Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
I want to know what you think addiction is ?
I discussed this recently with my CFS-ME specialist regarding Rivotril (klonopin )
he said do you want more than the amount it takes to control your symptoms. .. the answer is NO - I have been on the same amount of many years now.
if I came off this medication would I have withdrawal ? probably
but would the symptoms it is working on come back. YES absolutely
and I went on to describe the symptoms it worked on
and he then explained to me. its not for anxiety but for the tremor associated with CFS - I also have period limb movement. it works as a channelopathy ..(cells ) works on the Central nervous system.
it does not make me sleepy it wakes me up.
I am on a high dose. a lot of people cannot take this medication as it makes them sleepy
that brings me to another TOPIC -
some people want to be bombed out all day every day.
for what ever reason. they cant stand the p ain
they are SAD about their lives.
but taking a medication COS you need it.. is not addiction.
its necessary.
having problems coming off that medication should be done slowly
and with the help of medical professional
often a hospital stay is necessary
so people with addiction will find ways to get that medication in various ways. they may doctor shop. so have two scripts going at once.
I have one doctor prescribing Rivtotril ( which is used to stop epileptic fits )
and another prescribing Pain medication.
normally a specialist will leave it up to the GP doctor to do medication . or he will write to the GP and tell which medication he has requested on 'script
Sunny in Melbourne Australia today - its a lovely day it really is
I discussed this recently with my CFS-ME specialist regarding Rivotril (klonopin )
he said do you want more than the amount it takes to control your symptoms. .. the answer is NO - I have been on the same amount of many years now.
if I came off this medication would I have withdrawal ? probably
but would the symptoms it is working on come back. YES absolutely
and I went on to describe the symptoms it worked on
and he then explained to me. its not for anxiety but for the tremor associated with CFS - I also have period limb movement. it works as a channelopathy ..(cells ) works on the Central nervous system.
it does not make me sleepy it wakes me up.
I am on a high dose. a lot of people cannot take this medication as it makes them sleepy
that brings me to another TOPIC -
some people want to be bombed out all day every day.
for what ever reason. they cant stand the p ain
they are SAD about their lives.
but taking a medication COS you need it.. is not addiction.
its necessary.
having problems coming off that medication should be done slowly
and with the help of medical professional
often a hospital stay is necessary
so people with addiction will find ways to get that medication in various ways. they may doctor shop. so have two scripts going at once.
I have one doctor prescribing Rivtotril ( which is used to stop epileptic fits )
and another prescribing Pain medication.
normally a specialist will leave it up to the GP doctor to do medication . or he will write to the GP and tell which medication he has requested on 'script
Sunny in Melbourne Australia today - its a lovely day it really is
Addiction and dependence are totally different. Based on studies that have been published, there is low risk of addiction in the chronic pain population. Those with chronic pain generally take our medication for different reasons than addicts. We take the meds for pain relief or for pain to lessen. Addicts take the same meds for an euphoric "high" feeling. I've heard from many people with chronic pain (in real life and through this board) that they did not get "high" off their medication. I did not either. I wonder if this is because of why we are taking it but this is just my feeling and has absolutely no medical or biological basis nor anything to even back it up. Just a gut feeling. Even on the Opana, I never got a feeling even close to being described as high. But it did significantly reduce my pain. Was I dependent? Absolutely. But was I addicted? No. I had to set an alarm on my phone to remember to take the med after 12 hours. I'd start to feel pain come back a little after about 9 hours but not enough to cause me to clock watch so the alarm 9 times out of 10 was my reminder. If I was addicted I would probably have been taking it more often, possibly more than prescribed. I went through monthly pill counts and urine screens. No problems. Well, until Dr. A, that is.
