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Pain Management Community

Reply: Opiate Tolerance

Well guys, today is day three, and when I woke up this morning I felt something I...

Posted by Onehurtguy

44 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Opiate Tolerance Well guys, today is day three, and when I woke up this morning I felt something I...

Reply: Opiate Tolerance

My apologies, I typed this from my tablet in haste and misrepresented what was...

Posted by Onehurtguy

44 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Opiate Tolerance My apologies, I typed this from my tablet in haste and misrepresented what was...

Reply: Opiate Tolerance

I saw my PM today, and suggested trying a different opiate in lieu of going wi the...

Posted by Onehurtguy

44 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Opiate Tolerance I saw my PM today, and suggested trying a different opiate in lieu of going wi the...

Reply: Living with pain

Just a reminder, most of us live with tremendous 24 hour pain, nut you must realize the...

Posted by Onehurtguy

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Living with pain Just a reminder, most of us live with tremendous 24 hour pain, nut you must realize the...

Reply: Pain in one side of face

I was thinking of Shingles as was. My wife had Bells Palsy many years back, and she had...

Posted by Onehurtguy

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Pain in one side of face I was thinking of Shingles as was. My wife had Bells Palsy many years back, and she had...

Reply: Anyone tried hypnotherapy for pain?

It's used typically for very low impact aerobic excercise and strength training as far...

Posted by Onehurtguy

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Anyone tried hypnotherapy for pain? It's used typically for very low impact aerobic excercise and strength training as far...

Reply: chronic pain and addiction?

Hey Mel, you are welcome, I'm glad to be of service. Have you had an MRI to figure out...

Posted by Onehurtguy

Hey Mel, you are welcome, I'm glad to be of service.

Have you had an MRI to figure out exactly what is happening with you back? It sounds like you've got some serious issues, and being so, you may want to stay away from your Chiropractor. I don't believe in them, outside of a little massage.

People with spinal issues can be permanently damaged by a Chiropractor, and when you think about it, I hope you see that they are not MD's, have no training in Neuroscience, and are nowhere near qualified to diagnose your spinal problem. The fact the they would attempt an "adjustment" on someone with spinal problems should speak volumes about their ethical disposition and incompetence. One little tweak on someone with disk or nerve issues could paralyze them, yet they decide to treat you without an MRI or knowledge of your condition.

If I could live without pain medication, I would in a heart beat, I don't have that option. If I wasn't such a wimp, I would consider one of those Spinal Stimulators like Beth has. It just proves how much tougher women are than men... Maybe you should look into that vs. going back to the meds?

Now as far as surgery goes, you are the only one that knows when it's time to have that done. I waited 3 years after my car accident to have surgery, as it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. After years of PT, Epidural injections, doctor after doctor, you name it, I was there, twice. It wasn't until I lost feeling in my left leg and started dragging my foot that I was left with no choice. I had three disks stabilized with mental cages, titanium rods and screws, etc. they had a name for it, I call it "painful". As far as my leg/foot goes, the surgery was successful, but the low back ache is the same today as it was before surgery. I'm thankful that at least the nerve issues are 90 percent better, but the low back pain is constant, and never stops, EVER! I've resigned myself to living my life in constant pain, and for the most part, it is controlled with medication. My struggle now is to try and maintain a reasonable level of medication, as with anyone taking pain killers form7 years, tolerance is an issue, which is exactly what brought me to this site, an attempt to learn more about what other people in the same boat have had success with.

Now I'm rambling, sorry!

Stay strong Mel, do what you can, know that you're not alone, and ask for help when/if you need it. Be logical and responsible in taking pain medication, and know that you are in control of it, not the other way around.

RView Thread

Posted byOnehurtguy

21 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:chronic pain and addiction? Hey Mel, you are welcome, I'm glad to be of service. Have you had an MRI to figure out...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: I'm New Here

I forgot to ask.... You do take it to manage chronic pain right? If you're not in...

Posted by Onehurtguy

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:I'm New Here I forgot to ask.... You do take it to manage chronic pain right? If you're not in...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: I'm New Here

Wait now... Just because your body requires a higher dose of medication to achieve...

Posted by Onehurtguy

Wait now... Just because your body requires a higher dose of medication to achieve relief from chronic pain does not make you an addict. Everyone here that's been taking pain medication for more than 6 months is not on their original dose, but again, that does not mean they are addicted!

Like anything else, your body becomes tolerant of the dose over time, and a higher dose is prescribed to control the pain. Ask around these boards, and see how many people are taking 300 plus milligrams of opiates per day, compared to whatever it is you are taking. Again, a huge portion of people taking massive amount of opiates do so because they've been taking them for many years, and have grown tolerant of them. To them/us, a 5mg Vicodin may as well be a tablet of Tylenol, they would have to ingest a handful to get any pain relief. Does this make them an addict, absolutely not, it means their bodies are opiated tolerant, which is why they can take enough medication to kill a horse and still drive to work. I sound like a broken record on these boards, but addiction and dependence are COMPLETELY different.

You are an addict when you take drugs specifically to "get high", because you have to. After you've run out of medication, you HAVE to have it, and will do anything to get it. If you find yourself trying to obtain it illegally, or driving around at 2am in the ghetto, risking your life to buy some, or spend your rent or food money on it, then you are probably addicted.

Once you've been taking any kind of pain medication for more than a few months, you will have a chemical dependency to it, you're brain is going to tell you that it wants more when there is none in your system. It's what you do when that happens is what separates dependency and addiction.

Now the other posters responding to your thread are correct in that it takes guts to admit when you have a problem, and only you know if you do have one. If you do, follow their advice, and get help as I can promise that you're not alone. You'd be amazed at how many people are in the same boat as you. And know that they aren't the people you see on TV, living in the streets, homeless, jobless, etc. there are Doctors, Lawyers, CEO's, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, you name it, and they all just need a little push in the right direction.

Cleaning this stuff out of your system isn't easy, but it won't kill you from a physical aspect. Addiction is a mental issue for the most part, so get help, stay positive, and know that you are a good person, and you deserve a happy and healthy life.

Take a look in the mirror, as only you should label yourself as someone who needs a little help. And Just because you rely on medication to gain quality of life doesn't hake you an addict. If it did, this site wouldn't be named "pain management", I'd would be the "opiate addicts corner".

Make sense?

Good luck, and stick around, let us lend a hand to you. I can guarantee that nearly everyone on this site has asked ourselves the same question, "am I addicted"?

RView Thread

Posted byOnehurtguy

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:I'm New Here Wait now... Just because your body requires a higher dose of medication to achieve...

Reply: Pain Management

Anyone who runs out of medication because they take more than prescribed will raise red...

Posted by Onehurtguy

19 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Pain Management Anyone who runs out of medication because they take more than prescribed will raise red...

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