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Kelly_30

Joined: 03/31/2011

My Story:

I suffer from chronic back pain. The chronic pain started 10 years ago. I had "threw my back out" as a teenager several times. I used to carry a heavy backpack and I had quite a walk home from school everyday. My mother kept harping on me to not carry so much in my backpack and that she doesn't want me to injure my back. She said it is one of the worst things that can happen. I didn't listen to her but now I know full well what she was talking about. In my late teens I had an abusive boyfriend who in the heat of an argument slammed me on the concrete sidewalk and began taking blows to my back. I was bedridden for two days after that beating. And then in college, I was driving home and had to stop behind a bus after the light turned green in which two other cars were already stopped in front of me and a car rear ended me at 45 mph. I felt fine after the accident but 3 months later I started to feel pain from the damage. I spent years doing chiropractic, accupunture, massage, and physical therapy all paid for by the insurance company. None of which had any lasting effects. By my senior year in college I was in so much pain I couldn't make it through most of my classes. I had to constantly meet with the professors offline. I hit rock bottom after I had my son in 2006. The weight from the pregnancy made it nearly impossible to walk. I had severe sciatica and had to go out on disability 6 months before term. After pregnancy, I was bed ridden or couch ridden. It hurt to move. That was when I went to the doctor in tears and asked to be put on a pain killer along with valium to help me sleep. I was started on tramadol for pain and it gave me my life back. After awhile that doctor left the practice and it took me awhile to find a doctor that would still honor my contract. But I finally did and he is still my doctor today. I have had a couple of MRIs that showed disc bulges in my cercical and thoracic spine. Just about 1 year ago, the 2nd MRI showed a ruptured disc and 2 bulging discs in my lumbar spine. That is where most my pain is located today. The gabapentin has really helped with the nerve pain in my thoracic spine. The epidural injections have helped considerably reduce the sciatica but they only last a month or two (if I'm lucky) and I have to wait 1-2 months before my next injection. I have been upped to two different tiers of pain medication as I built up tolerances to meds. I have a "special" chair at work and I have been heating my back with a heating pad that I attach to it all day long for 3 years. I have permanently burned my back heating it as much as I have. Burning it feels better than the pain believe it or not. I have been worried about this for quite some time. I am just 30 years old but my back is twice that age. I ended up "learning the hard way" as my mother would say. Anyways, that is my story about how I came to be in pain. I love it here, everyone is really friendly and supportive. It feels good to know that you are not alone and there are others to lean on for support!

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Reply: What is pain management.

I am writing this reply to Peskypain's post but this reply really applies to both Pesky...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

I am writing this reply to Peskypain's post but this reply really applies to both Pesky and Annette.

I think both of you are taking my words to the extreme, twisting them around, and adding additional words that I did not write.

First of all, from reading Lita's posts it is obvious to me that she is looking for support and advice on how to get her physician to listen to her concerns about severe pain. Let us not forget that pain is widely undertreated in America and we are the minority. There are so many people out there struggling with severe pain each and every day because physicians are not willing to prescribe medications (both opiate and non-opiate) that can help. There are so many people struggling each and every day to survive while enduring severe debilitating pain that have NOT abused prescription medications, have no history of suicide, or any other mental problems...just PAIN.

It is so easy to sit behind a computer after taking effective medications and then make determinations on why certain people aren't getting EFFECTIVE medication (I say effective, because better was considered a myth). To me, a medication that is more effective is better! Pesky, in your post you talk about how this support group is there to provide others empathy. Smacking someone's hand for getting street medication to get relief from severe pain is not helpful. Nor is it helpful to assume that person is an addict because they did that. I am not saying that is an OK thing to do. I am exhibiting empathy (putting myself in someone else's shoes), how would I feel being under such severe pain with no relief for days/weeks/months/years?!?

Cweinbl always posts that it is best to treat chronic pain with a short acting and long acting opioid versus short acting opioids alone. Why am I getting this type of response when I relay the exact same thing?!? I did not say short acting opioids lead to addiction, I said used by themselves can lead to abuse (taking more than prescribed) especially if they are ineffective. This type of behavior is called "pseudoaddiction", exhibiting addict like behaviors until the pain is at a manageable level.

