Is there an alternative to fiorinal?

[justmejen]

I am new. This is my first post. I will try to keep it simple. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia & chronic fatigue syndrome in early 90's. Since then I have tried every therapy known to Dr.s & then some. I have been off & on different pain meds since being diagnosed. Now, I am on fiorinal, dilaudid & hydromorphone 30mg slow release. I am looking for an alternative to fiorinal for several reasons. 1) I have been on it this time for 3.5 years now & I have become so tolerant to it that it doesn't give me adequate pain relief so I end up having to take more than prescribed. 2) I found out in Feb that I have large ulcers & although I have been on the HP Pac 3 times, the ulcers won't heal & I believe it is because of the aspirin in the fiorinal. I don't want to take fioricet (with tylenol instead of aspirin) because I have to pay out of pocket for it, also, it won't be any better because of my tolerance level. 3) I am having problems with my pharmacist. This week my Dr went on vacation & failed to let me know he was leaving therefore I had to go to a different dr to get my scripts. He gave me the scripts but not before I had to explain why I had run out of the fiorinal but I did explain. He gave me all the scripts that I needed & when I took them to my pharmacy, my pharmacist refused to fill them because it was too early even though I had the scripts & he knew that I would be out by the end of the day. He finally decided (the next afternoon after I had run out & was already going through withdrawals) to give me (he says) enough to last til Monday when my dr will be back & he can speak directly with him. The problem is, he only allowed me 4/6 pills for Wed, 8 for Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun & 2/4 for Monday. Considering that I have been taking more than my dr has been prescribing for 1.5 years (since the ulcers began) this is not enough for me & I am going through withdrawals & have increased pain. I feel like I am in hell right now!! This doesn't seem right to me since this pharmacist has been filling my scripts & he knows & has always known that I am taking more than prescribed so why NOW when my dr is away does he decide to force me to decrease so rapidly when he knows how dangerous it is??? If he knew how painful it is, maybe he wouldn't be such a jerk! Anyway, since I want to stop taking it anyhow, does anyone know if there is an alternative to this medication? I am not up to date on any new meds that might be available but I was wondering if percocet might help...Thanks to anyone who responds.

just me, Jen

[justmejen]

Just an update for anyone who cares to read....

I saw my dr today. He did not change my fiorinal :( he did change my dilaudid from 8m quick release to 12 mg hydromorph in hopes that it will last longer than the dilaudid. I hope he's right.

On another note, my dr was really quite upset with my pharmacist. My pharmacist sent my dr a letter this a.m. telling him that I TOLD him that I "regularly exceed the stated doses by OVER 50%" of my fiorinal! This is absolutely FALSE! 1) I never told him any such thing & 2) if it were true, my dr would know since HE is the one writing my scripts!!

The pharmacist also wrote "I advised her that was inappropriate" also FALSE! He never said any such thing! When I told my dr what happened with the pharmacist, he just shook his head & said, "he must have been having a REALLY bad day".....EXACTLY what I said...

I had a script for 240 tylenol #3 last week but pharmacist only gave me 40 so I should have been able to pick up the other 200 today....so after I got my new scripts from my dr (less the tylenol becuz I explained that I had 200 waiting for me at the pharmacy) I went to the pharmacy to have them filled & pick up the tylenol. Pharmacist says to me, "the dr told me not to give you the tylenol" so now I am BEYOND angry & frustrated as I had just come from my dr's office & he DIDN'T write me a script for T3 becuz I told him I had 1 waiting for me!!! Sooooooooooooo

The pharmacist says he has to call dr again (2nd time in 5 mins) dr's receptionist is getting annoyed becuz dr just came back from holidays & he is BUSY so she tells him that the dr will call him back.....I waited about 20 mins & decided to leave.....went back to my dr's office, told the receptionist that he refused to give me T3, dr just happened to walk out & see me, he says "what's going on now?" So I told him pharmacist says you told him not to give me T3.....Dr says, I never even mentioned T3 becuz you said the script was waiting for you.....

Now dr is REALLY annoyed....he tells me that he will call pharmacist..he goes directly into office & picks up phone to call....he was done b4 I even had a chance to walk out....I go back to pharmacy & pharmacist says, "okay, you're all set now".....sweet as pie....

