Has anyone had trouble getting off pain meds?

[discombobulated]

Oh, Debbe - CONGRATS!!!

There are no smileys here to say just how happy & relieved I am for you that things are finally starting to come together & you're feeling better...but well..I am thrilled for you. Thank goodness, indeed!

I hope tonight brings more uninterrupted sleep & in the coming days, you start feeling ever better.

Take care :-)

[Nancy Joy]

I am so glad you have beat this. I may be very grateful I couldn't continue the Oxydodone more than 6 days each time due to the need for signatures, etc. and too far from Dr. to get them. I was switched to Hydrocodone instead. I think you are just doing great with every aspect of recovery!!

[JenniferG]

Congratulations Debbe! You did great, your determination stood you in good stead. Clear weather and plain sailing ahead!

[Confusedmom]

Med questions - please chime in!

Hi All,

I'm working on weaning off my pain meds, so I brought up this old thread. So far I would not say I'm having problems per se -- no chills, panic attacks, that sort of thing. But my problem is this: I'm still in pain! I am off of the Oxicontin and have been for a few weeks. I have gone from 10 Norco per day (5 mg Hydrocodone), to 7. And from 4 Valium (5mg diazepam) to two. Now they are saying I should only take diazepam if I am having severe muscle spasms. I don't know what that is. I just know if I go too long without it I get this feeling like a horse is kicking me in the middle of my back and I need to stick my stomach out and bend my back, but of course I can't. Meanwhile, I'm taking the Hydrocodone on a 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm, 7 pm, 11 pm schedule. When it gets to the 1/2 hour before my next dose, I am very sore and usually need to lie down on a heated blanket.

I know all this stuff is within the realm of normal. I did have an 80-degree curve corrected to 16 degrees and severe rotation completely gone. However, I'm feeling like if I don't get off the meds soon, I'm going to get addicted. But if I do get off them am I going to be in too much pain to walk and stay active to promote healing?

I guess I am wondering if any of you have had similar experiences, and if so, what strategy you used?

Also, would you recommend reducing diazepam or Hydrocodone first, or at the same time?

Also, is it possible I am actually getting more sore before the next dose as a kind of "withdrawal"? And if so, does that mean if I get off all of it I will possibly have a more steady, tolerable pain level?

Or, on the other hand, maybe I am one of those people who is just going to need the meds a little longer?

I am 8 weeks post-op and Dr. Lenses' assistant said most people are off the prescription meds by 3 months. So I figure I've got a month to wean slowly.

Any suggestions/experiences would be much appreciated! (And thanks to those of you who have already shared privately.)

Best,
Evelyn

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Evelyn,

I read your post and I agree that you are completely within the realm of normal. You had an extensive surgery with a huge correction, so your poor body has a lot of adjusting to get used to. I think the amount of meds you are taking is not excessive, nor would I worry about weaning or addiction at this point. I think it is very important to keep taking the meds if you still have enough pain to limit your activities. It is just so important to keep up with the walking and being active. In another month I bet you will be ready to start weaning off. Forget what the assistant says. There are plenty of people here (perhaps the majority) who were still taking meds at 3-4 months. I also think it is pretty normal to have pain before the next pain pill and need to lie down. At 4-6 months post-op I still had significant daily "aches and pains", but around 6-7 months they had decreased considerably.

My original fusion 18 months ago was T8-pelvis. I don't feel well on narcotics, so I quit the oxycodone early and switched to tramadol, which is very mild, and I experienced a lot of unnecessary pain and misery. My husband was very concerned that I was undermedicating myself, and really, I was. 3 months ago I had a major lumbar A/P revision, but still much less than what you went through. I am still taking one tramadol per day along with tylenol twice a day. I would love to lay down on a heating pad in the early afternoon, but I can't because I just went back to work.

One thing I do remember after my surgery in 2010, frequently I would feel pain but if I could make myself get up and walk for 10-15 minutes I would feel better after. Movement initially hurts but in the end it is your friend.

Good luck, and keep up the good work. You will know when you are ready to stretch out the times between meds, and now is not it.

[rohrer01]

Evelyn,
I haven't had spine surgery, but I do have chronic pain and experience with pain meds. I am in a weaning process myself from some medication. I like to get off of the benzodiazepines first, while many others say that they are useful to get off of narcotics. I just find that the body becomes more chemically dependent on the benzo's than the narcotics. There are other meds that they can use for muscle spasms. I am on baclofen and Klonopin (a benzo) for spasms. I'm weaning down on the Klonopin before the narcotics. If you still have to be on a set schedule of narcotics for pain management and your only symptom is pain when they are due, I would say you are okay. I'm curious as to how you do in the morning since you are taking it every four hours during the day but skipping the 3am dose. Do you hurt more, or are you a little sweaty, shaky, or have diarrhea in the morning? The sweaty, shakiness and diarrhea would be "withdrawal" symptoms. If your pain is tolerable in the morning then you could try gradually stretching out the time between doses OR what I've found to be more helpful is to take smaller and smaller doses, but more frequently so you are actually taking LESS of the drug but keeping it more constant in your system. If you do it very gradually, you can avoid difficult withdrawal symptoms.

