Re: Pain Management Plans-Ellen

[Guest guest]

>ellen wrote:

> So, help me understand. If I am on Lortab, as needed and have oxycodone for

breakthrough pain, am I to understand that I should stay on Lortab all the time?

Ellen,

The minute the weather changed, I had a fibromylagia flare. I woke up freezing

and put on my sweats. I sleep with a heating pad and heats help me so much.

I finally got it settled down. My pain management doctor put me on an anti

inflammatory ETODOLAC and it really has helped.

So, I don't if you take anything like that but you could ask. Reaching for your

meds shouldn't be your last resort but taking medication allows your body to

fight off high pain levels.

It is human nature to do that to prove " we can take it " but I believe what they

say, " Take it before you get in a high pain cycle and it is harder to get out

of "

Staying on medications allows us to suppress the pain cycle, keep our serotonin

built up so we don't get depressed.

Breakthrough medication is the only one to manipulate. Lortab is given so you

brain pain signals are interrupted and suppress the pain.

Your pain management plan should be given to you, my pain management Doctors

always make sure I understand that and I am given a print out with my

instructions.

So if my Doctor would tell you Lortab is your primary pain medication and your

oxycodone is for breakthrough pain medication when your pain is increased,

Lyrica is in the class of " nerve pain " I call it as Lyrica, Neurontin, Topomax

are all used for the pain neurons and settling them down.

Someone posted Lyrica is really helping them and side effects are rare, I must

disagree and the manufacturer had to go back and add this Safety information

because the swelling of feet and hands, weight gain, and blurred vision, and

confused thinking are common. My Doctor said this when prescribing and actually

all three of my Doctors said this and my Pain Management does not prescribe it

because of this and more Doctors are hearing this. I agree it works and I will

take it up to three weeks but I can ten pounds in a week. It is not fluid weight

gain, it is more hormonal type, and is accumulative, the longer I took it the

worse it became. Below is from the manufactures website.

LYRICA is indicated to treat fibromyalgia, diabetic nerve pain, and pain after

shingles. LYRICA is also indicated to treat partial onset seizures in adults

with epilepsy who take 1 or more drugs for seizures.

Important Safety Information

LYRICA is not for everyone. LYRICA may cause serious, even life threatening,

allergic reactions. Stop taking LYRICA and call your doctor right away if you

have any signs of a serious allergic reaction. Some signs are swelling of your

face, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, throat or neck or if you have any trouble

breathing, or have a rash, hives or blisters.

Drugs used to treat seizures increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior.

LYRICA may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people,

about 1 in 500. Call your doctor right away if you have new or worsening

depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, or unusual changes in mood or

behavior. If you have suicidal thoughts or actions, do not stop LYRICA without

first talking to your doctor.

LYRICA may cause swelling of your hands, legs and feet, which can be serious for

people with heart problems. LYRICA may cause dizziness and sleepiness. You

should not drive or work with machines until you know how LYRICA affects you.

Also, tell your doctor right away about muscle pain or problems along with

feeling sick and feverish, or any changes in your eyesight including blurry

vision or if you have any kidney problems or get dialysis.

Some of the most common side effects of LYRICA are dizziness, blurry vision,

weight gain, sleepiness, trouble concentrating, swelling of your hands and feet,

dry mouth, and feeling " high. " If you have diabetes, tell your doctor about any

skin sores.

Cymbalta is an anti depressant which

Duloxetine is used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD;

excessive worry and tension that disrupts daily life and lasts for 6 months or

longer). Duloxetine is also used to treat pain and tingling caused by diabetic

neuropathy (damage to nerves that can develop in people who have diabetes) and

fibromyalgia (a long-lasting condition that may cause pain, muscle stiffness and

tenderness, tiredness, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep).

Duloxetine is also used to treat ongoing bone or muscle pain such as lower back

pain or osteoarthritis (joint pain or stiffness that may worsen over time).

Duloxetine is in a class of medications called selective serotonin and

norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). It works by increasing the amounts

of serotonin and norepinephrine, natural substances in the brain that help

maintain mental balance and stop the movement of pain signals in the brain.

Pain management Doctors prescribe a multi modal approach thus prescribing a

primary pain medication, a breakthrough medication, a pain medication for neural

pain, a anti-depressant keep serotonin levels up that is decreased by pain, then

muscle relaxants for those with spasms, and sleep medication to have sleep to

keep restorative sleep that assists fighting pain.

This is how it was explained to me and then of course the other medications you

take for other health problems, vitamins and supplements to offset nutritional

well being, and then the spiritual or psychological support that a body needs.

You have several issues from what you share: spinal disc problems causing disc

pain, osteoarthritis (another type of pain-inflammatorial). Your conditions do

not cause you pain as needed but hurt you there as they are there all the time

so you must take medication to offset that pain to function so you don't keep

your body at high pain level that keeps your body in heightened state and

damages organs.

No your Doctor is not wrong, He told you to take the opioid as prescribed and

that is what I would do as Cheryl says, everyday at the same time and then your

breakthrough at the first sign of pain, don't wait, you want to nip it in the

bud.

Don't subject your body to any more pain than it has too and I try to chose the

one with the least side effects. Let us know what you find out and how you are.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

Wow. I had no idea. I just go to bed and rest the pain away. I only lessen

it and sleep a lot. But, I'm also not moving enough.

I've been having a lot of neck pain. And I don't have my traction machine

with me. When I got the call about Daddy, I just threw stuff in a suitcase.

Nothing makes sense. Winter tops and shorts!

Ellen

Bennie wrote:

The minute the weather changed, I had a fibromylagia flare.