Heidi and new prescription

[Guest guest]

Hello Heidi,

I do hope you find the Viokase helpful. It's good that you have a

doc who recognises that you are well able to take the new pain-

killers sensibly. Mind you, if he didn't recognise that in YOU,

Heidi, I don't think he'd be sufficiently intelligent and perceptive

to be a doctor at all!! He'd be BOUND to recognise a highly

discplined and " compliant " patient. (From my research reading I have

discovered that this is the term docs use about patients in relation

to how well they follow doctor's orders! " Non-compliance " is the

number one reason for failure to respond well to treatment.....ie.

the patient has failed to follow out the doc's instructions on diet,

lifestyle, meds etc.)

BTW, do you know if " codeine " is a generic name, as I thought? Is it

called " codeine " in the US? I ask because I'm not sure I've seen it

mentioned as a pain-killer by anyone else on the borad, unless it is

present in some preparations which are referred to by their brand

name rather than the generic term for the drug. I can get codeine

(with paracetamol, soluble/effervescent) under the brand names " Co-

codamol " , " Paracodal " and " Solpadol " , to name but three.

Hope your new meds works out well. Take care,

Fliss

[Guest guest]

Dear Fliss,

Yes, I am a very compliant patient, or at least I try to be! My Endo

wanted to do yet another CT-scan on me three weeks ago,

though, and I wouldn't do it. He said he thought my right lung

sounded a little " raspy " . I explained to him that I have already

had three x-rays of my lungs just within the last eight months,

and every one of them was perfectly clear. I just couldn't justify

the expense of yet another CT-scan. I had my next doctor check

me four days later and he could not find any " raspy " sounds then,

nor did he yesterday. So I imagine my Endo isn't going to be

pleased to find out that I canceled the CT-scan. After having so

many scans done in just the past two years, and so many other

expensive diagnostic procedures, I don't want to add any more

expensive tests to my insurance unless they are absolutely

necessary.

Codeine is the name for codeine phosphate, which is an opium

alkaloid. My pharmeutical sites don't show it under any other

name or brand name. It doesn't appear to be used in the States

very often as a singular medication, but one that is used in

combination with another analgesic. For example, you can get

Tylenol with codeine here by prescription, or Tylenol alone OTC.

Codeine is a Schedule II narcotic, though, and the site says that

120 mgs. of codeine phosphate would have the same response

as 10 mgs. of morphine. I haven't heard of it being used over

here as a pancreatic pain med, and haven't heard of the three

medications that you mentioned. I'm glad that you've been given

something that helps you.

I am still " testing " mine. We may have to do some tweaking

before the right combination of both sustained release and fast

acting meds are found. I am still using the duragesic patch, too.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.

Fliss wrote:

> BTW, do you know if " codeine " is a generic name, as I thought?

Is it called " codeine " in the US? I ask because I'm not sure I've

seen it mentioned as a pain-killer by anyone else on the borad,

unless it is present in some preparations which are referred to

by their brand name rather than the generic term for the drug.