Trying to take as prescribed

[ashleyanne84]

I have endometrosis and fibroids which causes horrible pelvic pain. I've been taking Lortab 7.5 for about two years now. Im prescribed 3 a day but started going overboard with them. I need them because honestly I have a medical condition but I want to take them the way Im supposed to because I run out. My doctor wont give me more of a dose or something different but I think I've maybe built up a tolerance. Today I woke up at 7:30am and seemed ok. I took two pills at 9pm to sleep. I started cramping really bad at 9am so I took one pill. Now its almost 11:30am and Im starting to cramp really bad. I don't know if I should try and hold off or what I should do. Honestly by this time I would have already had two to four pills. Please help me. This *****.

[namnam46]

Hi ashleyanne,

First I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum only CP - Chronic Pain - Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

I'm sorry that you are having this problem with your meds.  I KNOW how difficult it is to have CP {Chronic Pain} and NOT have the proper pain medication that will help you.

Unfortunately, when you start to take MORE than you are prescribed then it starts you on a VERY dangerous path.  

This is what I do with my pain meds EVERYDAY!!!  I NEVER have taken more than prescribed BECAUSE of this.  I am on the Fentanyl for Long-acting meds and on Percocet 10/325 for my BT {Break Through} meds.  EVERY morning I tak out my individual pill box and put ALL 3 of my Percocet's in it.  I take my first when I wake up at 7:00 am and I take the 2nd 6 hours later at 1:00 pm and then I take the last at 7:00pm.  I do this RELIGIOUSLY every day.  EVEN if my PAIN is spiking I STILL do not take the nest pill UNTIL IT IS TIME!!  IF you will do this then you will do much better and will have your pain meds last.  

I THINK you need to talk with your Doctor about the possibility of adding a Long-acting medication.  The ONLY problem I can see is that he/she MAY not offer you additional meds for BT Pain.  Some Doctor's do that so you need to be aware of that - HOWEVER, most WILL give something for BT pain.  

Are you undergoing ANY treatment for the endometriosis? Has your Gynecologist done anything to help alleviate your pain?  IF not then this might be some additional things that you might look into in helping you with the pain.  

Another thing that a lot of CP Patients DON'T realize is that the medication is NOT supposed to take ALL of your pain away.  It's just supposed to make it BEARABLE!!  UNFORTUNATELY, most CP patients DO expect it to STOP the pain but as I said that's NOT THE WAY IT WORKS!  

If you can start to think in those terms it will ALSO help you to be able to get through some of the pain that you are having.

I WISH you the best and HOPE that you will keep us informed as to how you are doing.

Looking forward to your Updates...........Sherry

[tired_of_oxy]

I really feel for you, it ***** to be in pain and not have sufficient relief. Thing is these pills as you've found are a slippery slope. Tolerance builds and it becomes more more more. Is there anything else that helps? Hot baths? A heating pad? I'm just thinking that if you try other ways to help the pain you can space out the doses and stay within your prescribed dose. That being said I think once we cross over into addiction there's no rewind button. Be honest when you ask yourself this question..are you taking them just because of the pain or do you take them for that feeling, even when your not in a lot of pain. If it's the latter, you need to step back and look at other ways to control your pain because I guarantee you the pain of a horrible addiction outweighs any physical pain. I've often said that if I knew how taking oxycontin would ruin my life I'd have happily put up with feeling like an old lady and put up with the pain in my back. Believe me there's no comparison. If you think your becoming an addict do yourself the biggest favor in the world and get away from narcotics and find other ways of alleviating your pain. Have you seen a specialist?

[IBKleen]

Hi!

This may not be the best forum to ask how to take your medication properly. None of us know how to do that and that is why we are here. There is a pain mngt community here at MH and there are very helpful members there who I think can help you with this.

I hope the doctors can do something for you so you can be pain free. I wish you the best.