Yes I do think it is that stigmatized. It's very frustrating. I am so glad though that you found a doctor to help! How does the ultracet work for you?

That is exactly what it is!
And....it is also that most Dr's are very afraid because they are being watched!
Iam so sick of the DEA and other enteties that are more worried about the idiots that will get meds and sell them than they are for those of us who are suffering!
And.....it is very very true that when you do not control your pain it is basically frying your internal organs it is far more worse to suffer from pain than the damage any pain meds will cause!
I will go see if I can find this awesome article about pain and exactly what lead me to a pain dr and since the day I read it have been on a pain med regimine my life without pain meds is not worht living!

Valerie,
Ultracet beats hydrocodone. I say it takes my pain from a 9-10 to a 4-5. It's nice to have all day coverage. I have more energy. Unfortunately, my appetite hasn't returned. That's why I was asking if pain damages the body after long periods of time.
Cute pic!
Gloria

EVERYONE WHO IS IN PAIN PLEASE READ THIS IT IS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND IMPORTANT!

http://www.intractablepaindisease.com/

Thanks Doxy!
That's just what I was looking for. So all these fucking doctors risked my life because they were afraid of the DEA? The last pain management doctor accused me of being drugged up. I had to explain to him that I had my period and I have endometriosis and that I'm lucky to be standing. I told him I was falling asleep at work spontaneously and well everywhere I could and that I couldn't eat. He gave me a hard time about a prescription for vicodin while we see if my insurance company will pay for an interstim.
What a bastard.
How can they send you away knowing you could die from walking around in this state? How much weight do I have to lose to be taken seriously?
I don't know if I'm still in the 90s.

I have had 8 major surgeries in the past 6.5 years. My last one on my spine 9 days ago. I am disabled and in chronic pain all the time. I was put on dilaudid and then percocet. I have been on most forms of opiates...and got hooked so badly that I was put in an in treatment program for 8 weeks. I have been off all pain meds now for 7 weeks. My doctor prescribed more percocet post surgery and I declined. Your appetite is not going to come back and your bowels will have trouble moving. These drugs also can increase the amount of pain you feel over time- making you hypersensitive to pain. It took me 6 weeks to get off the opiates the last time. It was awful and I was sick and could not move for weeks. For me- I would rather bear the pain than be on these opiates again. They ultimately are a short term solution to a very long term problem. The damage these drugs do to your organs shortens your life and the quality of the life you lead. I recommend that people seek in treatment programs that emphasize other means of coping with pain rather than living long term with opiates. This is of course only my opinion. I am only speaking from my own personal experience and in no way mean to offend or judge anyone who chooses these opiates as way to cope with chronic pain. I only suggest that there are other ways of dealing with the pain without the aid of these drugs. I am living proof of this fact.

I to have had doctors tell me being in pain all the time can cause all kinds of problems with your body. It effects your BP, heart rate, breathing and can actually cause more problems with muscles and joints. I've gone to the doctor before in soo much pain my BP was off the charts. I don't have high blood pressure normally so it's weird to see that happen. Finding a doctor that will treat the pain is the trick. If you can find one to do that then it makes it easier to live your life.
~hugs

Hi how are you ??
Some doctors find it hard to prescribe and treat chronic pain, due to small percentage of people claiming to be in pain.
They prefer not to treat the problem.

I'm on long term narcotics, so i'm certainly not against taking them or needing them, but the fact is, long term use has serious consequenses. It can damage your kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart, etc. The meds are toxic to your body and over time, they do damage. I'll probably be on pain meds forever and i'm sure that in time i'll pay the price for being on them. This is the biggest reason docs. dont want to prescribe narcotics long term - they learned in medical school how damaging they are.

Doxy,
Thank you very much for sharing the website. It addressed the crucial questions I had regarding my pain. Most of all, it gave me a realistic idea of my future, which up to now no doctor has wanted to discuss.

Hello Friends ~

My GP once told me that at the time he went to Med school, he is probably 54-56 years of age, they barely touched on treating pain at all! He said the only time pain was discussed was for persons with Cancer or 'end stage' medical conditions, and even then they were told to use caution. Can you imagine?! I mean it is bad enough we have to fight for our meds but if a patient is dying what is with the caution?

Frustrating!!

Crafty

My doctor said opiates were safe; the only side effect is constipation. He said that's why they're prescribed.
If I didn't start on the Ultracet, I probably would have to go on disability because the pain is too exhausting.
The eating problem? Who the hell knows if the drugs will make it better or worse. Right now, I think I'm eating a bit more...well, maybe not. I'm just happy that the Ultracet turned down the volume on the pain. I'm going to call the nutritionist now and make an appointment.
-Gloria

It is very damaging to your whole body, and severe chronic long term pain, does decrease your life expectancy by a significan amount. Opiates, and even synthetic opiates like fentanyl damage the bone and teeth, they take a large amount of calcium and potassium out of your body. The part of your brain that registers the pain will come to a point were it will begin to become dull. With that dullness comes the lose of immediate and short term memory, confusion, spaced out, overly obsessive about absolutely everthing you try to do. Your mind finds a way around the medication for pain, and your relief will become short lived. Then you will require a different medication or stronger dosages of your current medication. The cost of these types of medications, looked down upon by all types of insurance companies, will rob your financial stability. They even try to force you to take alternative drugs, and tell you when you can have a refill. I have had to involve the medical ethics enforcement department of my states, attorney general department. Not like I just like to pic fights, it was out of desperation.

Yes, lots of studies have shown that Opioids are safe - safer than Advil and other NSAIDS (as long as not abused). I wanted to mention to Gabitol that I have read that interstitial cystitis may be caused (at least some of the time) by trigger points. Just wanted to pass this along in case you hadn't heard of it. From a scientific paper: "Treatment of chronic pelvic pain (CPP), interstitial cystitis (IC), and irritative voiding symptoms can be frustrating for both patients and physicians. The usual approaches do not always produce the desired results. We found that when we treated myofascial trigger points (TrP) in pelvic floor muscles as well as the gluteus, piriform, infraspinatus, and supraspinatus muscles, symptoms improved or resolved. "

Jiminator,
What meds are you taking and for how long, if you don't mind me asking? I started to have a flat affect at the height of my pain experience and doctors didn't believe that I was in pain. I wonder if any long term damage has been done and how would I find out.