Long Term Narcotics Use

[rarebear]

I have been on Narcotics since about 2002  about 2003 I started with Oxy-Cotin and about 2005 I switched to MS Contin...

I have some major issues with my Pain Docs these days and I am now wondering do I get any relief for these drugs any more?  My guess is I might as well take an aspirin other than I now need them to fight off withdrawals...

Anyone have any advice on long term use...

I am pissed my doc as told me several times "we just don't write scripts" after I say no to useless never burns or back injections.. If I say yes then writing a script is no issue at all....  

I get the feeling it is more for the money than the cover for the FDA
At one point I had to start PT again then I needed to see a Physiologist..

Now its back to injections and I am so done with wasting money on them..

How hard is to get off this stuff and is it doing me any good ?????????

Thanks
RB

[MontanaGurl]

You really are the only person who can say if you are benefiting from the continued use of narcotic pain medicine.  If you are not happy with your pain doctor than maybe you should look for a new one that can address your specific concerns and questions.  I think for many individuals suffering from pain it would be ideal for us to not have to take any medicines at all and not suffer from pain either but again, for most individuals who suffer from pain, the medicines we are given are our life line to a somewhat normal existance.  It has taken some sufferers years to find a doctor that is willing to prescribe pain medicine and it is an individual choice we all have to make whether or not we choose to take the medicine or not.

Once again, it is ultimately your choice and decision to stop taking any form of pain medicine, narcotic or not.  But, knowing how hard it is to find a provider that is willing to provide you with some sort of pain medicine I would caution you to think long and hard before you ask your doctor to not prescribe anything at all.  I would recommend that you continue on the course that you are on - as far as your pain medicine goes and in the mean time, search for another pain doctor that you feel comfortable with and maybe just maybe, switching the type or strength of medicine will benefit you more than it would to just stop taking pain medicine at all.  

I wish you all the luck in the world and the only reason I said what I did is because it sounds like you have issues with your doctor not listening to you in the first place and if you were to have your doctor take you off of the pain medicine and for some odd ball chance you are in worse shape without the medicine, than your doctor may not be willing to put you back on the medicine.  I hate to see someone suffer needlessly and you have the chance with the medicine to be somewhat pain free until you find another doctor that will listen to you and work with you on other treatment ideas.

I do wish you all the luck and hope that you can find a pain free solution.  Please let us know how you are doing.

[kolo13]

Well, it can be hard to tell sometimes, can't it. The longer you take narcotics (and five years counts as a fairly long time) the more likely you are to have problems with the creeping onset of tolerance to the medication. With tolerance you might find that the medications no longer work as well as they used to. You might also begin to get withdrawal symptoms between doses. These can manifest as increased perceived pain. There is also a phenomenon that affects some people whereby long term opiate use begins to increase sensitivity to pain. It can be very difficult to evaluate these effects. The only real way to do that is to stop for awhile. That course of action contains a number of pitfalls however. First - You really have to get past the acute and even some of the post acute withdrawal to judge how you feel without medication. A good taper plan is essential but even then it is no picnic and many people find it difficult to do without help and support. Second - Ideally you would get some of that help and support from your doctor but a lot of doctors just won't understand what you are trying to do and it can not only be difficult to get help with the taper but you could find it difficult to change your mind and say " please may I have my pills back?"  Many doctors will understand, however, the concept of a "medication holiday" to re-evaluate your situation. From what you've posted I would think that you would have to be a little circumspect in how you approach your doctor on this. And third - After five years you have to consider the possibility of  semi-permanent changes to your brain chemistry and receptor systems. I'm just saying that to evaluate whether the meds are still helping you you might need to take into account the effects of having created new receptors to receive opiates while at the same time losing some of your natural endorphin production. This is a function of dosage and time. You don't mention how much you take but morphine and oxycodone are capable of doing this to you at anything but low doses after five years. I hope this addresses your questions, but I'll check back if you want to clarify what you're getting at. Good luck.

[rarebear]

Thats not my question...........

Am I getting any benefits from taking pain meds after 5 years ???????

I have read on this forum that when you ask about stopping many just make you go cold turkey....

I now go to a physiologist for pain counciling  and have maxed out my PT with my insurance also...

[Tuckamore]

Hi RB,

We recently had a discussion on the forum regarding the practice of PMP and the requirements that the DEA put upon them. It is my understanding that they have to prove that they are actively seeking other options than narcotics to treat your pain. It's frustrating for us and I would guess for them as well.

Mollyrae is correct. You may discuss weaning off the narcotics with your PMP. My concern is how you will manage your pain wothout the narcotics. I am told other have been successful in doing so and have found other methods for pain management. Be cautious in your request. Explain that you would like to try this approach but that if it isn't successful you want to return to pain management with the help of opiates.

If your PMP will not honor your wishes there are other PMP that in all probability will assist you. It's tough so be prepared but it is not impossible.  We wish you the very best. Please keep us abreast of your progress and journey.

Take Care,
Tuck

[Mollyrae]

Talk with the Doctor who is prescribing these medications and tell them that you're interested in weening off of it all. The Doctor can help make the transition as comfortable as possible. See if you can manage your pain without these medications. It may prove to be a good move for you.

Take care,
Mollyrae