Pain med druggie?

[dawney]

I am in the process of starting some kind of surgery, do not know how extensive yet. I have ignored the problem for about 20 years and it caught up with me. I cannot do anything without taking pain meds and I want that to stop. I also hoard my pain pills, take smaller doses, etc. I feel guilty asking for refills. I think that women tend to feel guilty if they aren't "perfect".

[JoAnn5]

I'm a long way from perfect and i know i will never be no matter how hard i try... but i feel guilty when i show a weakness.. isn't that silly? when i write it, i see that... When i asked my GP about some pain medicine, she looked at me over her glasses and said that i'm a long time from my surgery (7 months post-op) i felt so guilty... i'm afraid she thinks i'm either taking them for too long or that i'm imagining my pain. It's possible that she didn't think either, but i'm bad about trying to second-guess people... I'm thankful that she's the kind of doctor who won't jump in and prescribe all sorts of medicine at the first whine; she wouldn't have a very good reputation or my trust if she did that. It just makes me squirm a little when i have to ask for them...

[sweetness514]

Doctors who haven't had scoliosis surgery don't know what pain we go through, and about the "looks", many give them for any type of pain we have, or pills we ask. And it's normal to have pain, and the only solution is either to take meds when we over did it or rest and do nothing for a while, wich is what I tend to do but I think I will ask for pills more and see if there are some that could help me without feeling weird or have too many side effects.

I say guilt doesn't bring anything good so it's useless and what they think is less important than our physical and mental well being. It's not easy to think this way, I know but the bottom line is what it is.

And down with us women wanting to be perfect, nobody is, certainly not men and a lot of them don't care and we still love them-although they can be annoying at times

[makaylasmom]

Some docters just don't get it!

My surgery is set for June 26th, and I can't wait!! I'm tired of living on pain meds, but its also a necessary evil at this point. It's kind of funny in my situation, my doc keeps wanting to give me more pain meds, but I feel I'm already on alot as it is and tell them I don't want more. I take Lortab 2 or 3 times a day- just to make it thru the day, Neurontin at night to keep the pinched nerves at bay so I can sleep and Celebrex twice a day for the arthritis in my spine. I'm supposed to take Flexeril as well- but that one makes me feel funny- so I admit I don't take that one. I think everyone's case is different, and different needs require different meds. I remember meeting one surgeon who said that Aleve was all I needed- and he even said that he had absolutely no sympathy for people with scoliosis- needless to say he isn't my surgeon. I think it is really important to find a doc that understands scoliosis and that each person with scoliosis has different needs. No hard and fast rules here.

[slprncess]

pain meds

I am 10 mths post op from my last surgery and I still have to take pain meds. I was hoping that this last surgery (my 4th) would take care of my pain and I would only be on pain meds for a couple weeks after the surgery and be off. Well the surgery did not help my pain and now I am taking pills 10 mths post op. I worry everyday about me taking them since I have taken them for about 2 years now. If I didnt take the pills I would not be able to function. This is the only way I can get out of bed.
I had a follow up apt with my dr 2 weeks ago and I spoke to him about the pills. He assured me to not worry about it and when I have my surgery in August then we will try to wean down after this surgery. He told me never to just stop taking pills cold turkey because my body to go into seizures. He said it is very important to have him monitor me when I wean down. His words made me feel better and didnt make me feel like I am a drug addict. I have come across some doctors in the past who dont understand the amount of pain I go through everyday and just expect me to just stop taking them. Well I dont go to those doctors anymore.
Has anyone had any problems trying to wean off the pills after their surgery? It is my biggest fear running out of pills or something happening where I could not get my prescription filled. I dont want to live my life like this anymore! I want to live a normal life! Sometimes I wish I would have never taken one pill and just dealt with the pain.

Sarah

[dawney]

The last time I called my family doctor for pain meds, he asked me what for? I have been going to him for years, he sent me to therapy. Finally my chiropractor referred me to a surgeon, not the right one of course. I feel that I am on the right track to find someone who can help me.

[mattie]

I have had three surgeries. I have taken pain pills after each one, but did not want to. My Dr. always prescribed vicodin for me. I can not take any moraphine it makes me sick to my stomach. Lots of pain meds make me sick.
I am 7 months post-op. I do not take pain meds now except every once in a while. I have not taken one for over a month now. I was always worried about taking them, afraid I would get addicted. My Dr. assured me I wouldn't and he was right.
I had a sister who over dosed on pain meds and killed herself, 3 years ago.
I seen her go through alot with pain meds, she just couldn't get off them, she needed professional help and would not let anyone help her.
My whole family tried to get her help and she refused.
I think a person can get addicted pretty quick, but I think as long as a person keeps a grip on how they are using them they will be ok.
Hope I didn't bore anyone to much with my babbling but just wanted to let you know that I have had to use them for two years off and on and never became addicted.
Good Luck,
Mattie

[edejkeller]

pain cycle

Good Morning Mattie,
One final thought. Taking pain meds on a consistent basis until the pain is gone is far better than "gutting it out" until pain is bad and then taking the meds. The latter is an addictive cycle and the former will help mitigate getting inside a pain cycle. It takes more meds after a gut out session then to maintain a reasonable comfort level. It was my experience after the hip replacements and shoulder replacement that my body/mind was very clear when I no longer needed the strong stuff and could taper off. However, it was done under medical supervison - so always take with your doc and follow what he/she says. I am certainly not a medical expert.
Walk with God. Eric

[sweetness514]

From my experiences, at times I just needed to really take it easy and rest(not long periods in bed though) to calm the pain when I over did it, and also sleeping better while taking a sleep aid is such a relaxer, and calms the pain. I do get that sometimes the pain is too much and taking some meds are needed.