Pain and Opiates Explained

[dakmba]

I just finished reading an extremely interesting article in Newsweek.  It covers so much about pain, how and why we feel it, the effects of opioids on the brain, pain managment and the stigma associated with using pain meds.  It speaks to so much about pain and it certainly answered a few questions I had,  In particular, that spinal fusions "have no acceptable evidence" to support doing them. To those of us who work in healthcare "evidenced based medicine" is crucial to medical decision making.  There is so much information in this article that covers some of the questions I have seen here.  For example, someone posted that our brains "make-up" the pain to get the opioid chemicals again.  Well, read the article and you'll see that that isn't too far from the truth. It talks about Vicodin, Oxycontin and Fentanyl patches.  If you don't have the hard copy you can go to newsweek.com and click on the magazine cover on the left that says PAIN.  There is a nice interactive piece that, quite simply, shows how our brains receptors act when we feel pain and how it acts when we are on pain meds.
I know I had some of my questions answered.  No damn fusion for me.  I even wonder if I needed the laminectomy.  I think about how people are prescribed antidepressants for pain.  Well, I stopped taking Lexapro in January 06 and it was March 06 when my horrendous (and a 10 on the pain scale) hit me.  You all know the rest of the story.

I hope you all take a look at this article.  I know I am going to change my approach to managing my pain if I can.  I am upset that I even had to use the damn pain killers for so long.  It was one reason why I came to this forum in the first place, I knew I was going to, at some point, go through withdrawals.  God help us all.

dakmba    

[kimmieb]

Sounds like a VERY interesting article.  Was it a recent issue?  I'll definitely have to check it out.  Knowledge is power when it comes to fighting addiction.  I'm up for all the knowledge I can get!  Thanks for posting that.  ~~~K.

[dakmba]

It is in this weeks Newsweek.  But you can get it for free at newsweek.com
It sure opened my eyes. When I think about the fact that I HAD to go on pain meds to handle the back pain, and then had the back surgery and MORE pain meds it really makes me angry that I unknowingly have changed my nervous system forever. The prolonged use of the narcotics has forced our nervous system and our brain to "re-wire" itself so that now our systems will handle things differently.  Apparently there is no way to re-wire back to our normal setting.  Jesus - it just frosts me to think that I have done this to myself!!

Thanks for responding Kimmie.

dakmba

[Lotus55]

Thanks for passing on the info about Newsweek!  I cannot wait to read it!  Knowledge is power.  We sure need it in regard to our issues with pain and pain meds.  I need SO much pain meds to make me comfortable.  When I needed an operation they could NOT get my pain under control because of this.  I want to come off the oxy30 mg twice a day and JUST take the norco.
I wonder if you or anyone knows if I took four 7.5 norcos a day would I be okay if I just stopped the oxy???  Is that enough to cover me?  Thanks again for the article...always looking for that stuff.  And Kimmie you rock!  You wrote me thee most excellent post and I have been reading your kind and caring posts to others.  You are a huge asset to this group.  Are you in health care?  It sounds that way...:)  Lotusflower, forever blooming :)

[Lotus55]

Hi K,
wanted to put your name in the comment line so you would read my post.
Have a good night!  Lotusflower

[kimmieb]

Thank you!  You are so kind, and I'm glad some of what I say actually hits home with others sometimes (cuz you never really know until someone actually says something about it!)  I think we have a lot of similar issues we're dealing with, so maybe that's why we seemed to "find" each other here.  Anyway, thanks for your words and your post.  Keep me up-to-date if you can on what will be going on for you.  I'll try to do the same.  Thanks and have a great night.  Sweet dreams (we can always hope and pray!!!).....    ~~~K.

[dakmba]

Thanks for responding Lotus. Cool name, by the way!  I don't know if the Oxy30 you mention is Oxycodone or Oxycontin.  Anyway, I am taking 6 Norcos a day with alot of Advil Liqui Gels. I had Percoset after my surgery but asked for Hydrocodone about a week later as I felt they were more effective on my pain.  He gave me the 7.5 but I had to move up to the 10/325 as I was concerned about the amount of Tylenol in the 7.5
I would think that if your doc would let you try Norcos you could at least find out if that would handle your pain.  I know I talked to my surgeon (he wants to do a fusion on me in July) about what he would do for my pain control because I knew I was building a resistance to the meds and he said he would give me Oxycontin for awhile, then oxycodone, then Norcos, then off.  I wanted to cry.  That would mean a few months on all types of strengths of pain meds.  I just don't want to even go there.  Honestly, I don't know if it is depression or what but I am SO SICK of my legs (and more recently my butt muscles!)hurting that I have cried more in the past 5 months than have in the past 15 years! It is like I am mourning for my "old healthy body".  I'm 52, a professional healthcare administrator, single mother of 2 boys (22 and 18) that I raised by myself since they were 7 and 3, an MBA and a Navy veteran of 22 years.  So for me to be "disabled" like this really messes with me emotionally.  The pain is a barrier for me to pursue just about anything I had planned on doing at this time in my life. I know my boys act as if it is okay but I know it hurts them terribly to see a "broken Mommie".  

I don't know how I am going to overcome the predicament I am in but I am surely making a plan.  I am doing some research now and I should be able to get a plan fr myself underway very shortly.

Everyone should remember that when it comes to making or managing change HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY!  

dakmba

[tztlady]

I read the article in Newsweek, I agree very interesting.  I found it intriguing that one way the meds are considering attacking the pain issue is to treat it when pain is say at a "4" instead of waiting until it gets to a "10" and the neurotranmitters have functioned different or "recorded" the bain in the brain only to replay it later and thus invent the chronic pain that people actually feel.