Chronic Pain Support Group

Hello you lil Krumpet..I think its probably 50/50 with the breakthrough meds. I myself only have the pain med, but I also take Soma 3x a day. I used to take Butalbital (esgic) for chronic head pain due to Herniation at C 6 and C 7. But my current PM said they are for migrains and what I have in the head is not migrains. It was still very effective. I can handle pain pretty well anywhere but the head. It is debillitating (sp). You know how all PM Docs have such varying opinions. I also have Fibro and depression, PTSD and just found out in the past year that I am Bi-polar !! Personally I don't think I am. I am hearing of A LOT more people being diagnosed with BP lately !!! We are all so effing strong tho and people that don't have CP just do NOT get it !! So we hang pretty close here !!!! Hugs, Deb

Breakthroughs are rescue meds in case the extended release med doesn't give sufficient relief. You may certainly take them both daily.

As a matter of fact, if your doc pee tests, and finds none of the breakthrough meds in your sample, 1.)He may accuse you of selling or otherwise diveting them; or 2.)He may conclude you don't need them and cut you off. You don't want that, because you don't know what the future holds.

So, even if you aren't presently using them, take a couple of breakthroughs the day before, (not too many)and one the morning of your appointment. Otherwise you draw attention, and you don't want that. It's just part of the game we have to play to keep things on an even keel and protect our own interests.

Finally, just like budgeting for possible layoffs in your work life, it is good to gradually, month by month (say 5 or 10),build up a statch so that if they get stolen or lost, or you run out early you have them.
Docs don't fill lost or stolen meds, even if you are telling the absolute truth. Another rule of the game.

Aim for a full month, and use on a FIFO (first in, first out)basis; alternate the old with the new so that they don't expire.

Hope this helps-Snake

i have found a mixture of meds, some long lasting and some short help me out.
gabapention, tamadol, norspan patch and pandaline forte all help me.
if a patch falls off the chemist is very happy to replace and if meds are stolen or am running short the chemist always fills it.

Right now I am on fentanyl patch and oxycodone. It is helping a lot more than the oxy alone.

I take morphine (Oramorph 30 mg) twice per day + hydrocodone (Norco 5 mg) four per day as needed for breakthrough pain. Sometimes, I don't take any Norco. On bad days, I take up to 8. Ave day, I take 2. I always take the morphine as prescribed one in the AM + one in the PM.
In addition to opioids, I take Skelaxin (switching to Norflex this month) for a muscle relaxer. I take Mobic for an anti-inflammatory. Occasionally, I take Ambien to help me sleep.
That's it for the prescriptions. I feel like a little old lady with so many pills!

Hi ScottishK. I take Lyrica 75mg morning and night which is for nerve pain,Oxycontin 40mg morning and night,Endone 5mg at midday and Tramadol or Ultram as it is called over there,4x100mg for breakthrough pain. Unfortunately I have to use the Tramadol in between the doses of my other regular pain meds as the pain never goes away and comes back severe between doses of my regular meds. I have found it the norm to have to take both regular and breakthrough meds.

Watersnake I agree. I read somewhere that you can't have over a certain amount of narcotics, that it was actually illegal to have a certain amount over your monthly script. I can't for the life of me remember where I read that but I thought how unfair as we all have learned things come up and you better have some for when it does.

Boxerlover,

I believe it's 3 month's worth limit on meds. A lot of laws are to enhance penalties or otherwise make life miserable for citizens who do minor things, and they aren't regularly enforced.

Now, that being said, as long as you don't tell people, and you aren't running a dog-fighting operation or something, how are cops going to have probable cause to come in and check? The law is unenforceable.

Oh yeah, as a matter of principle and safety (the innocent have the most to lose), never let a cop in your house (or car) without a warrant.

Knock Knock-----

"Hello,we are from the Sheriff's office and we'd like to count all of your pills."

"Sorry Officer, I need to see a warrant."

"Oh, do you have something to hide?"

"I don't have anything to hide when I use the toilet, but I close the door."

-Snake

I can't remember a day in the last 13 years that I haven't needed to take both my long-acting med (Methadone) and my breakthough med (Extra-Strength Vicodin). I also must take every day- Ibuprofen (might be starting soon on Enbrel for my Psoriatic Arthritis), a muscle relaxant 3x/day (cyclobenzaprine), Cymbalta, Vitamin D, and often all these together don't help very much. I just got a new TENS unit (my old one died 10 years ago), so I hope to see some reduction in my required pain meds. However, for a while my doc also gave me Dilaudid for severe breakthrough pain. Problem is, I started hallucinating and being unable to form words. Terrifying. Dilaudid is my new drug "allergy"

As far as building up a "stash", I never can even get a 3-day emergency supply put away . My doc writes the scripts so that I get 30 days of med per month, even in 31-day months. Of course, in February I only get 28. The med bottles all say, must last 1 month. Forget about a stash. I wish!

I hope this is helpful, Connie

I take 2 60mg oxycotin tablets in the morning and then every 4-6 hours I take 2 oxycodone for breakthru pain and then at bedtime i take 2 more oxycotin.