November 15, 2006 - 3:31pm
For those of you that suffer from chronic pain, I was wondering if there was a formula or a common expectation as to how long a pain medication will be effective? I currently take lortab 10/500 daily and have been doing so for 18 months. For the past several months the current dosage has provided little relief. Does a 12 - 18 month period seem to be an appropriate time frame for an adjustment?
November 15, 2006 - 4:09pm
#2
adjustments
After cutting back on your meds do you later return to the prescribed dose? And if so how long of a period do you cut back? Thanks for your imput. I have acually spoken to my Doctor about this, but have decided not to make the jump to percocet at this time.
November 15, 2006 - 5:07pm
#3
yes, i always return to my
yes, i always return to my rx dose.
how long that will take... well, it really just depends.
i usually take my meds twice a day. in theory they are suppose to last for 12 hours. of course they dont. usually i get somewhere between 8-10 hours. when i start to notice that they arent working as well then i will wait maybe an extra 2-4 hours to take my meds. the beauty of this is that when you do finally take them then they are more effective, or at least it seems this way to me.
our bodies will naturally tell us to do more and more. and i strongly advise anyone/everyone to follow their doctors orders. however, when my body feels like it needs more is when i decided to give it less. sometimes i will go a day w/out meds at all and other days maybe take 1/2 my rx'ed dose. it really just depends. sometimes i will do this on a b-weekly basis-weekly-monthly. i just go by how i feel.
if we give into our urges then our tolerance is bound to skyrocket. if this means that i will go into a bit of a w/drawl or suffer more pain then usual, then that is something i have to deal with in ways other than meds. i strongly recommend yoga to any/every pain patient that can tolerate it. yoga and meditation have helped me to deal w/ my chronic pain immensely.
however, in light of all this i would once again strongly reccomend that everyone follows their doctors instructions and never substitute professional advice for something that one may read on the net.
just my two cents.
i hope that you find some peace and a better quality of life.
respectfully,
phisher
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
November 15, 2006 - 5:21pm
#4
Chronic Pain
I too live in Chronic Pain, I also find it (Norco) builds a tolerance. I have had to make new changes to my meds-thru my trusted Dr.I recently had to have soma added to the norco.It does help with the muscle pain & bone pain. I don't like that I have to take "pain meds" but I also need to have the progressive pain managed, & have things that I can accomplish for my mental well being. I know the trajechtory of the illness I have is progressive, & by the surgeons I have seen & all the tests & outcome-my situation is too high risk to have anything corrected. NO SURGERY-COMPREHENSIVE CARE- PHYSICAL THERAPY & PAIN MANAGEMENT.I WAS ON A DOSE OF VICODIN 5/500, FOR A LONG TIME PERHAPS 16 MONTHS, 1-2=3X'S A DAY. I HAD TO TAKE ASPRIAN AS WELL. PAIN IS VERY PERSONAL, INVISIABLE, MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT VERY REAL.WHAT ONE PERSON EXPERIANCES, IS SO DIFFERENT FROM another person who experiances chronic pain. I try to do the next right thing, & talk about it
with people who understand. I am grateful for this wonderful site & the people that are participants. best wishes to you all.-Teri
November 15, 2006 - 5:30pm
#5
chronic pain
PHISHER-YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT YOGA, AND TO EXERCISE, IT IS VITAL MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY FOR ME.I DO PILATES & A TREADMILL.ALL WITHIN MY DR'S ADVICE. THANKS-TERI
November 15, 2006 - 5:56pm
#6
absolutely. i believe it to
absolutely.
i believe it to be essential to have a multi-disciplinary approach rather than just depending on meds.
meds are great for short term or acute pain, however chronic pain is something different all together.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
November 15, 2006 - 8:15pm
#7
I'm in agreement with
I'm in agreement with phisher and I also do something similar.
In fact some doctors practice this in what is called a drug holiday.
A period of time where the medication is stopped usaully a 1 -2 month period of course it could also be longer because most have to be detoxed from their current dose.
Personally I find this method to be cruel and unusual punishment as the studies really don't show success and for the ones who were able to reduce their dose the are back to orginal dose within a very short period of time afterwards.
November 15, 2006 - 10:20pm
#8
chronic pain
I am also in agreement with using alternative methods for treating pain. I do physical therapy and walking daily. I have also tried acupuncture, swimming, and deep tissue massage. I had thought of yoga but never considered meditation. I would really like to find something that would allow me to not need the medication daily. My Doctor, however, does not think that is realistic. I do find that discussing these issues with others who suffer comforting in someway. But I can't over how terrible that sounds. Thanks to all for your responses.
