Help! There has to be another way! please advise

[roknmomcom]

I started getting totally dehabilitating. Migraines when I was 7. But only occasionally. I lived in a hell of a marriage that rendered me a shell of the person I used to be. During this time and especially after my last childzm I started getting crippling migraine attacks that put me down when I couldn't afford to be down. We tried EVERYTHING over the years! I mean it! Everything! Natural remedies as well. Percocets were the only thing that took the edge off . I also starting suffering a degenerative kidney disorder in my mid 20s. By the time we caught it, one kidney was distroyed. But now I am out of the hell marriage, working hard, trying to finissh my degree and I have beautiful children.I used take 10 mg several times a day but since being out of that enviornment, I've been able to back down to 6 or 7 at the most 5 mg a day. I can't take vicoden or anything  like it because I puke and passout. No OTC touches the painbut I know these meds will kill me faster and I HATE they way they make me feel! I've managed not tto allow myselff to go up on dosages or mg. I could call and get a refill tomorrow but just don't want too! I really don't! NO ONE AEVEN KNOWS IT IS AN ISSUE CUSE I'VE NEVER TAKEN THEM TO GET BLISTARD. So this is it.  Don't have insurance and I'm on me own. I'm strong but how strong. No one including myself likees my mood swings when I'm in constant pain either. What surprises me is typically if I have a couple days I run out, side effcts are minumal. But right now I am about 10 hours in and can't stay off the toilet & hearts pounding

[roknmomcom]

Didn't get to speak w doc today but he knows how I hate chemicals! I have severe reactions to most and thank God for it. Even the perks, I can't. Take too many. I deff finish my script two to three days before I can get another one though. So today was the day to get the script as it is fillable Monday. I set an appt to see him next week and talk about my plan and see what he thinks. My dr is tthe most compassionate man ive ever met. And I do know u r right, he would be extremely upset if he knew I was trying to just cold turkey it. Especially with the pain I live with. Its enough pain to make a person crawl in a whole and die. And sometimes I think ii will. So I called and had the nurse ask the dr to drop my script strength in half. That will limit me to three a day which ill actually hold back some for the migraines that would otherwise put me down. U wouldn't believe what pain I can endure and still work and function! Its amazing. But idk how much more I can push myself. Either way I'm out till Monday. Took a nerotin and advil and prayed

[roknmomcom]

Didn't get to speak w doc today but he knows how I hate chemicals! I have severe reactions to most and thank God for it. Even the perks, I can't. Take too many. I deff finish my script two to three days before I can get another one though. So today was the day to get the script as it is fillable Monday. I set an appt to see him next week and talk about my plan and see what he thinks. My dr is tthe most compassionate man ive ever met. And I do know u r right, he would be extremely upset if he knew I was trying to just cold turkey it. Especially with the pain I live with. Its enough pain to make a person crawl in a whole and die. And sometimes I think ii will. So I called and had the nurse ask the dr to drop my script strength in half. That will limit me to three a day which ill actually hold back some for the migraines that would otherwise put me down. U wouldn't believe what pain I can endure and still work and function! Its amazing. But idk how much more I can push myself. Either way I'm out till Monday. Took a nerotin and advil and prayed

[BarbRTR]

My son has serious migraines. There are new treatments.. He's getting Botox injections. Weird yes.. But working.
( it's a new treatment for them)

We had other options presented too. Has your dr offered anything like this?

[LeaAnn807]

I would absolutely go to the doc for a taper plan if you have the discipline to do it or if you have help.  (Like someone giving you your daily pills at the right times) I could never taper.  I didn't have it in me!  If I had pills, I took them.  Simple as that.  I would also be very careful with fioricet if that's what you're talking about.  It's highly addictive and can't be stopped cold turkey.  It has to be weaned over a lot of months just to get you off of it!

[atthebeach]

you were taking 5,6 or 7 percocets a day. do you have the discipline it takes to taper yourself off? if the answer is yes then try that. if you were most days taking 5 then stick with that for a week or so and then go down slowly from there.
opiates can definitely make any pain worse it is called hyperalgesia.
it would probably be best if you tapered.
can you go to the doctor and get a taper plan?

[roknmomcom]

My head will blow. The attacks are frequent and hard today. I am wonering with this much pain if I shouldn't have the dr wing me down to fewer and fewr where I have an allowance and the slowley put the bupap back in which is way milder. But doesn't work worth a damn. Uugh years of the same crap and no answers. Just keep hearing "some people are like this and nothing works!" My God really? I don't want to keep taking meds! Not even bp meds but not one alternative has worked!

