Howdy!
Ive been reading here - as much as i can for the time I have, and i've noticed that almost everyone has some pain meds. And the stuff that works too - i noticed.
so - does this mean i shouldn't feel guilty for needing pain meds? cuz I do - and my doctor goes thru this WHOLE thing when I ask him for some... when i cant take the pain anymore. I havent had pain pills in years. A couple months ago - I asked him for something for the pain, I just couldn't take it any more.
he says "Dont give them to anyone - make sure you only take them 4 hours apart, and dont take more than 3 a day... and dont take them unless you REALLY need them!!" And then sighs real heavy and thinks really hard (you can see the wheels turning)..so I thought he was going to give me something Strong and helpful.
.......... and all he gives me are vicodin. and, not even Xtra strength vicodin. he might as well have given me tylenol.
does he really not SEE i"m in pain? I mean - i love my doc - but this pissed me off.
I dont even LIKE taking pills. Former health nut here.....
I wish I could never have to take anything, and i wouldn't. I dont like taking biologics, or chemotherapy, or steroids.. and I sure the hell dont want to add narcotics to the list, but dammit - i'm in PAIN.
I dont know ~
sometimes - i think I would rather be addicted to pain pills, and NOT be in pain, than be in pain EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE.
wondering your thoughts on the subject.
better living thru chemicals........
woobie
I'm like you, I don't like taking pills, but I'm still trying to find something for my pain. My doctor has given me pain medication, but they make me feel sick to my stomach. He's told me to take them daily so my body gets used to it, but still I've been sick.
Maybe you should tell your doctor that what he's given you just isn't working and could you get something stronger.
woobie,
I am so LOL...at you. But in a good way.
When it came to pain pills, I use to feel the same way. NOT NOW...
They are not my best friends but I am glad that I have the ability to have them, when I need them.
MY thoughts are. "We live in chronic pain...all the time". We rarely will ever be pain free. So we need them. If you stack up the pain next to being somewhat pain free, I will take the, some what pain free and worry about dependency later, if ever.
FIND another doctor that is willing to understand that you are in pain and you need pain meds NOW, a good pain releiver, not tylenol, aspirin or ect. And that the pain is never really going to go away with the Vicodin, so the doctor needs to "come down from the mountains... come back to reality and prescribe something that will help ease off the pain, to a patient who is in need, YOU.
A better understanding between you and the doctor is a definite need right now. You should not have to leave a doctors office feeling worse and more frustrated than when you walked in.
ASK LOUD and OFTEN and then maybe your doctor will hear you...if not...FIND another one. and..BY the way, explain to him that you are smart enough to understand the mechanics of using long tern pain theraphy meds.
Toni
Woobie, I have been criticized a lot for supporting pain med use and for my own pain med use. To be honest, I may not be here right now if I did not have a compassionate doctor to give me pain meds. The pain was so bad that I had suicidal thoughts. Pretty unbelievable for someone who has always loved life. Thank God for anti depressants and pain meds.
I am lucky enough to be trusted by my doctors. I get different strength pain meds so I can be the judge of what I need. I do have a long history with my doctor that included several times turning down pain meds even after two surgeries. That was before I got to know RA
When I first started taking darvocet they would give me a buzz and were somewhat effective for pain. Now they are only effective for minor pain, mainly morning stiffness and I don't get high from them. They are my drug of choice. The codeine based drugs effect my stomach but I took them anyway for bad flares- both vicoden and then norco. I liked ultram for everyday pain but you cannot take it with prozac which I need. It has been tough to deal with how my life has been altered by RA. My doctor has offered me morphine based drugs but I am not comfortable with that. We just tried Talwin. I have only taken it twice because I have been feeling so much better. Both times I took it were moderate pain not hell pain like some of my flares so I still don't know how effective it is for that extreme ra pain. I hope I never find out but it did not upset my stomach or make me feel funky. You might consider Talwin.
I do not have an addictive personality to my relief. I like to drink beer and wine but don't because of the mtx and my husband is a recovering alcoholic. It is probably good that I am afraid to drink with mtx because ra makes me want to drink sometimes. On days that I feel good, I don't even think about pain meds. I don't like the high.
Toni is so right. You have to be assertive about pain meds. You have a right TO NOT BE IN PAIN. Change docs if you have to.
Wishing you less pain. [QUOTE=waddles]
woobie,
I am so LOL...at you. But in a good way.
Toni
[/QUOTE]
LMAO - I get this A LOT.
Today I feel better (mentally) than yesterday. A friend of mine at work gave me a lortab. And I had just taken a stoooppid vicodin an hour before, but it wasn't helping and i was hurting... so I took it. It worked... took the edge off and kinda gave me a little energy....
or - rather, let my energy come out from behind the pain.
I don't know if it was the lortab, or the vicodin AND the lortab..
i DO know it wasn't the vicodin.
isn't lortab stronger than vicodin? it HAS to be. I dont know what's stronger than what......... but I think i need to KNOW what to ask for.
Percocets help me - but not for very long. He gave me ultram and ultracet before - but that didn't work. methadose didn't do anything, and even extra strength vicodin only works if i take 2 at a time.
what is this new drug you speak of Roxy - is it stronger than percocet?
i need something that lasts more than 1.5 hours... and that works. I dont know what's out there for pain meds. Something that will allow me to work, and think, and stay awake.
i'm rambling.... i'm sorry.
woobie
Some doctors seem to want to put more years into your life when many people in pain would rather have more life in their years. I'd rather live a shorter life relatively free of pain so I can do things than live a much longer life doing nothing because of pain robbing me of my joy of life. Many doctors agree when I tell them this while some seem to believe that preserving life at all costs is what medicine is all about. For me preserving quality of life is more important than preserving life at all costs and I take enough pain medication to go on about my business doing the things I want to do. I see nothing wrong with this and if I go to a doctor that disagrees with this philosophy I wish him well and look for one that does.
QUOTE...............
You certainly shouldn't feel guilty for needing pain medication since no-one likes living in pain and the fact that you have resisted using pain medication for so long indicates you will only take it when you really need it. The doctor is obviously cautious but if the medication gives you quality of life and is relatively safe to use if taken responsibly there is no reason to baulk at giving it to patients that are obviously in pain and could benefit from it.
Some doctors seem to want to put more years into your life when many people in pain would rather have more life in their years. I'd rather live a shorter life relatively free of pain so I can do things than live a much longer life doing nothing because of pain robbing me of my joy of life. Many doctors agree when I tell them this while some seem to believe that preserving life at all costs is what medicine is all about. For me preserving quality of life is more important than preserving life at all costs and I take enough pain medication to go on about my business doing the things I want to do. I see nothing wrong with this and if I go to a doctor that disagrees with this philosophy I wish him well and look for one that does.
I agree................... and I hope my doctor does too -because I dont wanna go thru ANOTHER doctor.....
woobie
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