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← Return to Chronic Back Pain for Years
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Sorry to hear a story so similar to mine. While doing an internship in Chemical Dependence at a hospital, I also worked as a nursing assistant. I was making a hospital corner on a bed, sneezed and blew out a disc in my back. Surgery for repair at L5-S1 was the start. That was 1975. Since then there have had 17 back and neck surgeries. My lady says that I have the longest butt crack in the world.
I developed fibromyalgia in the 80's and autonomic peripheral neuropathy in the 00's. I've been in chronic pain for many years. Since the DEA put pressure on the FDA to make it more difficult for us to get opiods, I have had problems getting the one drug, morphine, that works for me. As a former Chemical Dependence counselor and inpatient and outpatient treatment director, I'm very aware of the dangers of misuse of medications. I've never overused any drugs.
If you take meds as prescribed, you won't get into problems. Naturopathic medications have not been effective, for me. The government doesn't tell that the number of suicides has increased among chronic pain suffers who can't get their medications. It's the people who abuse illegal substances that are addicted. Please don't disparage or denigrate your need for such medications. Use as needed.
Replies to "Sorry to hear a story so similar to mine. While doing an internship in Chemical Dependence..."
Darn, I wish I'd been in the group when you wrote this! Though I was a professional photographer, not a nurse. I DID have to become a medical researcher, learning everything that was available in 1973 when I contracted arachnoiditis() thats to being shot full of Pantopaque). I had to become my own doctor...such an ugly time. And the surgeons who did a dual laminectomy in '75 and fused me in '76 knew not one bloody thing about adhesive or sub arachnoiditis; manalive, I really felt alone. Cripes, I was young, an artist; I didn't want to become an authority on my disease, or the woman friends called when they had questions about opioids, but that's what happened. And trying to educate the single most willfully ignorant group of all, doctors. That's wherever I've lived...clearly there are fine doctors who have devoted their lives to those of us with intractable pain. Just not in the high desert, So.CAL!
I absolutely agree with you about the medications. I had fentanyl patches for about 15 years until a couple months ago and I wasn't addicted to it. I've never abused any medications, I've never done any drugs, and I don't even drink. You're right, if taken as prescribed you normally don't have any issues. I agree that drugs are out of control and that opioids are one of those drugs. Doctors are just weaning people off these drugs and leaving them in excruciating pain. As a patient, one of your rights is to be treated for your pain. What is this doing to treat anyone's pain? You are just left out there to decide whether you want to turn into a drug addict and find the street version of the pain relieving drugs or if you want to try to endure the pain until it either kills you or you choose suicide. How is that humane!! It's nearly impossible to even find another doctor that will treat you. I know because I went through several before finding one that would work with me. You are treated like a drug addict looking for drugs! The government is so quick to use the stereotype that if you take opioids then you ARE addicted to them. Also, when they whip out the number of drug related deaths they conveniently forget to mention that most of them are caused by the street version of the drugs. Just wait to see how much the suicide rate rises! I'm sure they won't be so quick to admit or will probably never admit that it's because they left legitimate pain patients to die!
I would recommend to you, since you haven't found any other medications that work, to try an integrative pain specialist. They prescribe both homeopathic and regular pain medications. My doctor prescribes Oxytocin and Ketamine troches. They dissolve under your tongue. Somehow they work together and they work great for your pain. The pain relief is just as good, if not better, than any of the opioids they gave me over the years. I strongly urge you to try a new doctor and mention these medications. If you do get to try them please let me know how they work for you. Good luck to you and take care!
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@mikee you are so right My rheumatologist had me on Vicoden for my fibromyalgia,L2fracture,and other back issues he told me the same thing it's those who don't take them as prescribed that become addicted .I'm retired nurse and know the difference but those that abuse it are giving us a bad rap who listen to Dr.