advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Nov 20, 2019 at 01:40 PM
  #21
Yeah . . . maybe today. Ninety minutes ago, I took Ritalin 20 mg. It has some analgesic effect.

I thought of calling my PCP's office again today. But I hate to seem "needy" of my refill. I don't want to seem impatient, which they could take as a red flag.

It was my bf - bless his heart - who got the bright idea, a few years ago, of exaggerating his pain issue, so he would be prescribed a bigger monthly alotment of Vicodin tablets . . . that he could "share." Initially, I tried to discourage him doing that. Eventually, I didn't. So yesterday his VA nurse shows up for a visit. She asks him about pain. He denies having any. He has some dementia, which lately has worsened. So he forgets a lot. Of course, I jump in to remind him how beneficial he finds his prescription for Vicodin. He seems to not follow me. I experience a sense of dismay. When the nurse leaves, I try to cut through his mental fog and get him to recall how he has been helping me out over the past couple of years. I tell him that I am barely managing to cope with caring for him and how that's only possible, if I get enough pain med to get through a typical day. Plus, he genuinely does need some Vicodin available for himself.

It's not lost on me, Sarahsweets, that I am behaving with a measure of desperation. He does take enough Vicodin to cause him to always test positive on the pee test that the VA occasionally requests. Recently, in the ER, I asked them to include opiate testing in his bloodwork, since his PCP needs to verify he uses the stuff, and urine sampling can be tough to arrange. Well they were way ahead of me and said that was already ordered. I guess, if you have known access to opiates, the ER will tox-screen you automatically. I hadn't realized that. So, yes, as Sarah pointed out, you may be subject to drug testing, when you least expect it.

His PCP was talking about what I could expect, if he passes away at home, which is what we're hoping for. She said the coroner's office has someone designated to show up immediately and examine the controlled substances in the home. This person will count the tablets left in the vial, and take note of the date on it. I gather this is to explore whether the deceased person may have been deliberately overdosed. (If you're a client of a "hospice" provider, that doesn't get done.) So there's more opportunities to get into trouble than one might anticipate.

I never expected to be doing what I'm doing. I always figured that, as long as alcohol is legal, that would do me, as a soothing substance. Age changes us. One glass of wine with dinner is nice. Any more just makes me feel sick. Because I'm averse to inhaling smoke, weed has never interested me. Then there's opiates, which I think Heaven intended for the relief of human misery. But we're at a point in time where the hammer is coming down on years of careless prescribing. I think the Law has over-reacted. It's going to be easier to get an AK-47 than some pain pills. I think legislators are getting a bit hysterical. Last time I went to the pharmacy, my PCP had ordered me some inhalable Narcan. Probably good to get that stuff spread around in the community.

Some recent studies have been done on the use of opioids to treat depression. They were so used before other psych drugs got invented. Those newer drugs are proving less effective than was hoped. So opioids for depression are getting a new look. There's evidence they can have an antidepressant effect. No real surprise there. Obviously, if they didn't make people feel better, they wouldn't get abused. I wish Society could be more rational in regulating usage.

Some of what we hear is not rational. The opioid crisis is being blamed on drug manufacturers encouraging doctors to over-prescribe and not keeping doctors informed of the risks of opioid use. That is such crap. Opiates are a very old class of drugs. We knew a hundred years ago how addictive and lethal they were. I've heard nothing new about opiates that I wasn't told back in 1977 in nursing school. They depress the respiratory drive, which can easily be lethal. An eminent surgeon who helped found Johns Hopkins Hospital back in 1889 was addicted to morphine. He knew back then pretty much most of what we know now. He knew it first-hand, and his colleagues knew about his addiction. Doctors have always known about the lethality of opioids. But its trending these days to demonize the manufacturers. I'm not sure what that's about.

