morphine sulfate, oxycodone and chronic back pain

[Alice66]

My husband has been dealing with 3 degenerating disc in his lower back for ten years now.  He also has a bulging disc and a herniated disc in the lower back.  On March 21st he was working and pulled a muscle in his back which landed him in the hospital for three days on IV pain meds.  In May he had a discogram done one his lower back. The doctor (who has two degenerating disc) said that there was only one option (3 level fusion) which he did not reccommend.  He said my husband should deal with the pain as long as he could and hope technology and the FDA catch up to what he needs to have done. He has experimented with several meds, including vicotin, oxycodone, ultram (which gave him headaches), percocet, and ms contin.  He had a double micro discectomy on 7/22/08 to try and eliminate the numbness and the leg and butt pain.  He currently has more leg pain than pre op.   He is currently taking 60 mg of morphine sulfate three times per day, and 10 mg of oxycodone every 4 hours as needed.   We also have a safe stocked full of lorazapam, diazepam, citalopram, metoclopramide, naproxen and temezepam (for MY chronic insomnia).   I got caught up trying to get my property taxes paid last week and didn't realize that he would need more oxy before the weekend was over.  Our regular Dr. does not work on weekends and is on vacation all this week.  I got one of the other docs at our clinic to fill the script to cover the weekend.  I figured I could call his surgeon to get a refill on the oxy, but he only called in toradol.  Nobody at our regular clinic will refill his oxy script.  We knew he would eventually have to do some detox, but we need to get his pain under control and get mmi from the surgery (which ironically, the surgeon says he shouldn't need the oxy anymore this long after surgery).

Here is my question:  He has been taking this stuff approx. every 4-6 hours for two month.  Doesn't anyone at either clinic know that you just can't stop taking this stuff???!!!  He had his last does at 9am this morning (8/4).  When will we start seeing withdrawl symptoms and what do I do, if anything.

Any advice or suggestion would be great.  We also have an appointment with the surgeons PA tomorrow at 3:30.

[discretekarma]

I had a very similar thing happen. Mine was my own fault instead of my wifes but it may help you to read how I was at different times throughout the experience.  I also had a chronic back problems that calls for a fusion and so far I had a Microdiscectomy on 7/24/08.  I would say that hot baths, and some of that Lorazopam are about the best things you can do.  Here's a link.  

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/428794

[GoingToMakeIt]

Pain during withdrawal and awhile after is worse. Then it settles out and is actually better than before. I am not saying it goes away. It becomes easier to ***** your true pain level, though. As far as dealing with it during w/d. Well, you just do. Its like childbirth. You can't stop it so somehow you make it through. Ibuprofen may help some. But these are things you should discuss with the Dr or PA.

[Alice66]

I have been reading a lot of the post in the addiction forum.  What happens to the pain when you go through w/d?  Does the pain get worse?  If you already have chronic back pain and back pain is one of the w/d symptoms, how does one deal with it?

[GoingToMakeIt]

Withdrawal will set in very soon if it hasn't already. You may want some Imodium handy.

You both need to sit down with the Dr and lay out all your cards. Long term pain management needs both sides working on it.