While what I am going to say may be misconstrued, I will preface it by saying it's totally MY opinion and mine alone. I think anyone that thinks a perfectly innocent pain patient cannot be labeled a drug seeker with a doctor or ER is completely and utterly delusional. Possibly they have not had the displeasure of this experience but I know for a fact many innocent patients here on this board, those I know in real life, and those I've met through other CP boards, have definitely had this experience. Some more than once. I've only had it happen once but that was enough for me. I went to the ER of the same hospital in which my pain management and orthopedic surgeon resided. Right down the hall from the PM office as a matter of fact. Stupidly, I thought...well, I'll go where all my records are so they can SEE through the electronic record system, what's going on...that I'm not some junkie. Instead of going to the ER by my house, I traveled to this one to keep the records together. Well, the doctor labeled me before even looking at my records. Actually, I don't even think he looked at my records and I base this on stuff he said and did. It was an awful experience. I even heard discussion about me in the hallway. I was crying and the doctor came in and, in the most a-hole voice you can imagine, asked what I was crying about. When my fiance and I decided I would be better off trying to get comfortable at home and told them we were leaving, the b**** nurse ripped out the IV port in my arm (that they never even used, lol) and blood was literally leaking out all over the place...there was a trail from the room to the triage area where the triage nurse was the ONLY one to care enough to do anything. The absolute dispair I felt cannot be put into words. This was after Dr. A took me off the Opana because I didn't quit smoking in his 14 day time frame and I passed out getting out of the shower, hurting my bad knee and injuring my melanoma surgery spot that I had about 4 days before. I have since quit smoking but it took a long time. I beat myself up more and said more than anyone else did. Even now I still get moments where I want to kick myself because I wasn't "strong" enough to do it then. If only, I think. But, as my therapist said, apparently quitting under that kind of unreasonable pressure wasn't what worked for me.
I write a lot of letters (really it's the same few versions of already prepared letters, slightly tweeked to be applicable to the current circumstances) and ship them off all over the place. I speak with advocacy organizations, tell my story to doctors and clinics I don't know in an effort to try and make a difference. I am not deluded into thinking what I'm doing is helping but, it helps ME try and heal. I have PTSD, clinical depression, and anxiety disorder. It's documented that what happened with Dr. A caused these issues to worsen considerably. I'm also not at all upset that Dr. A was professionally punished for what he did. I don't care one bit that he worked so hard to be a doctor. His moment of beating his chest and playing God caused some severe consequences for a patient and, for that, he deserved every bit of what he got. What's funny to me is that a couple people said he did nothing wrong. Thankfully the powers that be felt otherwise. It's vindication I've never had before or since and, yes, I did feel good about it. Which somewhat makes me feel bad but, then again, he did have a choice and he chose wrong.
Anyway, I went all around grandpa's barn but I think my point is in there. They are drastically differe, addiction and dependence are, however, it does NOT prevent the medical professionals from thinking one is an addict when, in fact, they are not.
(((HUGS))) to anyone who's been wrongly labeled and treated badly. All because we were unfortunate enough to be dealt a bad hand in life. May those medical professionals one day know what it feels like. I used to not wish this life on anyone but, if it would help them feel more compassion, than yes, I hope they do experience it.
I had one doctor tell me to take more Tylenol if my pain was that bad. I can take an entire bottle of Tylenol and Advil and it won't do shit for my pain - all it will do is kill the shit out of my liver. I have been managing to get by on 2 and sometimes just three norco a day and apparently that is too much according to some doctors. I am suffering in pain just to prove that I can drastically reduce my intake of pain meds to prove to them that I'm not an addict. This is all ridiculous.
I'm getting my medical marijuana card this weekend. I have an appointment set up and all of my ducks in a row. I don't care what anyone thinks anymore, at least I won't have to beg doctors for pills and then pray to god the pharmacy fills them. I know one thing, even if the marijuana doesn't make me functional enough to work, it will knock me out at night and override my pain. I can sit around in pain during the day with my legs elevated - but I cannot sleep at night with the pain. The marijuana will at least fix that problem once I am completely cut off from any narcotic pain meds.
It''s easier to get medical marijuana in this state than it is to get a script for vicodin. You know the true opiophiles don't want marijuana. They can already have that. They want to get the opium high. I just want pain relief and to have my leg pain muted so I can function.
I'm so very sorry that happened to you hugs