Question...

Hello, I have posted a few times and I have a question. What do I do if the meds I am prescibed are not strong enough and I still have pain? I am on Percocet 7.5/500 and 30 mg of Morphine (which does nothing due to my high tolerance). I just started working with a pain magmt dr and I started physical therapy. But my back and neck still hurt and are sore. I called the dr and asked for suggestions and they said it would go away my body is adjusting to the PT. I know I already take more than I am supposed to. The Dr allows me 8 percs a day and I probably take 10-12. I know I am physically addicted and somewhat phsycholigically addicted. I am not ready to stop taking the meds I am trying to give PT a try because I may have to get surgery if the PT doesn't work. I don't want to have to deal with wd's and pain while I wait to see if the PT works...what do you guys think? I am already at a pace to run out of my meds early and I am so scared of wd's. Please open to suggestions....thank you.

[liscamdave]

Well, I have never had ligitimate pain, so I cannot help you here. You may not get too many responses on this as this forum is trypcailly for addiction and most here are trying to get off.

But, maybe you can try a pain management dr? Maybe your tolerance has gone up with your current med. have you talked to your dr.about this?

[bluespence]

I go back on the 1st of Oct and I will talk to him then, but I know he won't do anything before then. My tolerance has gone up I have been on this dose for about nine mos. That is why he gave me the morphine in hopes I would cut back on the percs, but the morphine doesn't do anything at all it is such a low dose...

[HelpinUtah]

Have you tried some Ibuprofen with it?  That would help with the inflammation.  Just an idea!  

[Sunnyd210]

well i have had alot of pain and I used to think I couldnt live without the pills BUT being a slave to the drugs is worse than the pain. What you should try is taking anti inflammatories or even a steroid. To try and break up the amount of pills you  are taking. I know someone who went on the fentaniol (not sure of spelling) because she couldnt handle taking the pills and it works for her, BUT from what Ive seen around here its very very hard to get off. Ur body also can trick u into thinking u are in more pain than what u really are.

[ABL4ME]

Honestly, it sounds like you already know the answer to your question.  You admitted that you take more then prescribed, which will result in you running out of your meds early.  Pain is a crazy thing, the entire time I was throwing the pain meds down, I thought I had to take more because I had built up a "tolerance" and needed something stronger.  That is the addiction taking over.  I have 2 discs out of whack, degernative disc disease, along with a few other lovely things in my spine.  After I went CT two weeks ago, I've noticed that the pain I thought I had...really wasn't there.  I still get stiff and have to lay down from time to time, but all I need is an Aleve and I'm fine.  This is just my opinion and my experience, everyone is different.  If you don't already have one, ask your pain specialist for a TENS unit.  That may help you if you have nerve damage or are suffering from swelling.

Wishing you the best!
Amy

[enemy48]

Well, you said that you already know that you're addicted, taking more than prescribed, know you will run out before you're next appt, and know that the doctor will not give you more till then.

You asked for suggestions.  You won't get suggestions here on how to get more medication, only help to get off them, but you said that you don't want to get off of them because you don't want to endure pain or withdrawals.

All we can tell you to do is to spread your medication out and take only what you have left per 24 hours.  You will have withdrawals regardless if you stop the medication completely, or cut back.

It takes a very responsible person to take pain medication as prescribed.  If you can't become that person, then you will have to deal with more pain until your next appointment.

Best Wishes.

[bluespence]

what is a TENS unit?

Also, I know I am addicted, but what happened to your pain? It doesn't just go away...before I started the pain meds I had shooting pain down my arm, numbness in my hand. I couldn't move w/o being in severe pain...so now that I take the meds the pain is bearable and I can function...but I still know it is there. I have read where others have said the same thing, that when they got off the pills the pain wasn't as bad as they thought...so where did it go? I am not trying to be sarcastic, just wondering if the reason you have pain isn't fixed, where did it go? Does that make sense?

[enemy48]

I have said this so many times here.  

I was advised by a RN to stop the medication to see just how much pain was I really in.  I'm not talking about stopping for 1 day either.  It takes about 3 weeks for your body to adjust from the shock of withdrawals.

Opiates can acutally cause you more pain.  There's a lot of living proof here.  It's not that the pain goes anywhere.........you're probably enduring more pain for the opiates.  I know it seems hard to believe..................

When you get clean, you won't believe how the heck you could down so many pills for that lil ole ache.

[Sunnyd210]

Great post enemy took the words right out of my mouth. I will repeat myself here and say whats worse the pain or being a SLAVE to the pills!!!!! Pain ***** most of us have it everyday BUT now we have learned better ways to deal with it. And enemy is sooooo right ur body tricks itself in to believing it needs more drugs. And I dont know how old you are or if this condition will get better over time or if ur like me and the older u get the worse it is- if these drugs arent working for u now what are u going to do in 5 or 10 years from now??

[bluespence]

I am 38 and I have degenerate arthritis in my spine, so it will never get better...my hope is if the PT doesn't work then I will probably have surgery. My hope is the surgery will work, although I know for some people they still have pain after surgery or it can even get worse. I don't want to be on the pills forever, but this is just not a good time for me to try and quit and the wd's scare me...I have gone into wd's before a few times and like everyone knows it is horrible. I know it will never be the right time, but I do think my situation can get better so I can focus more...I just know if I tryed now to quit, I wouldn't succeed, I am just not there yet.

[Beargizmo]

i haven't read everything in this string, but, once I became honest with myself during a recent vicoden/perc relapse, I found that PT was wonderful and helped a great deal..not trying to make a judgement on you, please.  But for me, that's what I found..you'll need to taper down on the drugs and follow the exercise regime, but it DOES really help if you have the right therapist and work with them...my problem is, I'm all used up according to my insurance, and I still get back pain when doing minor routine work..but no more vic/perc for me.

jim

[Beargizmo]

oh..and there's a very helpful pain management forum right on here.

Jim

[flmagi]

Pain Meds stop your bodys natural production of pain killers, so you are relying strickly on artificial pain meds. It would take about 3 weeks for your body to begin producing them again. This is why when the pain meds start to wear off, your pain seems really bad, because your natural pain killers aren't working.
When you stop the meds and go thru withdrawels, the pain can seem unbearable, until your body starts to produce again.

[bluespence]

Thanks for the info..I didn't know that our bodies quit making the natural pain killers..that makes sense though...but just thinking about going through the wd's just horrifies me...I keep reading all these posts and how people make it thru the wd's and just thinking about stopping stresses me out. I have so much pain in my back especially when I have to be up walking a lot and the meds allow me to get stuff done...I know this is all excuses, I am just not ready...but thanks to everyone for the info..I will keep reading and maybe oneday I will get there.

[enemy48]

Why don't you just stick around and lurk here.

I think it'll give you future encouragement.

At least you can admit that you know you're addicted and you're not ready to quit.  You'd fail if you tried, if you already know that.

Best Wishes.

[bluespence]

I do lurk all the time, it is so helpful! I look forward to reading posts and I know oneday my time will come, but until then I want to encourage people and learn more for me too.

Thank you