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Pain Pill Addiction and Neuropathy - Looking for Guidance
I am a neuropathy sufferer, CMT, with minimal pain right now. However, my mother suffers from painful peripheral neuropathy. She is the reason I joined this group. I am looking for advice and guidance. My mother was treated by a neurologist for years and prescribed Percocet. She became addicted. Recently, her neurologist referred her to a pain clinic. Her Percocet prescription needed increased and he told her he could not do it. At the pain clinic, she was prescribed methadone. Upon her return visit, the doctor at the clinic "released" her, said she was an abuser of her pills. So, she not only is dealing with chronic pain she is suffering from withdraw symptoms from years of pill addiction. Watching this is heartbreaking. I am desperate to get her treatment for both conditions but she isn't making it easy. I am looking for suggestion for successful treatments that don't involve opioids. I was going to encourage her to try laser therapy but don't think that will be an option due to how expensive it is. Any guidance, suggestions, etc. would be so greatly appreciated.
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I tried gabapentin and it didn’t work so now I take generic lyrica and cymbata for relief
Tramadol works for me -- I take 1/2 of a tablet when neuropathy is flaring and overpowering my anti-seizure medications. It dulls the pain and doesn't make me sleepy or 'high'. Peggy
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1 Reactionwilcy, I, too have spinal stenosis with neuropathy in my feet. I haven't heard of Kratom but I do go to the local hospital's pain clinic. My doctor has prescribed three pain pills which I take three times a day. Gabapentin is one of them. I don't know all the side effects but I do know if I forget to take my pills at a certain time, my pain tells me I forgot. I wanted to ask you, "Have/has any doctor(s) told you that you need surgery? Seven of the best surgeons told me I need a rod, cage, fusion, I can't remember what all. I don't want it so that is why I go to the pain clinic. Even a pain clinic doctor said I really need surgery! I worry about my feet and legs because they don't get the circulation they need. I have pain in my feet, do you?
I have a real problem with doctor's prescribing addictive meds and then cutting the patient off abruptly. Do they think that this elderly person is going to be knocking over banks to get their fix!? Really. I think the pain mgt. Clinic that you went to should be reported to sone medical board as acting unprofessional. I have some experience with addiction with valium (use to be called mother's little helper). Thank God u went thru that withdrawal when I was young as I am not sure I could physically get thru anything like that withdrawal at my age of 77. Anyway back to your mother. I can't blame her for not trusting the medical profession now. I mean that's how she got in this mess to begin with. Please find a different pain mgt. Clinic. The right one doesn't judge and offers other alternatives. I am taking lyrica (pregabalin). I have to show my license when I pick up at drug store. I also see my doctor there every 6 mos. Am I likely to commit a crime to get more?!!!!! Listen old age has to be worth something in society. Please take your mom out to lunch and tell her how sorry you are for her to have this problem especially at her age. I think if you find a clinic (mine is at a hospital where I see other doctors for other problems. Having complete access to a patients health care gives the pain doctor more confidence in who they are treating. Good luck and please let us at least give grace to elderly people who find themselves addicted. It is so insidious.
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2 ReactionsThank you Jim my name is Jim also having a very. hard time with neuropathy in my feet legs and my head I’ve tried everything possible. You even got on pain pills trying to get off the pain pills got on Suboxone now I’m trying to get off the Suboxone having a very hard hard time anyone out there ever find cure for neuropathy please post it. Thank you.
You know there’s a harsh reality to neuropathy it doesn’t go away. It really doesn’t get better and sometimes you have to accept the fact that while certain medication‘s are addictive, you have to weigh that against the quality of life you choose to live. I know I’m going to have neuropathy for the rest of my life, so I’m really not worried about being addicted to a painkiller that helps me function for the rest of my life at least that’s the way I see it and by the way in an earlier stage in my life when I did suffer from addiction and switch to Suboxone, I have to say getting off the Suboxone was almost as bad as going cold turkey. That was a lifetime ago for me and that means well over 30 years and even when I got off the Suboxone, I felt like crap for six months and I can’t possibly imagine how that would flow with with neuropathy.
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2 ReactionsI feel like it was unethical for your mother to be discharged from the Pain Clinic without treatment for her withdrawal. I would be talking with her doctor at the Clinic.
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1 ReactionI don’t know what state or where you live. There are State laws to protect pain management patients. Depending on the law inn your state you can sue for lack of medical care. The only way a pain management doctor can drop you is if you took more than you were prescribed. It is important to keep track of your opioids. I put mine in a pill container . Then my pill bottles are locked up. I do four weeks at a time. One in morning and one at night. My prescription reads take one pill every 8 hours for 20 mgs of OxyContin but I only take two except on my bad days. Truthfully, I would rather do medical marijuana than opiates.
You can take seizure medications for neuropathy, elavil, neurontin and lyrica. Some of the neuropathy medications can make you feel like you are loosing your memory. Medical marijuana gummies indica 10thc/10cbd. I tried it in Colorado and California. It took away the pain at night. I live in Texas. There is a person that drives in from Austin to see my pain management doctor.
He is in Colleyvillle. He upped my prescription without me asking.
My attitude is it’s not going to get better.. I am 62 and I prefer to be in less pain and able to function than not to be able do to nothing.
Mine is autoimmune neuropathy.
Sjögrens, Lupus, Dysautonomia, severe axonal sensorimotor peripheral polyneuropathy, SFN, (small fiber neuropathy), CAN- cardiac autonomic neuropathy, spinal bifida, and seizures caused by dysautonomia. I told my pain management doctor that I don’t want to live my life in pain.
When your in terrible pain and coming off opiates it would be very difficult to have the concentration to be mindful and to do yoga, the only pain meds that have ever worked for me and my Mum were/ are opiates, it's awful that doctors treat us like drug addicts if we ask for more meds, some off the Dr's haven't got a clue and maybe until they are in the same situation will be when they understand. I'm so sorry for your Mum having to go through withdrawal s and the mental addiction and dependence, when all she wants is to receive her pain, its a scary world we live in when we have Dr's behaving like that.
Im not qualified except to say That I have learned after a complete MRI the Doctors "can" determine where and if epidural injections
into the spine will be helpful, I have also leaned that a "Test" spine electrical stimulator is possible. If, after a week of so of use and relief occurs they have it implanted into ones back