November 15, 2006 - 11:02pm
#9
chronic pain
I too suffer from chronic pain, and have for years. I was on Vicodin 5/500 3 times a day for over a year with a pain management clinic, along with physical therapy. Since moving to a different state, I tried to get my medications through a physician here, and was called a drug addict and told I needed to go to rehab. Not one doctor in this state will write pain meds stronger than Ultram, and unfortunately I'm allergic to them. After being prescribed them in the ER here, I vomitted repeatedly and was hospitalized. How can I convince my doctor my pain is real, and that I can barely make it through my 10 hour shifts at work? I come home and collapse. I'm in so much pain with my back and knees that I lay and cry and get extremely depressed and quite hateful at times. Sometimes I can't even get myself out of bed, I have to have help because my back hurts so bad I feel paralyzed. I've seen three different doctor's in the past year I've lived here, and they've all pretty much done the same thing... Motrin or Naproxen, and muscle relaxants. These meds just don't take my pain away. I feel I'm not listened to, not cared about as a patient, and just another statistic because they're afraid of being prosecuted for writing narcotics. It's just not fair... I shouldn't have to live like this. ~*~koolaid~*~
November 15, 2006 - 11:48pm
#10
One thing you could do is
One thing you could do is write down in a journal of some kind. What your pain levels are everyday, what you have done,; IE activity level and what you have taken for medication or other therapy to help with that pain. Most of the time doctors are fearful of Rx'ing strong pain meds when there is no documentation to prove they are needed.
If you document how you are feeling it will allow the doctor to have that proof and it also shows the physician that you are being truthful.
I can certainly understand how hard it is to find a caring compassionate doctor who will take you seriously and treat you. It has taken me years !!! and I've been through the gauntlet. You need to keep searching !! I know it is easier said than done but there are good doctors out there.
November 16, 2006 - 4:10am
#11
I agree with
I agree with quahog's statement about recording your pain levels daily at least for a week to let your doctor know what an average week pain level wise might be for you. Also like quahog has stated it took me about 5 years to find a compassionate doctor who is willing to treat my pain pro-actively. Of course my doctor is old and should retire within the next 10 years but he is a very credited Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon who specializes in facial pain and is actual not afraid of the DEA and thus helps out alot of people including me. It is very important to look past the frustration and be determined to tell your doctors how much pain your in and not have them tell you how much pain you feel daily, after all you are the person feeling the pain not them so how do they know and plus it is very difficult most of the time for a doctor to know how much pain your in by running tests, they might be able to find out what's wrong but they cannot pin point pain levels and that is why it is very important to be frank and forward with all your doctors. If the doctor is not treating your pain correctly ask for a refferal in the name of pain. It might seem like doctor shopping but if your like me and I'm sure you are and have credible documentation that pain is present this should not raise any flags or cause you any trouble. Good Luck and God Bless!
Here is a link to a printout that you can use to record your pain levels
http://www.endo.com/patients/painmanage.html
My comments posted on this site are the expression of my thoughts pertaining to the questions posted. Questions concerning real medical situations should be presented to a medical profesional ASAP. Tablet Identifying should at best be the only
November 17, 2006 - 3:35am
#12
Koolaid,Get in touch with
Koolaid,
Get in touch with your old doctor from your previous state. Tell him exactly what is happening with you and he knows better than anyone the proper protocal between healthcare professionals.
It's such a crime that we legit chronic pain sufferers are made out to be drug seeking addicts just because we have been through every possible option and have finally found one that works! Very degrading since we put food on these doctors and pharmacists tables by paying for services and prescriptions! NO CUSTOMER APPRECIATION WHATSOEVER!
Anyways, perhaps, your records from your previous Dr. stating the year long treatment, diagnosis, and medication will help. Also if you can get one, a letter from your old doctor may be provided and better yet, he/she may know of a real doctor in your area! If all else fails, you may have to take trips monthly to see your old Doc if that is at all possible. As a last resort, there are always legit online Dr./Pharmacy operations that cater to chronic pain sufferers and your meds are deliverd express to your doorstep!
Hope some of this helps, I know I dont even know you but nobody deserves to live in pain constantly.
Please feel free to contact me thru pm, but also keep us posted
regards,
Acey
November 18, 2006 - 8:49pm
#13
chronic pain to Koolaid
There is actually a "pain patients bill of rights." I'm not sure if this is for the whole country or only CA though. One way to get help & support for chronic pain in your area is to attend meetings of a local "American Assoc. of Chronic Pain" group. There is one in most larger towns & cities. There you will meet other people who have been thru what you're going thru & (not as a group), but individually, people usually tell you who the compassionate doctors are.
It also helps to show that you have tried other things to help the pain. Make a list of any chiropractic, physical therapy, acupunture and/or other treatments that you have tried. Some docs will try you on anti-depressants & other things before they finally work their way up to the opiate drugs. So many of them have been terrified by the federal govt. & they are afraid of having their licenses taken away. (IMOHO) Just keep trying.
Good luck! No one should have to suffer chronic on-going pain without help & support.
Breeze
it really does depend.
tolerance can set in, in as little as a week, usually not longer than a month though.
everyone is a little different when it comes to this.
i have been on the same amount of meds for the last two years. when i notice my tolerance going up i actually try to cut back on my meds to compensate for the tolerance adjustment.
of course i am not reccomending this but rather stating what i do.
talk with your doctor and follow their instructions.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.