I swear I have never dealt with someone like this b4. I know he has "issues" according to ppl who know him & have lived here for many years but geeezzzzz, why does he have to be SO hard to get along with??? & he LIES!!! Does he really think that my dr can't count???

He doesn't know yet that my dr gave me a copy of the letter that he wrote about me but he will soon find out. I don't take kindly to ppl lying about me. When I told my dr about the conversation with mr. pharmacist (when he asked me why I was taking more fiorinal than I was prescribed & I told him that I was not comfortable talking over the phone however I would be happy to come in & discuss it FACE TO FACE & pharmacists response was "no thanks") my dr told me "you don't have to tell him, it's not his business, it's between you & your dr") I realize that he is right but I explained that I have nothing to hide & I am tired of him making me feel ashamed for being sick & having difficulty getting adequate pain control.

One more thing....my hubby is also taking T3 for back pain. He takes on average, 4 per day & dr allows him 6 per day. Hubby needed a refill on Friday so like usual, he called the pharmacy to have them send in a request for a refill & the pharmacist said that the dr will NOT fill scripts via fax requests any longer & hubby would have to go in & see dr for a refill. ANOTHER LIE!!!  I asked dr if hubby needed to come in to see him to get his T3 & he said "NO, call pharmacy, have them fax a request". When I explained what mr pharmacist had told hubby, he again shook his head....

I told dr that mr pharmacist probably thought that hubby was calling to get his script filled for ME & he agreed but then, when I went back to pharmacy the 2nd time, I heard him tell another woman that Dr was not taking fax requests any longer!! What is wrong with this guy???????????????

I am sorry for rambling but I am just so frustrated & angry. Dr gave me hubby's script & pharmacist didn't say a word about it & hubby was not with me. I really wish I could just change pharmacies but this pharmacy is only 10 mins from me & the next closest pharmacy is about 40 mins away.....does ANYONE have any advice as to how to deal with this guy??

In ending his letter to my dr he said this:

"P.S. Please contact me BEFORE issuing her NEXT prescriptions so I can inform you as to any medications obtained in your absence".

So in other words, he thought that I went to another dr to get the scripts that he refused to give me which I did not do AND even if I had, my dr would have had that info becuz everything is done by computers!! What a MORON!!! Does this guy have a swollen head or is it just me?? Telling my dr how to do his job!! Grrrrrrr I'm so mad....if anyone can tell me how to handle this, I really would appreciate it becuz I have to deal with this guy on a weekly basis :(

If you made it this far, bless your heart & thank you for reading.....I just needed to vent....

(just me) Jen

[justmejen]

Oh I forgot to mention that I was taking exactly what I was prescribed up until the time I developed the ulcers. It took 1.5 years to get that diagnosed. I was first prescribed fiorinal in about 1992, about 2 years b4 I was diagnosed with FM. My dr prescribed it becuz I was having horrible headaches & what I refer to as "eye drillers". Terrible stabbing pain behind my eyes. She said that the fiorinal was specifically for tension headaches which is what she thought I was suffering from becuz I also had alot of pain in my neck & upper back (shoulder blade). I used to go to the pain clinic every month for a minimum of 10 injections of cortizone & botox in my neck/back muscles but after the shots, I could barely move for a week but I continued to go for about 18 months or more in hopes that eventually I would get some relief. I have tried EVERYTHING!

When I decide to go off my meds, it's not becuz I am pain free or pain has decreased, it's becuz I just get so tired of the whole dr/pharmacy/meds thing & I just feel it's time to stop so I do.....for a while.....as long as I can. Then the pain gets so bad that I can't deal with it anymore & I end up going back on meds. I don't WANT to be addicted to pain meds. Why would anyone want to? But my pharmacist thinks that I enjoy this :(

I just wish he could walk 20 paces in my shoes so he could feel for himself what it is like. I am tired of being made to feel like a drug addict when all I want is to get SOME relief & be able to function & possibly get some enjoyment out of my life but my pharmacist makes me feel ashamed of myself.

While I was talking on the phone with him last Wed, he asked me why I was taking more than prescribed, even tho he already knows that I suffer from chronic pain. I told him that I was not comfortable speaking about it over the phone but I would be happy to go in & speak with him face to face & his response was "no thanks".

