New to Group and Med/Work Questions/Poll (BuTrans)

[Guest guest]

Hi all!

I am new to the group, except I did post one message about coping with

irritability from meds.

My name is and I live in SC. I have had scoliosis since I was a

teen with 1 surgery then which fused 9 thoracic vertabrae...then 4

full-length back surgeries (fusion from T2-Sacrum1)since 2000, which

left me with constant pain. I have had extreme difficulty believing that

I am not going to get better and can't " function " . I've been working as

a real estate agent when I can, but don't do very many deals a year, so

it is more like a hobby than a job. I could try harder when my pain

permits but I fear not being able to handle the work I solicit. I

recently got an agreement from a couple of the people in the office that

they would cover for me if I can't handle the work I pull in. I may do

that. I've wanted a " real job " ...you know, full-time, decent pay, and a

purpose.

I have a BS degree in Industrial Engineering, but its been so

long since I worked in the field that I am not really hiring potential,

and certainly not just part-time, which is all I think I can handle.

Sooo, I guess " normal, full-time, functioning " isn't going to ever

happen. I am in the process of coming to terms with a different

definition of " normal " , which for me varies somewhat daily.

I am very sensitive to meds and have tried many things, under the care

of a Pain Management Doc. since starting with him in 2002 or so. Most of

them make me very jittery, nervous, and irritable. So I take Klonopin

for the anxiety that the med causes. I drink caffeine for the drowsiness

that the Klonopin and the pain med give me. I am fatigued very easily.

Lying down is the only way to relieve my pain and recharge. I cannot sit

long without paying a huge price, 2 hrs max. Standing is better but I

require rest every hour or so. 4 hrs is about as long as I should work

at one time. 5 hrs some days is manageable but not daily. The meds also

make me pretty foggy. I am currently on BuTrans patch (10 mcg/hr) which

seems to be the least fog-producing of all those I have tried. But when

I add even one Norco (10) to it, I am quite loopy. However, it isn't

nearly as mind-numbing as Percocet, for me. I haven't tried any of the

morphines. Do they make you as sleepy/dumb as others? The only other

long-acting narcotic I've tried is fentanyl and, over time, it depressed

my breathing enough that it was anywhere from bothersome to dangerous.

So, no more fentanyl. I even went down to the 12.5 smallest dose patch.

I am on disability SSDI, and I get some alimony since my divorce 2 yrs

ago. My family helped me pay off my house, so I am able to manage okay,

though I don't have any savings. I will be needing a car in the next few

years, so I am trying to save some when I can.

OK, to summarize, I am trying to cope with pain and live a " normal life "

and work somehow. I would like input from the group about how you manage

working with chronic pain. Some people seem to adjust to the med and be

able to function well. Not me, so far, anyway. I want to know your

secret! [] For instance, if your limitations are similar to mine,

what kind of work do you do? What kind of meds work for you? I know

some people are able to use Tramadol in the day while they work. It just

didn't work for me and it also make me want to explode from anxiety.

Plus I was loopy on it too.

Thanks for listening and I look forward to listening to your

suggestions! It is nice to be with folks who " get it " . You can't look at

me and tell I am in pain, so people think I am fine. That is another

humiliating subject, so I won't go there.