Tincture of Time
I was talking with some folks today who had recently started on some new medications for pain. They had both suffered from chronic pain syndromes and had tried a wide variety of meds with poor results. Needless to say they were frustrated and tired of hurting. While talking I began to ask some typical questions such as:
I tried to explain to these folks that I really didn't think they gave the drugs a fair chance. They were too quick to discount their effectiveness. It is understandable to be impatient with medication therapy--especially after trying so many different drugs and combinations. However, it is possible that these folks did indeed have a drug that could help them but they passed it by--giving up on it before it had a chance to help them.
Patients need to have patience! Expect to try a medication for at least 3 solid weeks before making any type of decision on the effectiveness of the drug. If you feel relief before three weeks--that is wonderful. If you do not, don't be surprised and don't be ready to write it off just then. For most folks, these syndromes didn't come on overnight. It is not realistic for many to go away suddenly and completely.
Tincture of time can be the hardest to take and the most important to comply with. But doing so can make all the difference.
Related Topics: Treatment Options for Neck and Back Pain, Migraine, Depression Drugs Risky Mix
Technorati Tags: chronic pain, arthritis, pain management
- What have you tried for medications?
- How long had you been on them?
- Did you find them effective even a little?
- What else have you tried besides medications to manage your symptoms?
- Did you find any relief from these?
I tried to explain to these folks that I really didn't think they gave the drugs a fair chance. They were too quick to discount their effectiveness. It is understandable to be impatient with medication therapy--especially after trying so many different drugs and combinations. However, it is possible that these folks did indeed have a drug that could help them but they passed it by--giving up on it before it had a chance to help them.
Patients need to have patience! Expect to try a medication for at least 3 solid weeks before making any type of decision on the effectiveness of the drug. If you feel relief before three weeks--that is wonderful. If you do not, don't be surprised and don't be ready to write it off just then. For most folks, these syndromes didn't come on overnight. It is not realistic for many to go away suddenly and completely.
Tincture of time can be the hardest to take and the most important to comply with. But doing so can make all the difference.
Related Topics: Treatment Options for Neck and Back Pain, Migraine, Depression Drugs Risky Mix
Technorati Tags: chronic pain, arthritis, pain management
11 Comments:
I take several medications. In my blood test, it shows Meprobanate. I cannot find this anywhere. Is this something that is an ingrediant in my meds? I take the duragesic patch, soma, hydrocodine compound, prinzide, celexa, lamictal, seroquel. Can you tell me what this is?
I would like to point out to Mrs.Indie Cooper-Guzman, RN that even after trying many of different certain meds for the allotted time, and then some, that they did not work for me. The doctor just seems to feel that they SHOULD. Is she me? Does she feel my pain? Absolutely not. My pain was in the neck and radiated down my left arm, to the point at times I could not even move my head.
I had tried all the medications she had prescribed to me and all the techniques and PT (physical therapy) she requested I try and continued in pain for a year. She gave me a prescription for 3 (325 mg) of vicodin (hydrocodone-generic brand)per day. I asked for an MRI to be done because the pain was still superceading the medication and was told she didn't feel it was a warranted request at the time. I kept going to her with complaints of how much pain I was in for 2 more years! During which time she continued to tell me "no" on uping my medication to a higher dosage. (After time the medication your first treated with for the pain no longer works as it once did because your body becomes immune to it.) This made me upset that I wasn't being cared about at all, I turned to my "friends" for oxycontin 80 mgs. I felt no pain, it was wonderful. Would my doc prescribe it, nope she felt I didn't "need" it. I finally demanded that I get an MRI and this time was refered for one. Turned out I had a herniated disk! Still I was not given anything stronger then since the beginning. Therefore, I continued on "turning to my friends". It was very, very costly and time consuming and I blame it all on my doctor for not caring.
Did I have an operation to rid the problem? Yes, I sure did. Guess what I came out of the hospitol with...again vicodin 325 mg, which of course was no match to what I had been taking "on the outs" so my body was in the most pain you could imagine when I returned home. I called the surgeons nurse, he and only he finally gave me something to help the pain of the operation, which was diladid 2 mgs, a form of morphine. I thank him for this.
Am I in pain now, yes, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tendenitis, and fibromyalgia, does my doctor care now-still no. I take a non-narcotic pain med at this time so as not to become addicted again. Does it help, a little, but barely so I live with the pain every day of my life.
I am in the process of searching for a new primary doctor because this one, IMO, shouldn't even be one because she has no heart as far as I am concerned to let me live the pain I did, and still do while others go to doctors and complain of headaches and recieve OXYCONTIN 80 mgs!!! Go figure!
So, don't tell patients we have to stick with the meds to see if they work, we KNOW if they do or not!
