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MedHelp Member's Question

Medication for Pain Management

by Salene, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
I am asking this for my grandmother who is 72 with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis.  She has lived with severe pain for as long as I can remember.  Her arthritis medicine helps but after years of taking it has about damaged her stomach completely (it's very hard on the stomach) and most pain meds don't phase her hurting.  Anyway, her doctor put her on Oxycontin 2 days ago after I begged her to ask him for it when I heard it was good for her kind of pain.  She could finally walk without her cane just after 2 hours of taking the first pill and was overjoyed to finally be pain free.  It was amazing!! BUT, she is highly allergic to Oxycontin.  She swelled up like a balloon soon after and itched like crazy all day and last night.  She is asthmatic and highly allergic to many medications and we never know which ones until she takes them.  Anyway, she cannot take Oxycontin anymore at all and is very discouraged about it since she is so tired of the pain and enjoyed her few hours yesterday of being able to get around the house.  Do any of you know of anything else that is used in pain management for this type of disease that would help her?  She is afraid now to ask for anything else but I want to find out if there is anything else she can take and try to get her to try something else again.  It hurts me to see her lying on the floor crying because she hurts so badly.  THANKS for any advice or help.

Salene
Member Comments (24)

by angst, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
Is she allergic to morphine?  MS Contin is morphine in a time released pill.  You can get morphine liquid for breakthrough pain.  From what I've heard Oxycontin is pretty strong, so do not be scared of the morphine.  Her histamine reaction could have been because of a too high dose.  Most opiates, at high doses, release histamine into the bloodstream which causes the swelling and itching.  But if she is truly allergic, the next dose of oxy could put her in anaphylactic shock.  So maybe it is safer for her at her age to stay away from oxycontin.

by tlk, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
People respond differently to different kinds of opiates. I get terribly itchy at high doses of codeine and even used to with vicodin, but that passed. She should discuss this with her doctor and tell him exactly what helped and what hurt. Instead of starting her on OxyContin they could try a shorter acting med that she can tolerate and gradually up the dose until she gets good relief. She should not have to suffer. My mother-in-law almost died from blood problems after using arthritis meds for years, because of the stomach problems. In that respect, I think opiates are actually much safer. They can find something for her. If the Oxy was good she can try percocet or OxyCodone (same drug but not long-acting like OxyContin) in smaller doses to get used to it, and try taking an anti-histamine with it to control the itching. Her doctor can help with this. Good luck. tlk

by GOD, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
To: Salene
That's too bad about the allergy to Oxycontin... there is, in fact, a viable alternative. the medication's generic name is tramadol Hcl and it is called Ultram in the United States. Ultram is touted to be as effective as morphine for pain relief, and Ultram is Non-Narcotic. However, and this is a BIG "however":  This particular drug is the most addicting drug I have ever tried. If your Grandmother is able to take Ultram, it is VERY CRUCIAL that she has enough to never run out! I was on a trip to Kansas city, and I ran out-- after about 18 hours without, I was experiencing full "balls to the wall" withdrawl symptoms. Needless to say, I ended up in the emergency room where I told the Doctors there that I was on Ultram. Even the ER Docs were shaking thier heads and telling me NOT to run out of my prescription. If you are going to STOP taking Ultram, you need to taper down your dose slowly just as you would have to for Narcotic Opium Derivatives or the whole Benzo. class of drugs.



I hope this helps you out!



Jess

by hippy, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
To: salene
when i had my operations i was allergic to the morphine so they gave me demarol  instead and it worked wonders

by tlk, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
Ultram can be effective but also dangerous. I had my first seizure on it and my doctor thinks that's what triggered it. Of course, that's just in my case. I didn't suffer withdrawal from it, however, but it did make me depressed. Just another option...

by Witchywoman, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
Ultram is a dangerous med to get started on, but if she is allergic to everything else, it may be a good option for her, as long as she is careful with it and doesn't run out, as others have said.



I had a script for Ultram once, and I when I brought it to the pharmacy to get filled, the pharmacist warned me to be careful, that once people get on it they never seem to be able to get off "it's worse than vicodin" he told me. I threw the script out after taking one. It made me feel very sick.



By the way...I just cancelled my aol account. I got sick to death of the spam email. So I now have a yahoo account, for anyone who wants to write me.

It is ***@****  (souldancer@yahoo was already taken by someone else...oi!)



Now I just have to remember to check the account! lol

love,

WW

by Salene, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
Thanks for all of your responses.  Strange because she has taken Ultram like m&ms for years with absolutely no relief.  She got off of them with no problem also.  I didn't realize they were that dangerous!   She has also taken percocet, demeral and darvocet like crazy.  2 darvocets do nothing for her pain.  She's been on Vicodin(sp?), Lortab, Oxycodone (which did nothing either) and some other kind....all of these for years and years trying to find something to ease the pain.  Doc finally tried the oxycontin and it's just a shame that she is allergic because it helped so bad.  We called the doc today and he said to wait 3 days and try taking the oxy again.. but she doesn't want to go through all that itching again.  

Well, we are going to give her a mepergan tonight. she's never taken that.  Thanks so much for your advice!  

Salene

by oh please already, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
i too have a form of ra and it sucks but i cant help putting my nose in here   first was your grandmother actully treated for an allergic reaction or does she feel she had one? many times people suffer from adverse reactions from drugs but those are undesriable side effects while begin allrgic is lifethreathing.  I question this because you say she took percocet,oxycodone and oxycotin are the same exact drug,just differt release mechanism-like tabets vs liqurd caps-one releases at different rate other then that same narcotic. so if she got releif from oxycotin and didnt have a problem with percocet she might of had advrse reaction not allergic,important for 2 reasons,1 if shes allergic she should have amedalert barlet because if she is ever in a addident and unable to speak 4 herself,she might be given this common drug,2nd-if oxycotin works well she might need a antihistimine and dose ajustment

by mrmichael67, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
I agree with Meagain.  One drug used for chronic pain which isn't known to cause much of (if any) of a histamine reaction is the Duragesic patch.  It is applied every 3 days (some people require every 2 day dosing) and is every bit as strong as Oxycontin when the proper dose is used.  I have personally been prescribed it and it does work nicely.  Ask her doctor to try it.

by mrmichael67, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
Here is a link for you to read and if you can print it, you can bring it to the doctor with you:  http://www.pharmacology2000.com/General/Pharmacokinetics/kinobj6.htm



Any information about the subject that you would want to read can be found by going to google and typing 'fentanyl histamine' and clicking 'google search'.  I hope this has been helpful for you.

by GOD, Apr 27, 2002 12:00AM
Huh............. Nobody's here at 2:30 in the morning!



Hey, Everybody: Have a great new day!



There is always tomorrow

by Francoise, Apr 27, 2002 12:00AM