That's all part of the atmosphere that affects our access to opioid pain relievers. I just hope I don't lose something that makes my life seem better. I do see where losing an opioid makes life seem worse than if I had never used it. That is something to think about.
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, possum220, unaluna

advertisement
luvyrself
Poohbah
 
luvyrself's Avatar
luvyrself has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2015
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,280
8 yr Member
136 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Nov 21, 2019 at 02:41 AM
  #22
Rose,I think people could make more viable suggestions to you if you describe what your physical pain is and what immune disorder you have that is causing it. Here’s a cautionary tale about Vicodin: My best friend has chronic pain in her hands from a malpractice episode years ago w an iv at a hospital. She admits she is addicted to Vicodin. It has started to cause ongoing hairline cracks in her spine from osteoporosis. You sound awfully desperate on this issue, and getting extra by saying your bf needs them makes you sound like you already are addicted. No preaching? People who really care about you are going to express some concerns here.
You have a very stressful situation. The last thing you need is an addiction. I would suggest you try some non THC cannabis products. I have pain from frozen shoulder and tho I take the gummies for anxiety, I have found that they loosen up my muscles and thereby help with the pain. Hugs to you as a fellow caregiver.

__________________
Bipolar 2 with anxious distress
mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress
tegretol 200 mg
wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed
Regular aerobic exercise
SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Family Medical Advocate
Masters in Library Science
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools
luvyrself is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Bill3, bpcyclist, Rose76
 
Thanks for this!
Rose76
luvyrself
Poohbah
 
luvyrself's Avatar
luvyrself has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2015
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,280
8 yr Member
136 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Nov 21, 2019 at 08:33 AM
  #23
I would also suggest that you find a really good pain specialist. We’re also fond of you and sorry to see you stressing like this.

__________________
Bipolar 2 with anxious distress
mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress
tegretol 200 mg
wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed
Regular aerobic exercise
SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Family Medical Advocate
Masters in Library Science
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools
luvyrself is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
 
Thanks for this!
Bill3, Rose76
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Nov 24, 2019 at 12:37 PM
  #24
Well, did you get that prescription filled?

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
Rose76
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 04, 2019 at 11:06 PM
  #25
Yeah, all is well now. And I'm using less of it. Seems my pain threshhold was raised during my days without the tablets.

I've been busy and away from PC. So I'm just seeing the last posts. Thank you very much for your continued interest. I appreciate the concern and kind comments.

I didn't know about opiates leading to bone fractures. I'll have to learn more about that.

I have had this chronic, nagging soreness since my mid 50s. A doctor told me the neck thing is arthritis. Then there's sudden stabbing back pain at different levels of my back, depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes I think it's just muscular weakness from being deconditioned, as I've not exercised for years. Sometimes I think it seems to fit what I hear about fibromyalgia, except I don't really believe in that disorder. My father had severe osteoarthritis, which ran in his family. But my joints aren't really the big problem. My many sore spots seem to be where muscle attaches to bone - entheses points.
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, possum220, unaluna
luvyrself
Poohbah
 
luvyrself's Avatar
luvyrself has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2015
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,280
8 yr Member
136 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 05, 2019 at 01:29 AM
  #26
See a bone doctor and a rheumatologist. Mention the dosage of hydrocodone. Google spinal fractures from Vicodin.
Be a detective. You need to know what you’re dealing with. Put yourself first as much as you need to. Your fellow medical advocate. Hugs!

__________________
Bipolar 2 with anxious distress
mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress
tegretol 200 mg
wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed
Regular aerobic exercise
SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Family Medical Advocate
Masters in Library Science
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools
luvyrself is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, Rose76
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist, Rose76
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 05, 2019 at 04:07 PM
  #27
I've been reading about opioids and bone fractures. I never, ever before knew about opioids putting bone at risk. They reduce androgen. They impair the function of osteoblasts (which create bone.) This is very serious information.

I did agree to see a bone doctor in the past. I was told it would be an orthopedic specialist. This doctor struck me as awfully odd when I met him. He said there was nothing wrong with my neck that couldn't be reversed. I thought that was crazy. You can't "reverse" arthritis. Turned out he was not an MD. He was a D.O. - doctor of osteopathy. He was supposed to be a pain specialist. Seemed like a quack to me. He said I had "myofascial pain with trigger points." That's a diagnosis that D.O.s give to everyone with back pain. Regular MDs don't even recognize this diagnosis. I like to stick to mainstream medicine, not this alternative stuff.

