Re: Risk of Loosing our Pain Management - Karyn

August 7, 2004

Karyn wrote:

< it make us real fearful to relinquish what we have, even if we really want to

try a lower protocol.

Karyn,

I can truly relate to this comment. Last month I approached my PM doctor

about decreasing my duragesic dosage to 50 mgs., feeling that I'd been

doing so well that maybe it was time to go down from the 75 mg. patch, and

continue reducing the dosage in time with the hope that I could get off the

narcotics all together for a while. Since I already had a month's worth of 75

mg. patches, he couldn't write a new script for 50's, so he told me inatead to

increase my wearing time from 48 hours to 72, to stretch it out that way and

see how I adjusted to having less coverage. As far as I'm concerned, the

experiement didn't work.

By wearing the patch for a full 72 hours, instead of the 48 that I'd been

accustomed to, I found that my Oxycodone requirements doubled, and now

I've run out of breakthrough meds a full four days short of the next

appointment. When I was on 75 mgs. with a change every 48 hours, I was

only using about 75% of the breakthrough meds alloted to me each month. I

gave it my best shot, but can see now that it just wasn't time yet to cut back.

Now that the month's trial is over, I'm afraid that the doc's going to want to

go

ahead and drop the strength down to 50 mgs., which I now know won't be

enough! I meet with him on Tuesday, let's hope that I can convince him that I

need to stay where I was and not drop the meds any further.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion

only, and should not be subsituted for consultation with a medical

professional.

Recommended Posts