~McSqueeky~
I have battled with chronic pain and severe undertreatment by "regular" doctors, neurologists, radiologists, PT/OT, and neurosurgeons for almost a decade. Except for after my 4 surgeries (two shoulder, two back) I was never given appropriate pain medication until the last 6 months! Almost every doctor throws around that word "addiction" as an excuse to not treat chronic and severe pain. I, too, resorted to self-medicating for a short time, but went back to my neurologist and explained to him that it was unethical and inhumane to allow people (me) to suffer like this when they (the medical community) had the power to alleviate--if not prevent this from happening. Study after study has demonstrated that people who use narcotics for chronic pain do not become addicted to it--which is different than tolerant of, or abuse it for the purpose getting "high". In fact, untreated, severe pain can cause other problems like high blood pressure, a lowered immune system, and increased cortisol levels in the bloodstream--a sign of a stressed out body. Some doctors are just ignorant. Some doctors are purely arrogant. If your pain is not being treated, and you are being cared for by a dismissive, patronizing, a**, don't put up with it. Leave. Go somewhere else for your care. Mrs. Indie Cooper-Guzman is only an RN. A neurologist should have been the first referral when the pain didn't subside or respond to treatment after 4-6 months. Health care professionals are just people. They don't know everything, and they certainly don't know their patients. They don't have, or are not given the time. You can also file a complaint with your state regulatory department if you feel malpractice was involved. I had facet blocks done by a butcher who did the wrong procedure on me! A different doctor did the corred procedure which was followed by two risotomies--a painful yet great pain relief procedure for severe back pain. Sometimes drugs don't work, and you have to look for more invasive things. But that is something a nurse probably knows little about. Sorry to hear about your difficulties. You are certainly not alone.
I suffer daily from chronic neck and back pain as well as migraine headaches, ulcerative colitis, depression, arthritis, & asthma. My doctors do not want to give me any narcotics for the back and neck pain because it makes my ulcerative colitis worse, I can't take advil because it causes me to vomit blood, tylenol does nothing for my pain. I am very frustrated because noone is managing my pain. My depression is worsening as a result of my pain increasing and I can't sleep. I know my doctors don't want me to become dependant on a narcotic especially with depression. I tell them if I was not in so much pain the depression would eventually subside or become manageable. Any suggestions?
Lost & in lots of pain
You wrote:
They seemed to understand the need to build up therapeutic blood levels and they remember their doctor saying it would take some time before the full effect of the drug would be realized. Yet
Hello,
I have been going to a pain clinic in a small town (with few other options) for over a year now.
I usually see a PA and not a doctor.
The PA has never once told me that I need to take a medication for 3 or more weeks in order to know if it will work. I wish he had. Maybe some would have worked.
On another note, over the last 5 years I have tried many, many medications. A few do work right away, and they are a god-send and gave me back my life. Except doctors will not prescibe them for any length of time because of their own fear.
My medications are being decreased as I write this to the point I will be homebound due to chronic pain.
It is 2006 in The United States of America and I can not get decent pain management even though it is available. This is rediculous.
I am lucky to have the best doctor in the world. I have several medical problems plus depression. My pain plan from him is perfect. Not too much, not too little, where I don't feel like a zombie and will eventually will be able to work in 6-12 months. I am sorry you all are having problems getting relief.
in the last year I've felt all the
pain and uncertainty in the diagnos
-is of carpaltunnel syndrome in both hands & a completely torn rotator cuff.unfortunatly they were
caused by a job realated injury & written off as all-in-my-head until
the battery of recent tests proved the pain exists for a reason.even though i'm facing surgery & more pain,my "goal" is to go back to work(which i love) and learn from the experience,"only good people get to feel pain and recover from it!!!!!
Hey McSqueeky...CHANGE DOCTORS!
For the last few months, I have been dealing with Restless leg syndrome. My legs ache constantly and becomes unbearable over night! I recently visited a neurologists who prescribed mirapex in order to ease the symptoms. The mirapex was inneffective so he wrote a prescription for Tylenol 3! For some reason, narcotics have no effect on me whatsoever! It doesn't matter how strong the medication is, it still doesn't work. about five months ago, I had shoulder surgey and was given morphine to ease the pain and even this had no effect. I haven't taken enough to become tolerant of the medications. Ever since I abruptly quit taking paxil after two weeks, medicine in general has had no effect. I am looking for any help possible, please!
hey mr squeaky if you are comfortable with taking oxycotin 80 mg that is insane that is a very high dose not even used for people with mayjor surgery, it is syntheic heroin and after taking it for a while addiction is certain.... it seems to me that you went from doctor to doctor looking for oxys and yes after several professional ones said no you found one that said yes you should feel ashamed for stooping that low to get pain medication that is basically therapy and pain managment is what you need not herion
Hey Mcsqueeky, google or yahoo cold compression therapy wraps and look at the products which stop inflammation and stop pain. There are other remedies than medications.
Post a Comment