I do agree that a real orthopedist or rheumatologist would be the proper consults to get.
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 05, 2019 at 08:34 PM
  #28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose76 View Post
I've been reading about opioids and bone fractures. I never, ever before knew about opioids putting bone at risk. They reduce androgen. They impair the function of osteoblasts (which create bone.) This is very serious information.

I did agree to see a bone doctor in the past. I was told it would be an orthopedic specialist. This doctor struck me as awfully odd when I met him. He said there was nothing wrong with my neck that couldn't be reversed. I thought that was crazy. You can't "reverse" arthritis. Turned out he was not an MD. He was a D.O. - doctor of osteopathy. He was supposed to be a pain specialist. Seemed like a quack to me. He said I had "myofascial pain with trigger points." That's a diagnosis that D.O.s give to everyone with back pain. Regular MDs don't even recognize this diagnosis. I like to stick to mainstream medicine, not this alternative stuff.

I do agree that a real orthopedist or rheumatologist would be the proper consults to get.
Oh, don't even get me started...

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
susan888
Poohbah
 
susan888's Avatar
susan888 has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,435
10 yr Member PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 10, 2019 at 07:40 PM
  #29
Hi Rose,

I completely understand what you are going through. I became permanently disabled a few years ago with a very painful progressive illness. There's not much to be done about the condition..it's just going to continue to get worse.

My quality of life was bumping along OK until the US cracked down on pain medication. My dose of hydro codone keeps getting reduced and I'm sure the physicians will eventually stop prescribing it at at all. This past year has been hard.

I had quit drinking alcohol about 10 years ago, but just very recently started again sometimes just for pain relief.

No answers for you my friend, but you are not alone.

__________________
[SIGPIC[/SIGPIC] Susan
susan888 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist, Rose76
 
Thanks for this!
bpcyclist, Rose76
Misssy2
Grand Member
Misssy2 Recovering Again
 
Member Since: Apr 2016
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 807
5 yr Member
86 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 13, 2019 at 05:46 PM
  #30
i count my benzos almost every other day...it sucks this feeling I don't understand it is not like we live in Russia...If I am 55 years old and want to take medication for my anxiety....than its my right...but apparently we have no rights as to what we take here in the US.....I hate it.

__________________
"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell"
(My girlfriend had this ringtone for my phone calls...lol)

Bipolar 1
Anxiety

Current Medications:
Lorazepam
Zoloft
Abilify
Gabapentin

Misssy2 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
luvyrself
Poohbah
 
luvyrself's Avatar
luvyrself has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2015
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,280
8 yr Member
136 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 15, 2019 at 12:37 AM
  #31
Alternatives to existing pain medications are so badly needed.
BPcyclist, you have so much experience with this issue and with the medical field. How can people organize to help speed the research along?
I’m imagining something more focused than writing our Congressperson and voting. Is there a pain association people can join and contribute to?
As I have mentioned on the forum, Vicodin addiction is destroying my high functioning, pillar of the community 78year old friend.

__________________
Bipolar 2 with anxious distress
mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress
tegretol 200 mg
wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed
Regular aerobic exercise
SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Family Medical Advocate
Masters in Library Science
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools
luvyrself is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
Rose76
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 15, 2019 at 02:39 AM
  #32
Yeah, I mean, just listen to this thread. We have various people regularly counting pills because they are so freaked out they won't be able to get a refill and they need it. The opioid crisis has swung the pendulum so far the other way, that people who really need them can't get them. It's a classic shotgun approach to something that really needed a sharpshooter. Typical AMericasn political response. Kind of like invading Iraq when Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia were the real problem. Stupid.

You might look into something like the American Chronic Pain Association. They've been around for quite awhile and seem to have a pretty good reputation. They are definitely an advocacy group.