I, myself will admit that before being switched to morphine from vicodin/tramadol, I was switched to percocet 5/325 - 1 every 6 hours. I was in SO MUCH PAIN!!! I bought heating pads, creams, took OTC medication and after 3 days of intense pain, I called for a pharmacy consult and asked if I could add 2 5/500 vicodin to take inbetween percocets doses? The pharmacist said yes that it was safe and I proceeded to take it and the pain receded. I went in for a doctor visit the next day, and told the physician all of this and he knew I needed stronger pain medication. He did not dismiss me or label me an addict.

I was never suggesting that she should NOT consult her physician about all of the options I posted. They were only suggestions as I am far from a physician. I stated that purely from an opioid conversion/strength comparison, she is opioid tolerant enough for an extended release medicine like morphine. I am not the one doing the prescribing so if there are other underlying health conditions such as COPD or asthma, etc., then that would be another thing to consider before the physician prescribes a stronger medicine. I was just trying to relay these facts to her so that she is more knowledgeable when she goes to her appointment about what is potentially available to her. I know many doctors will say they only have x medicine and it is NOT true and if you aren't aware that there are other medicines, you may walk out the door without achieving your goals. I had to tell my physician that I heard it is best to treat chronic pain with a long acting opioid and then use the short acting opioid for break through pain. After I said those words, my doctor gave me the option of morphine or methadone.

I am and have not in no way offered medical advice. You have twisted my words and made it appear that way.

KellyView Thread

Living one day at a time.

Posted byKelly_30

49 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:What is pain management. I am writing this reply to Peskypain's post but this reply really applies to both Pesky...

Reply: advice needed about constipation

Hi Laura, I agree with TDXSP08. Miralax has been a miracle for me. Nothing worked for...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:advice needed about constipation Hi Laura, I agree with TDXSP08. Miralax has been a miracle for me. Nothing worked for...

Reply: Weaning off of pain medication

Hi Annette, Thank you for sharing this great story that provided you a lot of relief...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

26 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Weaning off of pain medication Hi Annette, Thank you for sharing this great story that provided you a lot of relief...

Reply: What is pain management.

Hi peskypain, I think you may have gotten the wrong idea about my post. Lita posted...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

Hi peskypain,

I think you may have gotten the wrong idea about my post. Lita posted earlier that the 3 vicodin she was taking wasn't helping with her pain at all. She said it would bring the pain level down from a 9 to a 8. Additionally, given all that she has going on with her back and comparing her conditions to my own back condition, I couldn't imagine vicodin would help very much at all for her type of pain.

I wasn't suggesting that fentanyl was the solution. I was simply trying to elaborate on the range of extended release medications out there based on the length of time that they provide pain relief. The only pain reliever that I suggested was tramadol and I think we both agree that tramadol is a starter opioid.

I was on vicodin before I transitioned to morphine ER and percocet. So I don't think an extended release medication is out of the question for her. I agree Fentanyl is something for down the road but I wanted Lita to know that there is a wide range of opioid strengths to choose from to manage her pain for a lifetime should she need it.

I am pretty knowledgeable about opioid conversions and comparative strengths so I am certain that she can transition safely to an extended release medicine like morphine on the lowest dose without severe respiratory depression. Once she finds a good PM or psysiatrist doctor, they will make sure to transition her safely should both her and physician agree that a stronger opioid is the right solution to better manage her pain.

Cweibl, helped me get to where I am today in terms of pain relief because he responded with how opioids are supposed to be properly used for chronic pain. If it weren't for his post, I wouldn't have brought up the option of adding an extended release medicine and would have still been suffering. Short acting opioids for chronic pain are not the optimal solution. You are welcome to disagree with me on this. But being prescribed only short acting opioids causes one to "chase pain all day and never win". I would only get 1 to 2 hours of pain relief when it is supposed to last 4 hours and I would crawl up in a ball and suffer until my next dose. It was no way to live. Now I have so much more freedom, flexibility, and capability now that my pain is well controlled on a consistent basis. Short acting opioids can also lead to abuse because the pain relief is so short that people so desperately want to bring it back and keep the pain relief going that they take more and more. For me, I just suffered and complained.

Lastly, it wasn't so much about dosaging even though I did refer back to the 3 vicodin, I was more thinking about the short span of minimal relief she was getting from 3 vicodin. You are right that some people are super sensitive and fall to floor after taking one vicodin. But based on her post, the 3 vicodin aren't doing much at all for her pain and I wanted to pass on the "good news" that Cweinbl passed along to me that there are better options out there that could help bring her pain level down to a tolerable level. I think once she starts steroid injections, she will feel a lot better from those too.

