A Story For She_Remembers -

[Guest guest]

Your story about your doc reminded me of something. I was diagnosed with

arthritis about ten years ago. I was seeing a doc who kept prescribing

opioid pain relievers. I went into his office on one visit and told him I

didn't like the idea of taking those drugs.

He looked at me and said, " Get used to it. You will be on them for the rest

of your life. " Kinda hit me between the eyes back then. But truer words were

never spoken. Not one of us here actually likes taking these meds.

Best Regards,

Jerry/NC

[Guest guest]

Oh I know...if I could get off of all of these drugs tomorrow and

wake up from this nightmare I've been living for over a year now I

would do it in a heart beat!! Unfortunately, it's a vicious cycle

and I sometimes think that in people with SOD (in fact I now KNOW

that a way they've used to diagnose people with SOD was to give them

morphine) it REALLY is a vicious cycle. In that I mean that I

sometimes wonder if the opioids CAUSE the sphincter to spasm, so

more pain meds, more spasms, and on and on and on. A fact that this

actually happened to me when my PCP was trying to administer my meds

and although no fault of his own really gave me morphine. I took it

for maybe 3 days and then whammo!! The worst attack I think I've

ever had!!) I believe there is a paper written by Dr. Glen Lehman

on this topic or it may be one of his peers at IU. At any rate, he

is the one that told me to get off of the morphine because of

this!! In conjunction with the pain meds I also take an anti-

spasmodic called Levbid. That helps sometimes more than the pain

meds do.

But, yes....I'm sure there's not one of us that actually LIKES to be

on the drugs especially if offered the alternative.

> Your story about your doc reminded me of something. I was

diagnosed with

> arthritis about ten years ago. I was seeing a doc who kept

prescribing

> opioid pain relievers. I went into his office on one visit and

told him I

> didn't like the idea of taking those drugs.

>

> He looked at me and said, " Get used to it. You will be on them for

the rest

> of your life. " Kinda hit me between the eyes back then. But truer

words were

> never spoken. Not one of us here actually likes taking these meds.

>

> Best Regards,

>

> Jerry/NC

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

A big drawback for morphine, and the reason I won't take it, is because

morphine will cause the Sphincter of Oddi to go into spasm. I can't prove

it, but I think it sometimes makes my pancreatic ducts to go into spasm too.

So if you have SOD, morphine is probably NOT a good idea. Keep in mind

though that some people take without a problem. It all depends on the old

bod. Some bods can handle it. Some bods can't.

How long have you been on Levbid? If you don't mind me asking, who

prescribed it? Does it usually work for you, or is it a hit-or-miss type

thing?

Thanks,

Jerry/NC

****************************************

>

> Oh I know...if I could get off of all of these drugs tomorrow and

> wake up from this nightmare I've been living for over a year now I

> would do it in a heart beat!! Unfortunately, it's a vicious cycle

> and I sometimes think that in people with SOD (in fact I now KNOW

> that a way they've used to diagnose people with SOD was to give them

> morphine) it REALLY is a vicious cycle. In that I mean that I

> sometimes wonder if the opioids CAUSE the sphincter to spasm, so

> more pain meds, more spasms, and on and on and on. A fact that this

> actually happened to me when my PCP was trying to administer my meds

> and although no fault of his own really gave me morphine. I took it

> for maybe 3 days and then whammo!! The worst attack I think I've

> ever had!!) I believe there is a paper written by Dr. Glen Lehman

> on this topic or it may be one of his peers at IU. At any rate, he

> is the one that told me to get off of the morphine because of

> this!! In conjunction with the pain meds I also take an anti-

> spasmodic called Levbid. That helps sometimes more than the pain

> meds do.

>

> But, yes....I'm sure there's not one of us that actually LIKES to be

> on the drugs especially if offered the alternative.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerry: Yes, I knew I'd seen something regarding contraindication

for morphine use in patients who have SOD. That is the reason that

I stopped taking it as well. I had an absolutely AWFUL attack after

taking morphine for a day or two...but as Sandy pointed out she has

SOD and takes morphinie w/o any problems whatsoever. So, as I said

to her, that is the nature of this ugly illness.

As to the Levbid it was actually prescribed initially by the second

in my now list of approximately 6 GI docs that I've seen and haven't

liked or respected any of them with the exception of Dr Lehman and

oddly enough by this doctor that prescribed the Levbid. He at least

initially told me that he would do his best to " think out of the

box " as I had requested on my sign in sheet and that I DO thank him

for. I didn't 'think it did much when I first started taking it so

I sort of discontinued it myself and since this particular doctor

had sent me up on a referral to a doctor in Boston I never saw him

again and it's now my PCP that prescribes it for me.

Ok, whew!! To actually answer your question....YES, I DO think it

works but you have to take it early on in the pain cycle basically

at the first twinge for it to do anything at least that has been my

experience with it. Funny thing is is that this particular doctor

also prescribed Lipram (Creon enzymes) at the same time and I didn't

think they worked much then and I discontinued them as well. Both

until just lately and now I think they are both helping me to a

degree.

The only drawback is that since it's an antispasmodic that it will

also cause you to (well, I sit and presumably you stand when

urinating, LOL!!) to have to wait longer than normal to actually get

the " flow " started because it inhibits that response as well.

Worth a shot though I think.

> >

> > Oh I know...if I could get off of all of these drugs tomorrow and

> > wake up from this nightmare I've been living for over a year now

I

> > would do it in a heart beat!! Unfortunately, it's a vicious cycle

> > and I sometimes think that in people with SOD (in fact I now KNOW

> > that a way they've used to diagnose people with SOD was to give

them

> > morphine) it REALLY is a vicious cycle. In that I mean that I

> > sometimes wonder if the opioids CAUSE the sphincter to spasm, so

> > more pain meds, more spasms, and on and on and on. A fact that

this

> > actually happened to me when my PCP was trying to administer my

meds

> > and although no fault of his own really gave me morphine. I took

it

> > for maybe 3 days and then whammo!! The worst attack I think I've

> > ever had!!) I believe there is a paper written by Dr. Glen Lehman

> > on this topic or it may be one of his peers at IU. At any rate,

he

> > is the one that told me to get off of the morphine because of

> > this!! In conjunction with the pain meds I also take an anti-

> > spasmodic called Levbid. That helps sometimes more than the pain

> > meds do.

> >

> > But, yes....I'm sure there's not one of us that actually LIKES

to be

> > on the drugs especially if offered the alternative.

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>