Kimmieb

[MissyJoelle]

Hi your post was long and I wanted to respond. I have been reading about how you are very concerned about going to the pain management doc because you don't want to get something too strong and have an addiction to them. I am concerned that the doc may try and give you oxycotin. Don't let him/her give you something stronger then you need. There is a pill called Norco. It is 10mg hydrocodone and 325mg of tylenol. Basically it is 2 pills of 5mg vicodin with less tylenol so it is better for your liver. Maybe ask about those and maybe you will be fine with taking 1 or 2 of those a day.

I took norco for a couple of years and it was great for pain. I would try and stay away from the percocets (oxy's) if you can because they are much more powerful and I don't want you to end up like me.

I need a BIG dose to keep pain away (fortunately I don't have daily pain. I was abusing my pain meds for the high they gave me even though I hardly ever got high). This past year my poison has been oxy's and the w/d's are very very painful. And because of my addiction problem I don't think I can ever have a pain pill again. And I am young so I am sure I have many things in the future that will require pain meds. Let's just hope I can stay injury and accident free for a year.

Keep us posted on how it goes at the pain management doc and don't let them tell you what you need to take. You don't have to agree to their plan.

And don't be ashamed about needing pain meds. Tons of people have real pain and need these drugs to function. Just stay on the lowest dose and take as prescribed. If you aren't getting relief before upping your dose talk to your doctor.

If you do that I am sure you will be fine. Remember pain meds are there for that reason "pain" because no one should have to suffer.

Please don't go down my path. I was given meds for pain but I was taking more then prescribed and that was how my downward spiral started.

Take care of yourself and good luck.

Btw what surgery did you have?  You mentioned not having hormones. I had both ovaries removed due to cysts so it sounds like maybe you had the same thing.

And do you take HRT?  I am 36 so it is ok for me to take hormones and they really help. I take madroxy (generic progesterone) and primarin (estrogen).

[kimmieb]

Hi!  Thanks so much for your post.  I think I needed to hear that.  I AM concerned about going to the pain mgmt doc.  I still don't know if I'm more afraid of him prescribing something too strong (so I get addicted to something else) or taking away my current meds.  Either way, I will go in there prepared.  I hear ya about the oxycontin.  I do NOT want to take that.  I will turn it down if he suggests it.  As far as oxy (i.e., percocet), I DID take that for about 5 days after my surgery (total hysterectomy, everything taken out, including both ovaries).  It did wonders for the pain.  I suppose if I continued with that, it would have become very easy for me to become addicted.  It's a good thing I had a doctor who was stingy with the pain meds.  There was no way she was going to give me more, even when I was in pain still from the surgery!!  Now, I don't know if that was a good thing at the time (I certainly wasn't happy with that), but in retrospect, it's a good thing.  Anyway, again, thanks for your response.  I really appreciated reading it.  You are about 10 years younger than I am.  Are you clean from everything now?  Are you still taking anything?  Is it for pain? (I'm sorry if you mentioned it and it went over my head.  I can't seem to keep people's stories straight in my head these days!)  I'll post more just a little later...   Thanks!!!

[kimmieb]

Ok, I'm back.  Sorry I had to end that last post so abruptly without addressing everything you were asking about....

Anyway, yes, I had a hysterectomy (total), and I'm taking estrogen replacement (very small dose, and I hope to stay that way).  I didn't want to take ANY, but the crying jags got the best of me, not to mention the hot flashes.  I got through the first two weeks after the surgery with no symptoms, and then they hit with a vengeance.  

I appreciate the info about the Norcos, too.  I currently take Lortabs (10/500), so maybe Norco would be a little better, seeing as it has less tylenol in one pill than the lortab.  I'm really worried though that my body has become quite tolerant to the lortabs.  It takes more now to get the same amount of pain relief.  

I'll be sure to stay away from the oxys (percs) if I can, and definitely will stay away from oxycotin.  I don't know what that doc will prescribe, but I guess I'll find out tomorrow.  I'm nervous about going though.

I hear you when you say don't up my dose of painkiller without first letting my doctor know that the prescribed dosage isn't working anymore.  I'm guilty of doing that -- just taking 2 at a time instead of one now -- so obviously I'm going to run out of the Rx earlier than I usually do.  I guess I should have called my neurologist before I started taking more.....but I knew I had this other appt. coming up.....so I wasn't as concerned as I probably would have been otherwise.  Good advice though.  It made me stop and think about what I've been doing with these pills lately.  I can see a downward spiral with them.

Anyway, what's your situation?  If you see this, please post back.  I'd love to hear it.

Thanks again, K.