Sorry for rambling. I'm just having a difficult time dealing with the WD.

I hope your day is a good one with minimal pain.

Jen

[justmejen]

Hi, thanks for the response. I developed FM after 13 years of physical abuse from my EX husband. My Dr told me to stop working about 2 years ago & go on disability but I own a construction Co & I had to continue to work for another year til I hurt my neck. I had a CT scan & it showed 3 narrowing vertabraes (sp) & 2 bulging vertabraes. Because of this, I now have terrible electrical type pain in my left shoulder/neck & down my arm. I also have alot of pain in my left hip & it travels down my leg. As if the pain of FM was not bad enuff!

You're right, I am not getting adequate pain relief becuz I have been on my meds so long this time around that I have grown too tolerant & I have been trying to get the fiorinal changed for over a year but my dr & pharmacist say there is nothing else that will compare but it is just causing me more pain!

I even went so far as to see a drug counselor & finally my dr sent me to the pain clinic (4.5 hours away) to see if methadone or saboxone would be an option but apparently, becuz my issue is pain, I do not qualify for either med becuz they don't consider this to be an addiction but if I am going thru WD then I am clearly addicted but becuz I don't take it for the "buzz", I can't seem to get any help.

I am seeing my dr tomorrow THANK GOD, becuz I have had to increase my dilaudid & anxiety meds just to cope with the WD from the fiorinal becuz my pharmacist refused to give me enuff to get thru til tomorrow.

I live in a very small town. Not even a stop light here & we have 1 pharmacy. He has been filling my scripts every 3 weeks (1 week early) for over 1.5 years & he decides now when my dr is unavailable that he won't fill them becuz I am taking too many even tho I had a legal script. When my pharmacist has a bad day, everyone pays! He knows that my dr was waiting to hear from the pain clinic dr to see what sort of changes she is recommending so I believe that he is just being spiteful. He is putting me thru hell just becuz HE was having a bad day.

Being that it is such a small town, everyone knows everyone's business & I have heard many things about my pharmacist however, I don't tend to listen to gossip & I don't judge ppl but I see now that what I've heard about him is right on the money. He knows the risks involved in decreasing this med so rapidly but he doesn't seem to care.

I also have arthritis in my neck. I am so sorry that you have to deal with all that you are. It really sux to be in so much pain every single day of your life. My dr suggested that I have a morphine pump implanted in my abdomin about 2 years ago but I don't want to be on meds forever so I declined. I was on the F patch a few years ago but I had the same issues as many others. It didn't stick well & I just didn't want to be on something THAT strong for a long period of time so I stopped it on my own. No decrease & the WD from that was so bad that I don't want to go down that road again.

I've also been on oxycontin & ms contin but again, I didn't want to stay on these indefinitely. So that is the short version of my history. I do have a question tho. Since I am going to see my dr tomorrow, do you know of any other med that I could ask him about in terms of changing from the fiorinal? I have a very high tolerance to pain meds becuz of all the different meds that I've been on over the years. I want to be able to take only what I am prescribed & maybe even less if possible & I honestly don't think that percocet will work but I am willing to try anything at this point becuz I really want to stop the fiorinal. My ulcers will never heal if I continue with it & the more attacks I have, the more meds I need. It's just a vicious cycle & I am at a loss.

Any help is very much appreciated. Thank you again for taking the time to read & respond. I truly appreciate it.

Jen

[dustybrown]

Hello,
I am familiar with the medication Fiorinal, although it is not used very much where I live. What is the purpose for you taking it? I notice you are on some rather strong opiates besides the Fiorinal- the Dilaudid and the Hydromorphone slow release. Are those medications not handling your pain on their own? I do agree that you need to wean off the Fiorinal altogether if it's harming you.

You should have something for break through pain, but you shouldn't feel the need to use it every day. If you do that means your pain isn't under control. Do you know what I mean? You shouldn't have to take more than the doctor prescribed of Fiorinal to overcome the pain. Percocet is a much safer option in my opinion.

May I ask you if you could share a little about how you came to have FMS and CFS? Did you have a car accident or back problems? Injury? Or arthritis? I have spinal issues and DDD and nerve damage in my lower back. My left foot is numb. I also have OA and some other issues. I am just curious. Thanks.
-Dusty