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MedHelp Member's Question

Long Term Pain Killers

by TOMY, Jan 09, 2000 12:00AM
I have had three major surgeries in the last 4 years.  One knee recopnstruction, a cervical fusion (C5/6) and most recently a lumbar fusion (l5-S1).  Needless to say, I have been on pain medication for about a year -  straight - since my last surgery (lumbar fusion).  I do have intense pain and don't tink I am just taking them just for the fun of it.



I am under the care of a pain specilist and take approximatel 5 Lortab 10/500 per day, as well as 6 or so Soma 350 per day.  Sometimes, however, I take double the amount of medication I should.  Usually this is because my initial doses don't work, or I'm afraid the pain will come back.



My pain is severe, and I have had a number of tests (CT, MRI, surgery, etc...) to determine the auses.  Sometimes I am unable to even function with the most basic tasks because of the pain.  Turns out that I have degenerative disk disease.  I would like to think that I'm taking these medications because I need them, but am I wondering if I am just fooling myself and just supporting an addiction.  Also, should I request something stronger, such as Oxycontin or MS Contin from my doctor?



Thanks



What is your opinion?
Member Comments (24)

by Karen, Jan 16, 2000 12:00AM
Tomy,

I have been on Oxycontin for about a year for back pain associated with scoliosis.  For me it has worked beautifully.  I take 40 mg. 3X per day.  The doctor started me on 20 mgs. and moved me up from there.  Your body does become accustomed to the drug, so there are withdrawals if you stop abruptly, but the pain and effective management of it is more important to me.  Discuss your concerns with your doctor.  Oxycontin doesn't work for everyone, but it has made a huge difference in my life.  Good luck!

by tracy, Jan 25, 2000 12:00AM
I have been on 240 Mg of oxycontin for about 4 years, and although it has been a godsend, makes me functional, where i wasn't before, I also got into the same predicament as yoou. I started taking more than prescribed and at the end of the month, had severe and i mean severe withdrawals.  If you do decide to take oxycontin, take it as prescribed so you don't run out early. I'll tell you, the withdrawals alone, but especially on top of the pain, is worse than anything you could go through. Not that i would do it, but i totally understand why people rob, kill, and steal to get narcs. when they are withdrawing, it is awful and you will do anything to stop it.  JUST take it AS PRESCRIBED please!!!!

by Soma????????, Feb 04, 2000 12:00AM
I just wanted to let you know my experience with Soma. First of all I personally think this drug should have a huge lable warning on it saying deadly!!!!! If you look up the definition of Soma it is a highly addictive traqulizer that metablizes in your body. I was taking about 4 a day then desided to quit cold turky. About 12 hours after I flushed the stuff I was on the couch not able to move because my body was stiff as a board. My neck muscles to my leg muscles were hardened up. My eyes were dilated to full blackness and my whole body was vibrating from my hart that was going about 200 thousand miles an hour. This lasted about 48 hours. I was sure I was going to die. My hart was so sore from going so fast and nothing helped. I was taking 6 sleeping pills every 4 hours and stayed fulling awake and wired!! It has now been 3 weeks and I get maybe 3 hours of sleep a night with alot of benadryl. I also know this couple that every body refers to as Soma heads. They are descusting!!! They will do anything for the stuff. I think Soma is EVIL and you should get off of it ASAP!! Since I have quit I have heard some horror storys of Soma's power.  Good luck to you.

by Sam, Feb 12, 2000 12:00AM
Isn't there some energy herbs that can help with the lack of energy problem???

by Frank in CT., Mar 14, 2000 12:00AM
Hello to all, im also an oxycontin patient, ( 50mg 3x daily ) and ive had wonderful result's. BUT as an earlier posting said----- be very careful on NOT over doing it! ive had 2 major back operation's, knee surgery, 1 ankle reconstruction, chest surgery, abdominal surgery, 2 eye operation's, and numerious other procedure's ( invasive procedure's )   and the pain from all of these surgerie's is NOTHING compared to the widthdrawal effect's if you run out too soon! no-matter what the doctor put's you on, your system ( body ) will get used to it, it cannot be helped, but if you have a good doctor he will realize this and adjust your med's accordingly, either with supplimental breakthrough med's or switching you to a higher dose, in my personal experience, instead of talking my 50mg 3x daily, I take 40mg 3x daily and  at the end of the day I take the last 30mg dose. This way if I feel i  need the extra dose im not hurting myself by using extra. It's such a complex delima,for us chronic  pain sufferer's im on so many different med's that when I go to my pharmacy I feel almost guilty ( like a dope addict ) but what the hell can you or i do about it....( nothing at all ) but do the best we can, i wish you well...Frank in CT.

by Lady Jay, May 04, 2000 12:00AM
I take MS-Contin.  There was a time when I took double the amount I take now.  It was all legal.  After my craniotomy... I kicked half out of my life.  I still use the other half to make my life bearable.  I agree that Soma is deadly.  So is Baclofen, which unfortunately, I still have to take.  I cut its dose in half also.  I have never been so messed up in my life just reducing.  There were episodes where my arms and legs jumped on their own.  Spasms like you wouldn't believe.  Kicking the MS-Contin gave me the pukes, diarreha, heart palpitations and crying spells.  The Baclofen is a ******* drug to try and get off of, like Soma.  Misery loves company.  I took a lot of Ritalin just to stay awake and focused.  Kicking it was the worst.  I had to do it last and I had to reduce as quickly as humanly possible or else speed my way into hell.  I kicked it though... through all the tears, shakes, racing heart, rapid breathing and constant dates riding the porcelain bus puking or the other, I kicked it.  So please... TAKE AS DIRECTED, if you don't... you are illegal unless the doc perscribes more.  Even if he/she did... you gotta kick some of it sometime and that, my friend, ain't fun.

by June, May 07, 2000 12:00AM
Hi there Tomy,



I feel for you, you sound like you have and are still suffering, I hope the pain does one day eleviate.



I am getting somewhat concerned about my pain killers, they are Zydol SR 100.  I originally took them because I had a frozen shoulder.  Heavens, I have never known such pain, in fact it was one of the most painful things I have known.  Frozen shoulder sounds such a mild illness, yet it affected initially my whole body.  It was like having a broken bone ( I know this feeling as I have had a compound break on my legs), but with this frozen should it seemed to have secondary pain.  I could not do any of the things I take for granted, no injections, tried many tablets but none seemed to enable me to get around.  



Eventually my doctor put me on Zydol SR 100, slow releasing.  It was like a dream come true, I had the pain, but nothing like it was before, and I could go back to work (with a struggle).



But now the problem is that this begun in 1998 and I seem to be addicted to these drugs, if I am late in taking them I feel like a woman of 75 years old.  Being only 46 this is awful.  I have pains in every joint