Anyways, yes I am trying to help and I am a rather blunt and frank person. I am always going to tell all especially if I have been helped from someone that did the same for me.

Hope you still think I am a sweetie lol!

KellyView Thread

Living one day at a time.

Posted byKelly_30

49 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:What is pain management. Hi peskypain, I think you may have gotten the wrong idea about my post. Lita posted...

Reply: Weaning off of pain medication

Hi Annette, I have a kind of personal question for you. What was your cup size before...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

26 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Weaning off of pain medication Hi Annette, I have a kind of personal question for you. What was your cup size before...

Reply: What is pain management.

Hi Lita, I know the reason behind your suicide attempt doesn't make it right but I have...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

Hi Lita,

I know the reason behind your suicide attempt doesn't make it right but I have been there and I empathize with what you were going through and how you must have felt. I know during those times it is hard to do what is right as what is right at that time is really wrong. I also think folks that haven't had such immense emotional pain in there lives to drive them to consider suicide, don't understand and can't comprehend why a person would go to that extent. But, I (like you) understand.

About MMJ, I don't think you will have any trouble at all getting a prescription for MMJ. Trust me, it is not very restrictive at all. They treat the qualifying conditions and that's it. They don't play games like some physicians do when narcotics get involved as part of the treatment plan for chronic pain. You can also mix MMJ with opioid medications. There are two different strains, indica and sativa. Indicas are downers, and they are really good for sleep and chronic pain in general. Sativas are great for reducing anxiety, depression, and increasing energy and motivation. So you could take the strain that works best at the time, given which bipolar state you are in. The MMJ wave is spreading so hopefully it won't be long before it is available in MD.

3 vicodin a day isn't sufficient in strength to significantly reduce your pain. There is a wide range of stronger meds that are available to bring your pain level down more so you aren't so fixated on it 24/7. They rarely take away all of the pain but they can make the pain manageable. The optimal solution is to have an extended release opiate medicine that slowly releases medicine over 8 to 12 hours (or in the case of fentanyl, 48 to 72 hours) so you have a more stable state of pain relief. Usually, a short-acting opioid like vicodin or percocet is prescribed to take only as needed when the pain breaks through the extended release medicine.

I also take flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and it helps a lot for me too. I used to take vicodin but I took 4 a day coupled with 4 Tramadol. My pain worsened and my PCP put me on morphine ER and percocet. Could you ask for a prescription for tramadol to augment the vicodin until you can find a PM doctor? Have you tried Tramadol before? Physicians provide prescriptions for Tramadol a lot more easily as it is a weak opioid and not scheduled. It may provide you with some additional relief. The only catch is it increases serotonin levels in the brain like an antidepressant which may aggravate the bipolar condition you have.

I have also been researching pain management doctors in my area as well as I will lose my long time PCP of 5 years when I am forced to switch insurances at the end of the year because my employer is no longer going to offer the carrier I am with now. During my search, I have discovered that I need to look for a Physiatrist not a PM doctor. Once I started looking for Physiatrist, I found many that offer pain medicine as well as injections/surgery/etc. When I searched for a pain management doctor, all I found were interventionalists (injections, surgery but no pain meds). So you may have better luck searching for a Psysiatrist versus a PM doctor.

(((hugs)))

Kelly

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Living one day at a time.

Posted byKelly_30

49 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:What is pain management. Hi Lita, I know the reason behind your suicide attempt doesn't make it right but I have...

Reply: Back pain and my DR

Hi An_228648, It is hard to tell which of the medicines that you received at the ER are...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain and my DR Hi An_228648, It is hard to tell which of the medicines that you received at the ER are...

Reply: What's in Your Medicine Cabinet?

Hi Caprice, Our house isn't equiped with any medicine cabinets. So all my medicines are...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

17 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:What's in Your Medicine Cabinet? Hi Caprice, Our house isn't equiped with any medicine cabinets. So all my medicines are...

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Reply: Several Epidural Injections and Side-effects

Hi Annette, Perhaps if I clarify that the steroid injection bathes the nerve root (not...

Living one day at a time.

Posted by Kelly_30

15 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Several Epidural Injections and Side-effects Hi Annette, Perhaps if I clarify that the steroid injection bathes the nerve root (not...

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