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I suffer from Fibromyalgia and Depression. I got depressed recently and was in the hospital to adjust my meds (or so I thought). My psychiatrist switched me from my normal pain meds (Oxycontin twice a day, Loortab up to three times a day prn, and Percocet every 6 hours prn) to Suboxone
IN OTHER WORDS: I was taking
1. Oxycontin in the morning and at night;
2. Loortab probably twice a day; and
3. Percocet maybe once a month.
After I got familiar with Suboxone, I was horrified to learn that it is prescribed for Addiction to Opioids. I asked him if he considered me an addict and why, since I take my meds very carefully, and always as needed. He said that he wants me to be on Suboxene for pain management only.
DOES THIS SOUND WEIRD TO YOU??
My pain has indeed subsided, but I wonder what will happen when I would normally have flair ups of my fibro pain.
I have an appointment with my Pain Management doctor tomorrow and with my Psychiatrist on Friday... meanwhile, I am here wondering when it is that I turned from being a patient diagnosed with depression and fibromyalgia, to an Opioid Addicted patient.... just the name horrifies me!
IN OTHER WORDS: I was taking
1. Oxycontin in the morning and at night;
2. Loortab probably twice a day; and
3. Percocet maybe once a month.
After I got familiar with Suboxone, I was horrified to learn that it is prescribed for Addiction to Opioids. I asked him if he considered me an addict and why, since I take my meds very carefully, and always as needed. He said that he wants me to be on Suboxene for pain management only.
DOES THIS SOUND WEIRD TO YOU??
My pain has indeed subsided, but I wonder what will happen when I would normally have flair ups of my fibro pain.
I have an appointment with my Pain Management doctor tomorrow and with my Psychiatrist on Friday... meanwhile, I am here wondering when it is that I turned from being a patient diagnosed with depression and fibromyalgia, to an Opioid Addicted patient.... just the name horrifies me!
You're fine, your doctor's fine, this genuinely is NOT a PROBLEM!!
I know on the surface it looks like one...but it's not, and your psychiatrist is clearly very up-to-date and knows what he is doing.
There is a HUGE difference between being physically dependent on opioids and being addicted to them. Physical dependence means you've been taking them daily for a long time, (and anything more than a few months qualifies as a "long time". some people would even say days or weeks can result in some degree of physical dependencd) and that your body has become accustomed to them. Just as your body would become accustomed to blood pressure meds or insulin if you needed those to function at your best.
I'll send more in a few minutes, but I want to get this to you right away, and hope it helps you relax a little bit.
Addiction, on the other hand, is a compulsion to use a drug in ever-increasing quantities despite there being no medical reason for taking it, and usually also despite adverse consequences from its use. That clearly does not describe you. (there are many people, including some doctors and nurses, who think that physical dependence and addiction are one and the same. They are not.)
Your doctor wants you to take a medication that will be easy to take, will not need to be taken several times a day, and will not have the daily ups and downs of short-acting opioids and even OxyContin (at least that was my experience with OxyContin). When you have flares of fibromyalgia, your doctor will probably add a short-acting opioid for the duration of the flare. Or maybe you won't have the flares you've had in the past.
Methadone and suboxone are increasingly being used in pain management, from what I read. I have had limited, but very positive, experience with both. I would gladly take either in place of my current medications if that option were available to me for my depression and fibromyalgia.
Your doctor probably made the change to simplify your medication regimen, perhaps also save you some money and insurance hassles, and mostly to enhance both your pain relief and pain control, which in turn will help your mood. He probably made the change at this particular time at least in part because of the very recent report about the long-term dangers of acetaminophen (Tylenol). A pain doctor told me several years ago, when switching me from Lortab to the lower-acetaminophen Norco, that he believed the problem with acetaminophen was not in taking too much at any one time, but that a person's liver has a "lifetime limit" for the metabolization of acetaminophen. With the publication of the recent report, there have been suggestions that all of the combination opioid/acetaminophen drugs be pulled from the market (I don't want to panic anyone, remember that all of these drugs also come in opioid/ibuprofen and/or opioid/aspirin combinations, as well as the opioid-only Schedule II drugs).
So...in summary, I think you have a great doctor, who keeps up with the latest standards of best practice, and really wants to provide you with excellent, top-notch care. In addition, your pain has subsided!!! You are still you, a patient diagnosed with depression and fibromyalgia, NOT a patient addicted to opioids!! (if you doubt what I've said, ask your doctor about it)
I hope you continue to feel better!