Actiq to

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My pain management doctor put me on Actiq 600mcg, and it helps some

with the pain, but it says to take no more than 4 in a 24 hour

period, and there is no way when having a big attack that only 4

will help with my pain.

But then I haven't had to use them much since I got them...the fates

decided that after a month of waiting for my insurance to approve

them, that I would not need them very often..which is a good thing

*s*

What I wanted to know is...do they make you violently ill? a few

hours after I've taken an Actiq, I have to run to the bathroom and

be very sick. The doctor told me that I shouldn't get sick from them

because they didn't hit the nerves as fast as Pain medicine through

an IV would, which is what causes one to be sick when they have pain

meds...but I do..worse so than when i'm given dilaudid IV in hospital

[Guest guest]

In reply to your question, I have never experienced any vomiting

with the Actiq, there have been times when I had nausea prior to

using them but I have never vomited.

I would like to " teach " about nausea, there is an area in the brain

called the " emetic zone " and this is where the actual sensation of

nausea and the vomiting reflex comes from. I was so intrigued by

this in nursing school that actual vomiting does not start in the

stomach. When for what ever reason that area in the brain is

stimulated either from virus', medication, or disease process that

cause irration to the stomach. Lets start with the medication

aspect, with narcotic meds they have a tendency to " touch " this area

in the brain and this causes a person to feel nausea, vomiting comes

from the signal sent from " emetic zone " and causes the muscles in

the stomach to contract. That is why most nausea medications come

from a drug class called anti-emetics, they decrease the ability of

this area to become stimulated ( the old standby phenergan is an

example) it is not selective enough to target this specific place

and can decrease the sensitive of the whole brain causing the

drowsiness that phenergan is known for. This is also what happens

when a patient recieves narcotic pain medication, it is a central

nervous system depressant and it can effect the " emetic zone " . It

has always amazed me that some people never have this happen and

others as soon as you give them any narcotic pain med will just

heave and heave and heave. The Actiq may be too strong of a drug for

you, or it might be wise to take something for nausea with the

consumption of the Actiq. I hope this helps you to understand why

the Actiq makes you feel nausea. Feel free to ask anytime.

Atwell LPN