Pain medication

[Dana]

I want to know why all Doctors think that if they help keep you from suffering from chronic pain by giving prescription drugs such as Vicodin or other narcotic pain relievers, they think you automatically become addicted to them. Not everyone has addictive tendencies. I had taken Vicodin for 3 years straight before moving out of town away from my understanding and sympathetic doctor whom, after numerous tests on me realized the serious problems with my spine. He had me on Vicodin for 3 years to ease my suffering. When I moved to a different state, I ran out of my pain medication and just stopped taking vicodin. NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME! NOTHING! I did not get sick, shake, sweat, vomit, turn to other drugs or alcohol..........NOTHING! I just suffered constantly with pain. I waited a few months before seeking another doctor in my new town. He treated me like a junkie and told me to take Advil. That was two years ago. Well after two years on Advil, I now suffer from easy brusing and stomach problems. So why do most doctors want to see a patient suffer instead of help them ease their pain? So.......narcotic pain medication is addicting! Big deal. In this day and age with all the new meications to help pain, it is a shame so many of us are allowed to suffer everyday of our lives. So its addicting......isnt that the patients problem anyhow? Cant the doctor at least try and see if indeed these patients show signs of addiction like going through the medication too fast and looking for refills when they shouldnt need them yet? Why cant a doctor give the patient the benefit of the doubt first?
Oh well......advil will do me just fine. I would rather take that then be treated like some drug addict. It may only help me 10% of the pain but at least I dont have to answer to someone that has no idea how I suffer and I dont have to feel like some drug addict. Please answer me.
Thank you
Dana

[robw]

Where can i buy some Dilaudid or  Demerol?

[Von]

I know exactly what you mean about pain meds and the stigma associated with them.  I'm fortunate to have a doctor who refuses to succumb to the "opiaphobia" many doctors have about prescribing pain meds.  My doctor says that so many people are undertreated because of this stigma and paranoia about prescribing pain meds that actually work.  I have taken Vicodin ES for 3 years, and have no plans to go off of them.  I just hope and pray I don't find myself in a situation like you experienced, having to find a new doctor.  I know I'd have trouble finding a doctor to prescribe what I've been on for years, and it's very unfair.  It's ridiculous that you have to take OTC drugs for your condition.  Have you tried seeking out another doctor?  I hope that you can find a more reasonable physician, people shouldn't have to suffer when there are so many effective pain meds out there.  And no one should be treated like a drug addict just because they take pain medication.  My God, why make the drugs if people can't access them?

[Mike P. to Vic Gurrl and tom]

I apologize for coming on like a fiend if I did...I have read numerous times how much you like Vicodin - I have those...they're "ok" for the pain...sometimes I wish I has something stronger for days that I want to rip my spine out...Yeah, knock me out, whatever...just make it stop...I've never even tried Dilaudid...my aunt gets Dilaudid suppositories for her fibromyalgia and she says they only work slightly better than her Percoset...I honestly didn't mean to come off seedy, or back-alley drug deal...Just thinking, like tom said, out loud...I have what you need and you have something I'd love to have on hand...I don't take any offense to your not wanting to. Honestly - Nothing ventured nothing gained. You don't know who I am anyway, and that is obviously a problem. If you saw me - Long hair, tattoos, Harley the works...you'd say - "Oh yeah, doper..." But looks are deceiving. I'm actually a college grad with a highly respectable job (not that that makes someone NOT a doper)...just a bad back and sever adhesions on my side from intestinal surgery. I know - you don't give a ****...:) but I did want to kind of explain myself after I read my post and your response. Like I said when I posted...don't take it the wrong way...It was just the old story of "I've got fire and you have beef...Let's have dinner" kind of thing. Thanks for not biting my head off. If anything, don't throw them away, in case you change your mind:) - but THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that no one else has mentioned - don't take them if you don't like them...they will increase your tolerance for opiates 20 fold. Your Vicodin will seem like aspirin after 15 or 20 doses of Dilaudid and you won't have anything that helps you. Really. If it doesn't work for you pain-wise, it'll do more harm to you tolerance wise than good. Just some helpful advice there. Thanks for understanding me...I hope...

Hey tom - did you get my e-mail? I mailed you at patflann...you know the rest...I wasn't sure if the account was still active...but if it is I'd like to hear from you...You know, I was thinking - Propoxyphene, Darvon, I've been told is in the same family as Methadone...So in essence...you've kind of been doing the MMT treatment accidentally...probably helping yourself even at 16 a day Mg's wise over the Methadone...If taking the Darvon doesn't end your cravings for opiates, I'd say it's still a definite mental thing...the Darvon, since it's in the same family and is a much longer acting opiod than say Hydrocodone...you may do yourself a favor and just stick with that...I only butt my nose in because I've read your interest in MMT to Dan...And maybe he can help here. If Darvon is in the same family as Methadone...and say 65mg's of Darvon = 3 milligrams of Methadone or something...you may be able to save yourself some money etc. OR if the Darvon "therapy" isn't working for you to begin with - what's to say that Methadone will do anything more? Especially if it turns out MG wise to be a stronger opiate that what you are taking...Might turn out to be counter-productive for you - actually increasing your opiate intake over the Darvon...Something to think about...Tell me to shut up and mind my own business though if I'm intruding...Really...Thanks all for the ear - Mike

[Vicodin Gurrl to Dan]

Well, here's the story...As I said before,I have HORRIBLE migraines...have for years...have tried practically every therapy available, massage, relaxation techniques, ALL of the "triptans" (a class of drug normally very effective for migraine) as well as calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, etc...I also have an active RX for Butalbutal (Fiorinal) and Midrin. NOTHING works.  I was getting to the point that I was frequenting the clinics and the ER at leat 2x weekly for Demerol/Phenergan injections.  Demerol is a nasty drug. I have permanant lumps under the skin in my hips from receiving so many injections. I met with my doctor and informed her that I no longer wanted Demerol and she really had nothing more to offer me.  Two days later, I had a whopper of a headache.  My sweety poor guy, so supportive) took me AGAIN to the ER where we waited an agonlizing 2 hours to be seen (and I am an RN at this hospital...guess it isnt really all about who you know!). By the time I got in to see the doc I was coming unglued from the pain.  I refused Demerol and asked for morphine.  He told me it isnt very effective IM, and offered me the Dilaudid injection as this headache had been lingering for 6 days. You heard the rest in my previous post. Then he referred me to the pain clinic and gave me the Dilaudid pills to take home in the meantime (WHY hadn't someone referred me to the pain clinic before this???).  He was an AWESOME doc, didnt treat me like a "drug seeker" and didnt make me answer 500 questions before he treated my pain.  Too bad they aren't all like him.  Anyway...thanks for listening.  And thanks for the advice Tom and J.B.  Take care folks...

[Vicodin Gurrl to Dan]

Well, don't think I really want to get into drug dealing/trading, etc... at this point, sorry to disappoint.  Far as I can tell, these Dilaudid pills aren't doing crapola for me except nauseating the hell outta me. Dont seem to really be relieving my pain either.  How can that be?? From what I have heard today this is the strongest painkiller on the market...Am I screwed or what?  Honestly, Vicodin works much better for me and without the added benfit of massive nausea! Talk to y'all later...

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

I've had Dialudid IM and oral and didn't much care for it either. I also got nauseated pretty bad and nodded out frequently. I was a total veggie!  I was used to morphine and at least I could function well on it.
Dilaudid is very similar to heroine in my opinion as far as strength of painkilling effect.
I think that if you are used to hydrocodone, you should stick with it. Just my opinion.