Pain Meds needed

[jrnyc]

that is so good to hear, Felicia!

Melissa...i am glad you had some kind of medication to take!...
i know...the pills never seem to help with sleep, at least not to my knowledge...but they can take the edge off the pain...so you can stop grinding your teeth from the pain!

jess

[Karen Ocker]

Some principles of pain management(scoliosis surgery really hurts).

How a person responds to pain meds is genetically modulated. What works for one doesn't help another. This is not a moral issue but a physiological process.

Pain is carried through different pathways in the body.
Different medications work on pain differently: gabapentin/lyrica help nerve pain which no opiate relieves.

Early abolishment of pain is better than letting it get out of hand. There is a "wind-up" phenomenum where insufficient relief of pain, at it's onset, can result in chronic pain later on.

Pain management docs are usually the best because they can fine-tune different medications which relieve pain via different pathways.

The problem with opiates is that higher and higher doses are needed because the body gets more efficient at metabolizing them in the meantime bowel problems can ensue.

Tranquilizers such as valium, xanax and ativan are not recommended as effective in the recent pain management course I took. Sudden stopping of such meds after regular use can result in seizures. They have also been implicated in suicidal depression in the elderly as well as memory problems.

Antidepressents help pain but science is not sure how.

Other non-pharma methods do help pain: ice, heat and alpha-stim(TENS).

I was very grateful to my pain doc who had me gradually tapered off opiates after 3 months and dealt with the expected withdrawal that did happen.

[mbeckoff]

How a person responds to pain meds is genetically modulated. What works for one doesn't help another. This is not a moral issue but a physiological process.

Pain is carried through different pathways in the body.
Different medications work on pain differently: gabapentin/lyrica help nerve pain which no opiate relieves.

Early abolishment of pain is better than letting it get out of hand. There is a "wind-up" phenomenum where insufficient relief of pain, at it's onset, can result in chronic pain later on.

Pain management docs are usually the best because they can fine-tune different medications which relieve pain via different pathways.

The problem with opiates is that higher and higher doses are needed because the body gets more efficient at metabolizing them in the meantime bowel problems can ensue.

Tranquilizers such as valium, xanax and ativan are not recommended as effective in the recent pain management course I took. Sudden stopping of such meds after regular use can result in seizures. They have also been implicated in suicidal depression in the elderly as well as memory problems.

Antidepressents help pain but science is not sure how.

Other non-pharma methods do help pain: ice, heat and alpha-stim(TENS).

I was very grateful to my pain doc who had me gradually tapered off opiates after 3 months and dealt with the expected withdrawal that did happen.

This is very interesting.Thanks for explaining .
My docotor gave me Tylenol with codeine. Lets hope it works with the least amount of side effects

Melissa

[LAL]

Pain meds, teens

In response to Elise who asked about pain meds and teens. My daughter had surgery at the age of 16. They sent her home with a script for about a week of pain meds. She needed more, the told me to give her tylenol. (this was Shriners in Chicago) I ended up having to take her to our GP who gave her another script for vicodin, but was reluctant, due to her age and he told her at that time he would only give her one script, so what, she better be pain-free after that or else? I found during this experience that many doctors are very reluctant to prescribe teens pain medication in the amount they need becasue they are afraid of causing "addiction". Even a pain management center at a well known hospital here in Michigan would not give her any pain meds due to "her age". So someone her age are just supposed to be in pain? We finally found a great pain management doctor who works with her to try to give her what helps with her pain, but she is 20 now, so maybe its because she went over that 18 year old mark, I am not sure. My suggestion is to find someone prior to surgery, because the surgeon will only prescribe pain meds for a short period of time and if your son happens to need it longer, it may be difficutl to find someone to help you if you wait until you need it.

[Pooka1]

Spiny mouse,

I didn't see your question about pain needs for kids until LAL responded.

You may want to search the archives for the many answers or re-post the question on your thread.

