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I'm scheduled to begin Mayo's pain rehab program next month and wanted to get a head start on tapering off the opiates. This is Day 5 of zero opiates and withdrawal symptoms have set in. My right hamstring is on fire with nerve pain. Diarrhea began 3 days ago. Can't sleep through the night (wake up at 4:00 or 4:30 and can't fall back asleep). Today I called Mayo Pain Rehab and also my local pain MD. Received no call backs from either. Without the benefit of talking to a doctor or nurse, I'm really tempted to just go back to 40mg Kadian/day. When I was at that dosage, the pain wasn't overwhelming and I was much, much, more calm. I'm really feeling low tonight. Live alone. Feel like I'm imprisoned. Sitting in recliner for 3 hours. Pain isn't under control and it's making me crazy.
Replies to "I'm scheduled to begin Mayo's pain rehab program next month and wanted to get a head..."
Thank you for replying. I think I will take your suggestion. Of course, after being completely off the Kadian (morphine) for 5 days, the question is how many capsules do I go back to. My local pain doctor had me drop in 20mg intervals: i.e., 60mg to 40mg to 20mg to off. The last time pain wasn't a big problem was at 40mg. I'm tempted to take one 20mg capsule tonight at bedtime and another in the am. Would be really helpful if Mayo of my pain MD called me back first thing in the morning!! Cripes. I wish I had waited till I got to Mayo to do this. I'll take 20 mg. tonight and call them in the morning. My pain doc is used to prescribing opiates, and is not very experienced in helping his patients come off of them. I suspect that's the case in most pain clinics that don't have pain rehab programs per se.
Maybe you can stay at the lowest dose for awhile and get by.
Just wanted to give you an update. Decided to not take ANY Kadian this morning. So far pain hasn't been overwhelming. Am STILL waiting for a call back from my local pain MD and/or a nurse from Mayo Pain Rehab. It's extremely frustrating that's it's been >24 hours since I placed calls, stating that it was "urgent", and I haven't received a call back. I did succeed in driving 10 minutes to my gym this morning and working with my trainer on upper body strength. Can't tolerate much strain on the lower right-side of my body at this point (lots of scar tissue surrounding L5/S1 and compressing the R sciatic nerve). Suspect part of my pain is also "central sensitization".
I appreciate your remarks! I'll keep you posted on what advice/help I get.
--Elsa
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If you are having alot of trouble tapering I would like to suggest that you wait until you get to rehab to do it. They will bring you down gently and it will be monitored. Safer for you that way.