PAIN PATIENTS ONLY what to do about family?

Question

The more narcotics I take the more my family freaks and thinks I'm going to die. I know better but I don't know how to ease their fears. I've been to 2 pain clinics both say keep doing what I'm doing and won't offer me anything more. They say a pain pump won't work for me. I need relief. Does anyone know of a pain clinic in Minn that works with the patient and not against? Also what is your diagnosis and dosages of narcotics and what are they? I know more than one ??????? thanks to all who answered my other questions. I have tried all that and know all that. I've been in pain since birth so I've tried and tried things. I do live in a small town but have an excellent doctor. I do take marinol and have tried the ssri's, methadone morphine duragesic codones and contins and prednisone which gave me osteoporosis. anyway I'm winded sorry

I have tried a Tens Unit.I have 2 of them they do work but I'd have to wear a huge body one haha. I have pain everywhere imagine everywhere...and I am not hard on my family. why so many judgement calls on this board?

Prayer is my answer

Answer 1

I sure understand about the family and the pain both. I have been thru hell with both. I brought on the problems with my family pretty much because I did have trouble with pain meds for a while, but all due to incompetance of doctors. I had trouble with my doctor beleiving me about my pain therefore undertreating it. after a while I took it into my own hands with was not the right thing to do. After a couple of years and finally finding a good pain doctor plus a lot of research on my own (I am an RN) things finally got better. One of the main things I learned from all that is that people with chronic pain RARELY ever become addicted. As I am sure you know, we take the meds only for pain, not for pleasure as drug addicts due. Drug addicts are seeking the "high", while those of us with chronic pain are only seeking pain relief. Generally people with chronic pain don't tend to experience the euphoria that the drug addicts seek. The experts feel that when you have chronic pain that the med all goes to the pain receptors and nothing is left for a high, it is all used up on the pain. There is a term called pseudoaddiction that refers to patients like me who have abused pain medication in the past for the sole reason of getting pain relief. Patients with pseudoaddiction will stop the drug abuse behavior once their pain is under control. Experts say that pseudoaddiction is caused by doctors that undertreat pain. I would encourage you to search it out online. It is very interesting. What helped with my family, believe me they will always be scared, is educating them with this information about the difference in drug addicts and people with chronic pain. Also got to websites such as American Pain Society, American Association for Pain management etc. Put chronic pain as your search. A lot of these sites will help you find a doctor in your area that is good. I have tried most all of that pain meds too. I currently take a compouned med that a pharmacist in Texas developed. It has been a miracle for me, I have been on the same meds for 6 yrs now. A good pain doctor will tell you that your pain should me treated until you get relief. THey shouldn't be afraid of high dosages if you are a true chronic pain patient. I am sure you also know that with high dosages and long term narcotics come side effects. This compound that I take is a combination of 3 different drugs--->>>there is an opiate, dextramethorphan, and naloxone. WIth the compound the physician can prescribe whatever dosage of the narcotic it takes to relieve your pain. They usually start a little higher dose than what you have been on and gradually go up until you get good relief. The dextromethorphan enhances the 0piate without increasing side effects and the naloxone takes away the side effects without taking away the pain relief. I have no euphoria, drowsiness, or constipation. I take a very large dose of hydromorphone 4x daily and I can still work. Most people don't know that I take anything. My experience, most doctors are not aware of this way of compounding pain meds, but when I moved and had to change doctors they have been willing to learn about it and continue to prescribe it for me. If a doctor was not willing, I wouldn't use him. I still use the same pharmacy where this was developed and they can ship anywhere in the country. Probably any pharmacy that compounds could make it up. I continue with them due to my insurance company and reimbursement codes. I hope this helps you.