I can't answer for what most surgeons do but our surgeon sent us home with a script for about a week of percoset with each kid. It was dicey after it ran out with the first kid but she managed on Tylenol. The second kid was better but then had the hug injury and then it was dicey. But she managed on Tylenol.

Some kids need only a few days of meds and some need far more. This might be under genetic control plus some complexities... my identical twins react to drugs differently to the point that one is allergic to sulfa drugs and the other is not. Also, one had a much easier recovery seemingly due to handling the anesthesia better.

The bottom line is the main reason parents need to be with the kids to to make sure pain is controlled and to advocate for them when it isn't.

[jrnyc]

how awful that doctors are so ridiculously hesitant...and how insensitive!! i wouldn't be surprised if children or teens were not in a hurry to see a doctor again, if they were made to suffer for lack of pain meds!!!

jess

[mbeckoff]

Here I am back again.I saw my pain management doctor last week and my surgeon yesterday. I am back on Nycentia at 100 mgs . It has brought my pain down to a 5.Yea!!! Bad news is that it makes me dizzy at this dose. I called the pain management DR and she told me that the dizziness could go away in several weeks. I will stick it out and see what happens . My surgeon is pleased with my healing.He does not feel that it is too soon to be off pain meds.
Thanks for all of your prayers and concern

Melissa

[asccbodypro]

Here I am back again.I saw my pain management doctor last week and my surgeon yesterday. I am back on Nycentia at 100 mgs . Melissa

Melissa,

I have never heard of Nycentia prior to your post. What type of pain were you having and did they prescribe it as an alternative to narcotics? I've had pain management issues and am now on just valium and Tramadol and the ever consistant Celebrex. Valium has been the only thing that has worked for my muscles spasms but I have been on it for 4 years now. I can back up Karen's statement as far as memory loss goes....good lord, I seem to forget so much latey I feel like I'm loosing my mind. Pehaps I have found my culprit! I hope you have good success!

[jrnyc]

hey Melissa
glad the nuycenta is helping you...
it did nothing for me!

hope your pain stays manageable, if it doesn't diaappear!

jess

[mbeckoff]

I am having as bad a pain before my surgery and yes they gave it to me as a alternative to narcotics.Memory loss is so bad for me

Melissa

[jrnyc]

nucyenta is listed as a "mu opioid"....
anyone know how to explain it...???
i am pretty sure it is still in the opioid "family"
????

jess

[Pooka1]

okay I looked it up because I don't know squat about this stuff.

The "mu" is the Greek letter and refers to morphine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_Opioid_receptor

The μ-opioid receptors (MOR) are a class of opioid receptors with high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin but low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ opioid peptide (MOP) receptors. The prototypical μ receptor agonist is the opium alkaloid morphine; μ (mu) refers to morphine.

So that drug is in the mu class which I take to mean works on the same receptors as morphine.

[mbeckoff]

So which is stronger, oxcodone , oxcocontin or nycenta, The nycenta makes me feel dizzy and forgetful but it takes the pain away. The other two work great with no side effects but no one will prescribe them for me.

[jrnyc]

wow! i had no idea...thanks, Sharon...

funny...the nucyenta does nothing for me...i think i have 50 mg dose...
but i cannot handle morphine...makes me vomit the moment i swallow it!
my mother was allergic to morphine...
strange that nucyenta has no effect on me! i asked the PA what it was for...i could not even tell it was a pain medication!

glad if it helps you, melissa....just shows how different people's bodies function!

jess

[mbeckoff]

wow! i had no idea...thanks, Sharon...

funny...the nucyenta does nothing for me...i think i have 50 mg dose...
but i cannot handle morphine...makes me vomit the moment i swallow it!
my mother was allergic to morphine...
strange that nucyenta has no effect on me! i asked the PA what it was for...i could not even tell it was a pain medication!

glad if it helps you, melissa....just shows how different people's bodies function!

jess

I am on 100 mgs. The 75 did nothing for me. I hope that some day soon I will not need anything for pain but not happening now.

Melissa