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
Rose76
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 17, 2019 at 05:08 AM
  #33
I agree that the pendulum has swung too far. The real culprits have been unethical doctors who turned prescribing opioids onto a cottage industry. Legislators then gave up on holding doctors to reasonable standards, so they are now babysitting the medical profession by micromanaging the medical treatment of pain.

I am in the midst of having a probable G.I. bleeding ulcer. My bloodwork shows serious anemia necessitating I/V iron infusions. So I shouldn't be taking NSAIDs. Yet, I am taking Indocin to treat Achilles tendonitis and back pain. Indocin is a prescription drug that can be fairly dangerous. But I have a big vial of that stuff, with refills available. For me, Indocin is probably more dangerous than Vicodin. But I can get that more easily, so I'm using it.
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
bpcyclist
Legendary
 
bpcyclist's Avatar
bpcyclist has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
40.2k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 17, 2019 at 04:47 PM
  #34
i am sorry to hear about the possible ulcer. Have they scheduled an endoscopy, by chance?

__________________
When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
bpcyclist is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
Rose76
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 19, 2019 at 08:18 AM
  #35
I am waiting to hear from the GI clinic about when they will do the endoscopy. Three years ago this happened, and they found a bleeding eroded area in my stomach near my esophagus. Pantoprazole seemed to have fixed the problem. I still take it, but I had cut down on the dosage to what I thought was an adequate amount. I guess it wasn't. I lately had some episodes of heartburn that felt like a knife in my chest.

If it isn't one thing, it's another.
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
sarahsweets
Threadtastic Postaholic
 
sarahsweets's Avatar
sarahsweets has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2018
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 6,006 (SuperPoster!)
5 yr Member
192 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 19, 2019 at 09:30 AM
  #36
Hey @Rose76 have they ever checked for Barretts esophagus? It is something that can happen due to chronic reflux, a hiatal hernia and acid from the stomach "pooling" around the esophogus.

Quote:
What is Barrett's esophagus

Barrett's esophagus is a serious complication of GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. In Barrett's esophagus, normal tissue lining the esophagus -- the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach -- changes to tissue that resembles the lining of the intestine. About 10% of people with chronic symptoms of GERD develop Barrett's esophagus. Barrett's esophagus does not have any specific symptoms, although patients with Barrett's esophagus may have symptoms related to GERD. It does, though, increase the risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is a serious, potentially fatal cancer of the esophagus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose76 View Post
I am waiting to hear from the GI clinic about when they will do the endoscopy. Three years ago this happened, and they found a bleeding eroded area in my stomach near my esophagus. Pantoprazole seemed to have fixed the problem. I still take it, but I had cut down on the dosage to what I thought was an adequate amount. I guess it wasn't. I lately had some episodes of heartburn that felt like a knife in my chest.

If it isn't one thing, it's another.

__________________
"I carried a watermelon?"

President of the no F's given society.
sarahsweets is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
Rose76
Legendary
 
Rose76's Avatar
Rose76 Treading water.
 
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 12,404 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
5,302 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 22, 2019 at 11:41 AM
  #37
Thanks for your post, Sarah. In my case the damage is not in the esophagus. What I have is a "Cameron lesion." It is an eroded area in that part of the upper stomach that herniates, or pops up above the diaphragm. Pressure, friction and acid cause this erosion/ulceration. Then it can bleed. Controlling acid with PPI drugs, like Prevacid, can heal the area that bleeds. I did that with good results. But I gradually cut back on the acid inhibiting medication because I knew that reducing stomach acid can have longterm negative consequences - like C. diff infection, osteopenia, nutritional deficits and pneumonia. (Nature put that acid in the stomach for lots of good reasons. When we suppress it, some bad things can happen over the long haul.) It seems I went too far in cutting back on the pantoprazole that was prescribed for me. I was trying to gradually replace it with Pepcid, which is safer in the longterm, though not as effective at reducing acid. So my little experiment failed.

Sometimes, the same surgery done for Barrett's esophagus - a "fundiplication" - is done for my condition also. (If drugs like pantoprazole done control the acid, or cause unacceptable problems.)
Rose76 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
bpcyclist
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:49 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.