At this point, again not having surgery myself, I would put mobility over worrying about meds. If you need them, you need them. You won't heal if you don't get moving. Even with my chronic pain, I ALWAYS feel better when I get moving. On the days where I feel I can't, I take more pain meds and get moving. I hope you have found this somewhat helpful. I have a thread on "Longterm Pain Meds HELP" or something to that effect under the nonsurgical thread if you want to read my chronicles of detoxing too quickly. You'll want to avoid what I went through just because of your situation with having surgery. I found myself bedridden through much of that. It was aweful!

Best Wishes,
Rohrer01

[Confusedmom]

Hi Gayle & Rohrer,

Thanks so much for your responses. They were very helpful. Rohrer, I searched for your thread, but couldn't find it. But I found a bunch of others that helped.

So, this week I called my surgeon's office and posed the same question. They took me off Valium (diazepam) because it's addictive and switched me to Flexeril. It has only been 24 hours, but so far, so good. Also, they said I am not on an unreasonable amount of Norco and to continue to decrease it gradually. So, basically what you two said!

Gayle, I am so impressed that you are taking so little and already back at work after your revision. You must be one tough cookie!! I hope you are healing well and feeling better each week.

Best,
Evelyn

[debbei]

Hi,

I was in no way ready to stop at 2 months, and just because they said 'most' people are off by 3 months doesn't mean you have to be completely off. Remember, decrease the Norco very VERY slowly. I went too quick and that's when I started with the side effects.

Hang in there, you'll be just fine.

BTW, it's nice to see my old thread

[rohrer01]

Evelyn,

I'm just going to forewarn you that day 3 or 4 will be when the benzo withdrawals hit you. It seems so easy for the first couple of days and then WHAM! I'm glad they gave you a muscle relaxant to help. You will need it. If you want, I can dig up my old thread for you, but you sound like you have everything under control. Follow your docs advice and I'm sure you'll be fine. I've learned things the hard way with some of this stuff. I hate being controlled by it, so I go on and off. When I'm off, I mostly suffer. When I'm taking them, I feel controlled. It's an aweful way to live. If I knew for sure surgery would take my pain away, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But unfortunately, my surgeon told me that I would be in worse pain if I had surgery at this point. Did they make you quit valium cold turkey and replace it with flexeril, or are they having you wean down? I've found weaning to be much more gentle. I go down by a quarter of a pill about every 4 or 5 days. That way the body doesn't realize it's missing. Hang in there, you'll get through this.

Rohrer01

[Confusedmom]

Hi Rohrer,
That's what I thought, too--wean diazepam (Valium) slowly. But, no, they told me to go cold turkey and switch to Flexeril. The nurse said people who are taking it for pain or muscle spasms and havent been on it long term tend to do okay. My last Valium was Friday morning, so I'm expecting to get some withdrawal symptoms tomorrow or the next day. How long do you think it will last? I am still on Norco & now Flexeril, so hopefully that will take the edge off things. Plus, I wasn't taking much Valium--2.5 mg three times a day. I am surprised the Flexeril is not addictive, as it seems to be making me sleepier and also a little light headed when I stand too quickly. But maybe that's just because my body isn't used to it yet. I am taking 5 mg every eight hours. So far, it seems to be working better than the Valium. So, yay! (But ask me again tomorrow.) Thanks again Rohrer & everyone for all the tips! Weaning is no fun.

Evelyn

[rohrer01]

Evelyn,
The Flexeril may do the trick as a replacement since it does make you so drowsy. Your body gets used to the muscle relaxant quite rapidly and the drowsiness doesn't come on after being on it for awhile. If you get a migraine and palpitations and feel very edgy, that is withdrawal from the benzo. The headaches can be quite powerful. One sent me to the ER when I came off of Klonopin too fast. They didn't give me anything except an antinausea drug. The doc told me to take a Klonopin and my headache would go away. I told him NO THANKS. I endured it, but won't ever repeat that mistake. I also get tachycardia from Flexeril, but I have a tachyarrhythmia anyway. I guess my best advice to you would be to call your doctor's office if you start having withdrawal or any palpitations. I hope all goes well for you!

Rohrer01