Answer 2

It is hard to take the the ease off of your family. You should let them know that you are in so much pain that there is no other way that you can get some pain relief. Tell them that you don't want to be on them, and you would like to not take them, but you are trying to find some other treatments to help the pain. I'm 14 and I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. I did take many pain medications, but I decided that they didn't help enough to take them anymore so I just recently finished slowly getting myself off of them. If you have used a TENS unit and it helped your pain you may look into a Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS). My SCS has helped me a ton, and my pain has gotten tons better. The SCS is an implanted device in your body that delivers electrical impulses to block the pain signals from reaching your brain. It feels just like a TENS unit and has been a good thing for me, and it's a long lasting solution. You can look into SCS's and get more information at www.ans-medical.com Also a pain management counselor might help. Mine taught me how to deal with the pain and all the feelings associated with my chronic pain. Both of those things have been the best way for me to get through my pain, I'm sorry that you have to deal with so much pain! I know what your going through!

Answer 3

My family is exactly the same way. I have Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and take Oxycontin 40 mgs and Oxy IR 10 mgs for breakthrough pain and Marinol 5 mgs for nausea. It sure doesn't help when your family puts the added stress on you of criticizing your meds. My grandmother told me to have a hysterectomy. I'm only 25 and I may want kids one day! You just have to be kind, but firm. Tell them they are not doctors, and that your doctor is working with you to find a regimine that works for yur pain with the fewest side effects. They don't live in your body or feel your pain, and they need to defer to the person with more knowledge than them--- your doctor.

Answer 4

I'm sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time.
I've had trouble with my family too. Pain is hard to explain to people. I've been suffering chronic pain for the past 6.5 years. I prefer to suffer alone. So most people don't see me when I'm in pain. My parents only came to terms with it last year when the government deemed me to be permanently disables. The rest of my family still don't understand. I just don't talk about it with them anymore. They never ask how I am.
I don't know what to say to you... It would really help if they were on your side. Sometimes we make bad decisions when we're in extreme pain. If your family understood you, they could help you.
In terms of pain relief... Sometimes I use tramacet. It's similar to Tylenol #3 but it's non-narcotic. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes the pain is too severe.
Also, I practise meditation. After much practise, I'm able to reduce the severity of pain a notch or two through meditation/belly breathing and relaxation techniques. It helps to calm me when I'm in pain.
Good luck.

Answer 5

My family too I was on Oxycontin then they heard about all the deaths from OD's. they said get off that stuff. so they pressured my pain mgmt Dr. then they put me on duragesic fentanyl patches. then someone in town here decided to make heroin out of it and a 1/2 dz people died from OD's. Tell them whatever works for you to kill pain is what you ll have to be on until a better drug or procedure comes out and until there in your shoes don't tell you how to treat pain. And let them know that you are on a program set by a Dr who is watched very closely by the grvnmt. I have had 3 surgeries on L4 -L5 low discs. the last time was to have fusion. I still have spinal fibrosis, and degenerative discs disease. docs say I will be on meds rest of life and want me on the pump. I said no way. i like to be able to stop meds when I get too nauseous.

Answer 6

well it sounds like youve tried about everything, and im very sorry for your pain, im also in alot of pain. i will suggest one more thing, have you ever tried a tins unit, its asmall device ,the size of a transiter radio, it has suction cups on it so you can put it any where you need it, it has tiny electrodes that pulsate, it really helps me, so if you havent tried one, you can ask your dr. to help you get one, my ins. paid for mine. well good luck and dont give up, and remember there is a higher sorce that you can ask for help, and i too will say a prayer for you,

Answer 7

I know exactly what your saying my family freaks all the time. especially when they see the doses I'm on.

I am now taking nurofen plus as it's cheaper to buy overseas and is strong enough for me in large doses ie. 8 tablets at a time. it's got 12.8mg of codeine which is what I buy it for although there is a product called panadeine plus that has 15mg of codeine although it's more expensive.

As I haven't been able to find somewhere to buy it from here in the US yet I just purchase it online from their website www.nurofenplus.com

They're pretty good they have a delivery guarantee where they will guarantee they'll get it through customs.

Answer 8

sorry to hear you are in so much pain and cant find relief ,but don't be so hard on your family they love you and worry about you and from what you have wrote you have been on many meds and i for one can see why they show concern ,i do hope you find some relief soon