Re: Pain, and the treatment (or lack thereof) of it

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/22/00 6:45:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

shana@... writes:

<< Pain relief with chronic Pancreatitis, or any disease that causes a large

amount of pain, is something I am passionate about. Unfortunately, many,

many people are suffering in pain. For no good reason. Take my case. I am

on hydromorph contin, a long acting form of Dilaudid. Dilaudid is a drug 5

times stronger than morphine. It's the only thing right now that can be done

to control my pain. I did not want to go on opiates, I had to, to have any

quality of life beyond merely existing.>>

Hi Shana, I agree with you. It is the year 2000. With today's technology

there is absolutely no reason what so ever that any one should have to suffer

at all. But as you said, this is not a philosophy many accept or practice. I

was diagnosed 9/99 with Chronic. Pancreatitis. I now have continuous infusion

of MS04. I still need to take ACTIQ (oral transmucosal Fentanyl suckers). and

Oxyfast. The only one who does not give me grief, is of course my pain DR,

Dr. Lievertz in Indianapolis. I am forever grateful for his expertise. in

pain management.

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Yet every time I go to a doctors office, ER, clinic, except my own GP's

office and my pain doc's clinic, instead of just recognizing my extremely

painful, legitimate condition and treating me with empathy and respect, they

are accusing me of being a *Narcotic seeker* just because I have to take

opiates for chronic pain. I don't abuse them, I don't run out early, I don't

get a *high* or a *buzz* from them. I take them so I can have a life beyond

merely existing. They have no basis for treating me this way, yet they do,

because of the negative stigma attached to being on a narcotic medication,

and especially being a young person on narcotic medication.>>

I find that at least the receptionist and nurse who works in my pain doctor's

office understand the pain. But outside of that all the other doctor's I go

to blame the narcotics for all of my problems. SO far I can live with some of

the side effects of narcotics, some confusion, somewhat unstable gait, dry

mouth, constipation, and even the mitral valve prolaspe.

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<< But I realize I am one of the lucky one's, I am at least having my pain

treated. Many, many chronic Pancreatitis patients, and other people who deal

with chronic pain are denied medication that were designed by pharmaceutical

companies for the sole purpose of regarding pain. And what's the reason

given? They're addictive,

Well guess what. It's just not true! I've been doing research on people

with chronic pain who take narcotics and addiction. There have been research,

investigation done, and the general overall rate of people who use opiods for

legitimate chronic pain and get addicted is around 2%. Long acting narcotics

do not give peoples high. The reason being is that a steady amount of the

drug is being released into the system over 8 hours. Even regular drugs such

as Percocet or Demerol, when taken by people with legitimate pain will not

cause a *high* like the high that an addict seeks, because so much of the

pain medication is involved in just dulling the pain, and the person is

usually so grateful just for the pain relief they aren't concerned with how

the drug makes them feel otherwise. The big difference between people with

chronic pain who take narcotics, and addicts who take narcotics is this.

While we, the chronic pain patient, take opiates to improve our life and get

on with life, be able to interact with our family, and deal with real life,

addicts take them to get high, dull their problems, and largely avoid life.

>>>

I have tried to explain this to my family and friends and other patient's

family and friends. They just don't get it. They are used to drug seekers

lying, that is why they assume we are lying now. I just have to put up a

boundary and keep telling myself that that is their stuff, their issues, not

mine.

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<<Doctors are extremely undereducated about proper uses of these drugs, and

because of it people suffer. Unfairly. Unnecessarily>>

That is the right attitude to have. When I put up my boundary around doctors

who don't get it I say that there is simply a knowledge deficit. I try,

later, when the timing is more appropriate to educate them. Once, as I was

being wheeled into the Interventional Radiology room. I asked the doctor what

anesthesia he was going to give me before they put in a PICC line. When the

answer was, " We will just numb the site with Lidocaine, " I sat up on the

gurney and demanded versed and Fentanyl. I don't but the " it will be nothing

more than a bug bite..... " It took 20 minutes of me lecturing to him about

the fact it was the 2000. etc.,etc.,etc. I finally received appropriate

anesthesia.

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<< People think that dependent and addicted mean the same thing. they don't.

Here is a description of both: PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE .... ADDICTION ......>>

You did a good job defining these two. I printed it out and keep it in my

wallet when I think people should know the difference. Thanks

And also, thank you for the two web sites I am getting ready to check them

out.

Karyn