his wife and he could not get back off

those meds...he went through awful withdrawals and had to go back to

rehab. Just something to think about. Even though some think we can

not become addicted if we really need the meds. That sad fact is that

if you have addictive traits or a past shadowed by addiction YOU ARE

AT risk ! I have to really be careful..and I wasn't what I would

call 'addicted " HOwever STILL my body had gotten so used to having

them and so much so that when I no longer took them as directed

because I could not hold them down....IT Nearly cost me my life! My

body was in such a state of shock it was unbelievable..I AM BEGGIN

YOU ALL DEFINATELY.....BE VERY CAREFUL AND DONT USE SOMETHING Unless

YOU KNOW FOR SURE That HAve to have it and there is no safer

alternative! ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT STOPPING ANY MEDICATION WITHOUT

MEDICAL SUPERVISION ISSSSSSSSSSS SOOOOOOOOOO VERY VERY DANGEROUS!!!

God Bless you all and I hope everyone is doing well !!!

Amy

>

> Thank You Kathleen,

>

> Roz is a great lady! I know that Roz did not mean to imply that

> painkillers are bad for everyone. She posts many articles here from

> around the country that mention CM/SM because of the awareness it

> brings to our conditions.

>

> I do want to say that addiction is also possible even when taken as

> prescribed. When I was first diagnosed, my doctors told me to take

my

> percocet 2 pills, every 2-3 hours. As time went on, I noticed if I

> missed a dose, my pain was out of control (then diagnosed

with " rebound

> headaches " )

>

> After a while, I realized that I did not need to take so much. I

> discussed this with my doctor and he agreed that I should only use

> these as needed to break the pain cycle when it started to get

really

> bad.

>

> I think the biggest thing I needed to realize was that the pills

were

> there to make my pain " tolerable " and not necessarily to make

me " pain-

> free " . I now take 1 pill, maybe once or twice a day if needed

> (sometimes I don't take any at all for a few days!), first trying

other

> things like hot/cold packs or hot showers, to reduce the pain.

>

> I think that the point of this article, however, was about those

who

> abuse these drugs. The gentlemen mentioned in this article, turned

to

> painkillers after dealing with alcohol addiction. In essence, they

> turned to illegally abusing prescription drugs as a way to get high

> instead of drinking. It became a problem for them years later when

they

> really needed to have the pills for pain.

>

> Most of our situations are different. We have been prescribed these

> medications by our physicians to help relieve pain from a very real

> condition, not as a crutch to stop drinking or as a way to get

high. If

> not used responsibly and monitored carefully, the potential does

exist

> for addiction, but that is why we are under the care of our

physicians.

>

> Each of us needs to be aware of this and use these meds with

caution.

> But for many of us, our quality of life would not be very good

without

> some type of assistance.

>

> Hugs,

>

[Guest guest]

I did a summary of research for the Chiari news on chronic pain. One

problem found was that our doctors do not do a good job treating those of us

with

chronic pain and readily admitted this in the research and said they do not

get this training in medical school either.

I had grown up in an extremely religious household where you were not

allowed to take any forms of medication so you can imagine what it was like for

me

to finally take and seek help for the pain. What is clear is that pain can

kill you. It increases your blood pressure and puts a huge strain on your

body. I had no idea until I had relief from the pain how much energy it took

me

to fight the pain every day. I was extremely suicidal from the pain but was

still trying to fight taking narcotics because of my upbringing.

I found a wonderful pain management doctor who sat me down and explained all

of this to me. I would now kiss his feet. When we found the right dose for

me my blood pressure came down and this huge energy/tension left my body.

He also understood that I did not want something that made me sleep all of the

time because I felt this was not a life for me either.

What we do know is that in this country pain meds are UNDERprescribed

because of this fear of addiction and for some doctors fear of getting into

trouble.

I think what is important is the quality of life. You will heal better and

faster when you have pain relief...it is one less thing to fight.

My five cents (inflation)

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I agree with all of you guys. I know I have to take pain meds. on a daily

basis 3-4 a day, in addition to Motrin/Advil. This man in the article took 20

pills often at one time to get high. He had an addiction, that unfortuantely

some people get. It is hard for people like us who need pain medication for

pain control. B/c if I didn't take it my pain would be at a 10, and is still

that at alot of times, even when I am taking it. I have noticed that I get

irritable sometimes an unfortunate side effect but from the pain also. I have

been to a Dr. who made me feel like he thought I was wanting him to prescribe

pain med. and that I shouldn't be taking it. But b/c prescription meds are

being taken not as prescribed and by addicts, I can see why he might feel that

way towards a person. If you have noticed the commercial for teens getting into

their parent's medicine cabinet; it is sad!

On the other hand, to be treated as that type of person when you aren't one,

is rude and totally uncalled for (speaking of my experience with the Dr). That

is why I have stayed away from Vicoden and Oxycodone and some others. I use

Darvon and Norflex for my pain for years now. I hate that I have to take them

every day, but if I didn't I wouldn't be able to keep the pain tolerable. I do

hope to get off them some day, and know that it is not good for my liver.

Anyways, this is my 2 cents on it, and I understand why the article was posted.

I hated to hear about the man's struggle with addiction and SM. But it sounds

like he is doing better now. It is good for us to remember that these meds can

become addictive and to use caution when taking them.

Best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Yes, for some Painkillers are needed and neccessary although No Dr. was willing

to prescribe me anything stronger than Tramadol!! Dr.s from TCI after surgery

prescribed lower dosage of Dilaudid for me temporarily. Tramadol caused me

severe insomnia and anxiety!!! Have dx's of ACM 0, Small Thorasic SM, Small

permanent cervical cord lesion from prolonged serious compression of cord from

multiple C disc herniations and spondylosis, ongoing multiple C, T, L disc

herniations, Sacral Spine Injury, Defect, Costochondritis, Fibromyalgia,

possible TCS, possible diffuse Arachnoiditis, etc.!!! All I am prescribed for

all these incurable, horrid neurospinal sensory pain causing dx's is low doses

of amiltriptiline and baclofen. I very seldom take Ibuprophen anymore as NSAIDS

according to the APF, American Pain Foundation Overall are far more Life/Health

Threatening for Us Geniune Chronic Pain Sufferers!!! So although True Drug

Addicts who are very Mentally ill and Self Absorbed only

looking for a Fix/High and sometimes Overdose Killing themselves, Well They Are

Completely Unlike Us Life Time Geniune Chronic Pain Sufferers Deserving Of

Whatever It Takes To Decrease Our Agony And Improve The Quality Of Our

Worthwhile Lives!!! Hope All Find Safe Relief From Pain And Suffering!!!

Melana from PA