Re: Pain medications and more to Tom

[Guest guest]

Dear Tom,

I'm anxious to hear how the appointment with your GI went this

morning. Although the location and the nature of the pain you

describe sounds suspiciously familiar to many, perhaps you will

receive better news. My pain is always in the mid abdomen and

on the left side, as this is where my little buddies are

(pseudocysts), on occasion I have that right sided pain, exactly

as you describe it.

As for that cysts on your right kidney, I have one also, yet I hope

you were advised as I was that this is quite common for many

folks, and nothing to do or worry about.

Fortunately, high pain levels do not seem to affect my blood

glucose levels......thank heavens! Being brittle, there's enough

wild swings from low to high and back again to keep me on my

toes often enough. As it is, I have to test a minimum of 8 times a

day just to keep everything in control. At least if you know that

pain will bring on a rise, you can anticipate it and can make

corrections through your pump. Of course, I can make all those

corrections, too, but each one is another needle stick.....some

days I feel like a pin cushion!!

All my life I would turn my head away when I was given a shot or

had to have blood taken, I couldn't stand the sight of the

needle.......amazing how quickly diabetes can erase the fears of

a lifetime, now I'm sticking myself 8 times a day or more.

You asked about pain medications. When I was released from

the hospital after my first acute attack of pancreatitis, my GI

prescribed me hydrocodone, 5 mgs. to be taken every 6 hours

as needed for pain. I did use it for pain episodes and never

found that it masked symptoms of an acute attack. It would only

cover the day by day episodes of repetitive pain. Although I now

wear a 50 mg. duragesic patch daily and take 20 mgs. of

Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminaphen) for breakthrough pain,

these pain medications are still not enough to mask the pain I

experience during an acute attack. The purpose of good pain

management is to be taking enough medication to cover the

majority of your pain, but not so much that it would hide the pain

of an acute attack. I know that if I take my BT medication, and the

pain still persists, that it is time to go to the ER. But if I were to

go to the ER every time I had some significant pain, I'd be living

there!!!

After a few months of dealing with CP on a daily basis, one

learns their body, their symptoms and their pain well enough to

distinguish between a chronic episode and an acute attack. If

you weren't given any medication to cover you through the

chronic day by day pain, I do hope that you would discuss this

with your physician. With the correct dosage and type of pain

medication, you should be able to have relief from the pain, yet

still not be so over-medicated that it would mask an acute

episode.

I hope this information is helpful.

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 consultation with a medical professional.