[gettingoff]

I agree with LeaAnn. It helps to see your doctor or seek out one if you can. Hopefully someone you can trust and is empathetic. I am so sorry about your debilitating migraines!! Sounds seriously nightmarish!

The pills may have helped before so don't beat yourself up about taking them then but if they are making you suffer even more, getting off of it completley will make you feel way better in the long run. Pain + being addicted to pills = hell.

I am trying to get off of my prescribed meds right now and it is a constant battle but staying as strong as I can as I know that this is the kindness we owe to ourselves. My body has been good to me even with all my injuries etc. I need to take care of me! You can too! Think how far you have come getting out of you difficult marriage.

The best of everything to you!

[LeaAnn807]

Hey!  I understand you dilemma, but stopping the pills and starting something non narcotic is the only answer.  If you want to be off the pills permanently, you have to be determined that no matter how bad the pain is, you won't take a narcotic for it.  The other problem that a lot of us ran into is that the pills can actually end up making the pain worse.  Plus, there's rebound pain when you do NOT take them.  We end up in pain constantly and don't know why!  We take more pills, thus making the pain worse and making it stick around.  You have to break that cycle right now.  

The best thing you can do is talk to a professional.  You have blood pressure and kidney issues, so going cold turkey without speaking with a doc is a bad idea.  You don't wanna do that.  The doc may say it's fine, but you need to talk to one to be sure.  They may want to give you some meds to help with the symptoms and keep you safe.  BP and heart rate go up during WDs.  You don't need to take a chance with your kidneys.

Just run it by a doctor, ok? :)

[roknmomcom]

Oh ok lol I get it now. I'm up and getting ready for work. Putting one foot in front of the other. I feel like crap yet something feels better. Of course I haven't had my morning migraine attack yet so ........it s gonna get rough for sure

[littlebit667]

sorry for confusion!  opiate trots are diarrhea that is typically caused by opiate withdrawal.  The opiates bind the bowel up a bit.  So when you remove the opiates..you remove the binding and the diarrhea starts.

[roknmomcom]

Thx mee. Yes I have tried all those things. Been doing cold frozen wet clothes and dark tromms for years but I have to function as a mother and work etc.... and yeah I've tried it all. But at this pointt I'm going to HAVE to deal wiith it. I just can't believe the runs kicked in this damn fast!

[roknmomcom]

Thanks for ur advise and good wishes. What are trots?...as to the pain, it horrible and way out of control before the percs. I went two years with an unbreakable migrain! I thought well its got tostop...then I met a man when they put me in the hospital. He had a migrain everyday for TWENTY YEARS! I almost died when he told me that. I was just thinking I should back off my bp meds while doing this. Ii feel its low instead of its natural high marks. I don't know how, but I gotta try resting cause I CAN NOT amiss wotk!
Thx again! I hope I can vent and go thru this with like people......all of this and I don't even get euphoria w/ the meds! They should warn more about this stuff. But I know it was given due being out of options

[meegWpaw]

Hey roknmom.  I get migraines and the bad ones are pretty horrific but I'm not sure they are as bad as yours sound like.  Im sure you've tried it but I take Imitrex for mine ... the dr says the 50mg work as well as the 100s but I disagree, when I had the 100s they were definitely better .... I know you've tried ice and darkness, but remember to do that if you don't.  I'm certain you know all this if you've been around the migraine block.  I used to take Vicodin for my migraines, although that was not the primary reason i took them.  I understand what you mean about Percs taking the edge off because the vicodin did help my migraines.  I haven't been clean for that long and I still get a lot of migraines but I do think that taking narcotics eventually exacerbated my migraine pain.  So it makes sense that they might ease up or change in pattern if you can sustain going off of them.  Idk, and i certainly don't have the knowledge to give you authoritative advice in this realm ... but maybe some of what i've said can be of some help?  Feel free to pm me if you want to talk about migraines or anything.  Stick with it!  It's hard but you can do it and it's worth it!!!!

[littlebit667]

First get some imodium and stop the runs.  It is part of the withdrawal.  Get your blood pressure checked as withdrawals can cause blood pressure fluctuations.  Dehydration from the opiate trots can cause problems as well.  Try to stay hydrated...gatorade, carnation instant breakfast, boost..whatever you can get down to keep you hydrated.  Dehydration can make it worse.  

I wish I could help with your pain issue..I am hoping someone will come along to help with that.  I do know that the body can and will manufacture pain to get you back on the pills and often people say that once they are off of them about a month or so they an then tell where their true pain levels are and then start to find ways to help.  Keep checking back...I am sure you will get help. It is late right now and you may get more responses in the morning.