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#1
05-24-2010, 11:02 PM
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Long term pain management - HELP
Just wondering if anyone has been on long term opiates and benzodiazepine (valium, klonopin, xanax, etc.) and try to detox? I'm feeling better (hubby is getting the hang of how to get rid of my muscle spasms through massage and pressure) and want to detox. I've only been on them for two and a half months or so and am SOOOO sick. I was on oxycontin for about two or three years once and got very sick getting off of this. But after only a little over two months I didn't expect this much trouble. If anyone has any words of advice, I'm all ears. I do have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, so I'm going to ask him for help.
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#2
05-28-2010, 08:57 PM
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Glad you are going to ask your doctor for help. I have been on benzodiazepines for a long time and despise them. But nothing else seems to help, actually these don't either as I have a lot of break through pain but am determined not to go on any more tablets.
I did go off them by a quarter of a tablet every three weeks, was so proud of myself but then honestly the pain sent me nearly crazy so I had no choice. I wonder what the long term damage is going to be, and that scares me. I wish you all the luck in the world. Lorraine.
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Operated on in 1966, harrington rods inserted from T4 to L3, here is Australia. Fusion of the said vertebrae as well. Problems for the last 13 years with pain. Something I feel deeply,"Life is like money,you can spend it anyway you wish, but can only spend it once.
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#3
05-29-2010, 12:57 AM
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hey rohr
i've gone off oxy...but stayed on hydrocodone...so i didnt have any withdrawal...but i've stopped hydrocodone cold at times for up to 2 weeks (long story) and no withdrawal, just increased back pain! so i dont think my body reacts the same way as i've read on forum...and as a (retired) drug and alcohol counselor, i kinda know what to watch for... i truly hope you can find some relief...what did your doctor say at your appt? jess
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#4
05-29-2010, 12:21 PM
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We're all very different. A friend of mine had a relatively small back surgery about 6 weeks ago, and was weaned off of morphine very gradually over a 10 day period. The withdrawal was horrible for the last week. He had complete nausea (he barely ate or drank anything), and was sweating and cold. During the withdrawal period, he was still on other strong narcotics, so this wasn't a pain issue. Yet, I've known others who withdrew in a day or two, and were fine.
--Linda
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#5
05-30-2010, 11:01 AM
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Well, I got off the klonopin by myself. I'm 9 days clean of that stuff, although it seems to work best for my muscle spasms when I have them. I tried to let my 50 mcg fentanyl patch run out. BIG mistake. I wasn't mentally prepared for what ensued. My doctor finally agreed that I needed to do something since I was down to 114# at the visit. He cut my fentanyl down to 25 mcg (then we will either stop it at 2 weeks or go down to 12.5 for 2 weeks then stop) and upped my percocet from every 8 hours to every 6 hours. I'm doing much better than I had thought, although today is day 2 and is a little worse than yesterday in some respects. I'm cold and sweaty all the time. I have some shakiness. Yesterday my nausea went away, as fentanyl causes nausea in me, but returned today but very mild. My skin hurts in the sense of being sunburned all over. Everything that touches me feels like sandpaper. I am having some pain, but I expected that. I am choosing to try to live with the pain with as little meds as possible. I expect that I will have another "pain crisis", as my doctor calls them. I have had them since I was 16 and know they will come again. I think trying to deal with them in a different manner next time will help prevent me from becoming chemically dependent on meds, though. I'm just looking forward to feeling clean. I know that I will always need a percocet rescue now and then, but that is a whole different ballgame than taking stuff everyday because you have to. Thank you for all your kind replies and concern.
Last edited by rohrer01; 05-30-2010 at 11:04 AM.
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#6
05-30-2010, 01:46 PM
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hey Rohrer....
Just wanted to deeply commend you on your efforts. I think it takes a lot of courage and honest self examination to go your route. Sounds to me like after your last visit with your scoli doc that shook you up so much, you entered a period of introspection and are so willing to try a different approach. (I feel very proud of you!) This must be so hard....I can't even imagine. I've also been wanting to mention that every time I read your comments in some of the research threads that I keep envisioning you eventually embarking on some kind of home study scoliosis research project. I am remembering some of your statements about wanting to work with your degree- the difficulty of being in an office or "out there" working. Anyway, since the thought keeps surfacing when I read your insights I thought I should throw it out there. Who knows, some day?! Which ever way the wind blows for you, no matter how hard it gets- my hat is off to you....
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Amy 55 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009 Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc 2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis Thinking about Surgery
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#7
05-31-2010, 11:07 PM
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Quote:
You've probably seen some of them on the subject of my experiences with narcotics (scared you, I'll bet. Good!  ) so you probably know what I mean. I am terrified of those fentanyl patches. My neurologist (doubles in this town for my back doc since we don't have any) has been trying to push me into using them for years. I KNOW I'd get hooked. Everyone reacts differently to every med (with some commonalities) but I KNEW I would have been endangered by FENTANYL from the few times it was given to me in inducing general anesthesia or for a spinal. I became very hypomanic. Seems to be no in between with the patches. If you're sensitive, you can't break a pill and take less like with Norco. My pharmacist told me frankly he'd "seen more people ruin their lives on Fentanyl than with any other narcotic". I appreciated his frankness. He saw me struggling. Can't imagine how you're getting off! I will NOT let them give it to me after surgery no matter what. Good girl! Amanda
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Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far: Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30 Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this too a different grade. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive
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#8
06-10-2010, 06:41 PM
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Having a lot of head pain
I have curviture of the spine. I am having to take codeine, paracetomol and nurofen during the day due to the pain I am having which includes the back of the head. I have been to various specialists about my back, nothing more can be done as I also have respiratory failure. I am fed up with taking so many painkillers especialy when they don't work that well.
What can be the cause of my problem and what can be done? I even have been given a support by the pain clinic but it doesn't help the head pain only stops my rib hump rubbing. I previously had an injection many years ago which helped the back pain, however when I last went to Stanmore I was told that they couldn't do it, which I can't understand. I look forward to your comments. Many thanks
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Liz
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#9
06-10-2010, 07:07 PM
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So very sorry, Liz!!
To get proper attention to your important query, suggest you start a new thread, and at that time explain more about your pain sources and history, No one here is a doctor, mind you, and it sounds as if your questions require a lot of specialized knowledge, What has caused the respiratory failure (for intance) and what is your age? What angles and other measurements have you been given for your curvature? I wonder too what docs you've seen and whether they ruled out surgery. Or have you already had surgery? Sounds just awful!
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Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far: Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30 Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this too a different grade. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive
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#10
06-11-2010, 08:47 PM
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hey rohr
i just got back from 2 days in NYC and read your post about sleeping thru the nite...good to hear that! i hope it gets better and easier to do that as the days pass... i saw pain doctor in NYC and got an epidural for the sciatica on my left side...so far, it is actually helping...and i am shocked...my expectations for this were very low! i am so sorry that you are still in pain...am wondering whether you expect to get to zero percocet..and how that will go if you are still in pain... hope you feel better soon... jess
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#11
06-11-2010, 10:51 PM
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Quote:
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