Guest guest Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Mike, I'm not trying to offend you, but I would like to point out something that we were told by a very experienced Pain Management Doctor at the University of Indiana at the PAI 2003 Symposium. This PM doctor said that if the patient was on the correct type and dosage of pain medication to treat their pain, that increases in dosage over long periods of time would NOT be necessary. In other words, hypothethically, if the patient's pain level was a 6, and 10 mgs. of Oxycontin taken every 12 hours caused sufficient relief for that person, that the patient could continue on this same dosage forever. It's only when the patient's pain levels increase, that an increase in the drug dosage is neccessary. He said that it was a myth that patients would build up a tolerance to the medication and need an increase....IF the correct dosage and type is used for the correct pain level. Of course, we have all found that certain medications work better for us than others, and what works best for me, may not work for you half as well. I'd have to say that I agree with this doctor's assessment, since I've been on the same dosage of duragesic for 12 months and have not needed an increase. In fact, right now I'm cutting down by 25 mgs., and that's been successful. The only reason I increased my dosage a year ago was because I was experiencing much higher levels of pain. Knowing whether this was true was a concern for me, because I was wondering what would happen in the future. I was on 75 mgs., did that mean that in ten years I need 500 mgs. to treat the same level of pain? So I brought the subject up again with the Pancreatologist that I had an appointment with at the Mayo Clinic in ville last October. I asked if it were true that if the dosage was correct for the pain level would I be able to stay on the same dosage forever, or would I build up a tolerance to the mediction and need an increase? I also asked if it would harm me to have to stay on the duragesic patch for the rest of my life. The doctor told me that what I'd been told in Indianapolis was true - if the dosage is correct for the level of pain, then no adjustments would be necessary. He said that what the problem was, was that many doctors are afraid of the FDA restrictions on prescribing, or of over-medicating, or they don't understand the medications well enough to know the correct amounts to use, so they have a tendency to under-medicate their patients. And that by doing so, the patients were repeatedly requiring higher doses just to reach a functioning level. His answer to my second question concerning whether it would harm me to have to use a duragesic for the rest of my life was NO. He said that as long as I had the pain at a level where it was that day, it would cause me more physical and emotional harm to NOT to be properly medicated, and that I could stay on the patches for the rest of my life, if nececessary, without harm. You're probably asking yourself, that if all this is true, then why is she sitting here telling me that she's in the process of cutting back on her meds? Why bother, if she's not afraid of building up tolerance, or of long term harm? The reason I'm doing this now is two-fold. First of all, I haven't been experiencing the higher levels of pain these past few months that I was a year ago, so I don't feel that I need as much medication. Secondly, if I can get my pain medication down to a minimum dosage amount, when I DO have another acute attack, I'll have a lot of leeway and be able to use much lower amounts to get relief. This way a lot less will do a lot more. Thanks for letting me explain my thoughts on this. You don't have to agree with me, okay? We can still be friends and have different opinions....lol! I just wanted to explain to you, and to the others, what I learned at last year's Symposium, especially since we've had so much discussion this week on pain medications. BTW, as you just saw, I love to talk and ramble on just as much as you do! In the past, when it was just me and my pre-school grandson here alone all day and all night four days a week, I would practically drive my husband out of the house that first night he got home, with non-stop chatter! If you're the one home with your children all day long now, man.....I know what you're talking about! It was so bad that I was carrying on such long conversations with the telemarketer's that they'd making excuses to get off the phone and once they did, they'd NEVER call our number back! :-) With love, hope and prayers, Heidi Heidi H. Griffeth Bluffton, SC South Carolina State Rep. South Eastern Regional Rep., PAI http://www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html Note: All comments or advice are from personal experiences or opinion only, and should not be a substitute for consultation with your medical professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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