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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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This is one of those areas where one has to be very careful, whether treating yourself, or someone else, or just making a suggestion. My neuropathy was making me even consider suicide for several months. However, I read about Turmeric, and that it might help, so I tried it. Now, a couple years later, I still use about 1/8 tspn in a glass of warm water whenever I feel the neuropathy coming on. Right now, I have not used any since Christmas. The danger, though, is that the Turmeric has much the same blood thinner effect as warfarin. One possibility of the success is that the Turmeric helps the blood get through the myelin sheath around the nerve, thus bring some healing to the damaged sheath or nerve molecules. I was having neuropathy all over my body, from toe to pate. The worst was in my peritoneal area, giving me a complete change of feeling in my hips, from itch to wild burn as my dystrophies progressed. I pray this relief from Neuropathy holds.
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2 Reactions@margaretob - an explosion of your neuropathy symptoms sounds excruciating. How is it going now? Have the medications you took helped at all?
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1 ReactionI already have a walker but don’t use it all the the time. Afraid of depending on it too much. As far around the house I’m pretty much can figure out what I canning can’t do now appreciate the advice but I’m real slow on my turns and my walking and every time I fall I learn something I can’t do narrow passageways anymore I hold on to everything hard
The The therapist tried dropping my head more perhaps try again to see if it makes a difference but I tried it for like three months to no avail
I’ve been to vertigo clinic and ENT doctor and a vestibular Dr - No all about the crystals they say are out of place it’s just the exercise is not working
@birdierobin Are you giving them enough time Are you doing the vestibular exercise or just ear exercise those you sit on bed count to 30 lay on one side with head tilted to ceiling 30 ct then up 30 then other side? My vestibular Dr told me to do his for a month 3x a day After I did those it was several weeks later I had to do ear exercise so the vertigo will come back
@birdierobin, vertigo can be very challenging to fix. One of the ENTs I saw was very highly recommended but did not help me at all. I was luckily referred to a gal who was super. She, at times made the same movement with my head 2-3 times/session. My vertigo was not limited to one ear or canal. She had me practice the maneuver but I always went back to her whenever it came on because I knew when she did it the vertigo would disappear for months and unless I made some thoughtless crazy movements of my head I was good. BUT, I also have a friend who has gone through every possible treatment including surgery to no avail. I wish you the best, poor balance makes everything more difficult. Helen
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2 Reactions@oldkarl I'm glad the turmeric helps you, but it won't make blood cells pass through the vessel walls. The blood cells are floating in the plasma and sometimes the cells can get clumped together. Keeping hydrated will add to blood volume by adding to the fluids so the cells can pass more easily. The arteries carry the oxygenated blood which passes through smaller vessels until it get to the smallest of all, the capillaries where sometimes, just a few cells can pass at a time, from there it empties into veins that get larger as it goes back toward the heart and lungs to be re-oxygenated. The blood cells never leave the circulatory system unless there is a tear in a vessel and that is what happens in a bruise where blood cells escape. The body fluids can pass through the vessel walls and that is how the exchange of gasses happens with the cells in your body. Turmeric does help decrease inflammation. I don't know how turmeric and warfarin interact, but that would be a good discussion to have with your doctor. It's always good to discuss any supplements you are taking when you discuss medications.
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3 ReactionsI’m actually doing it for two minutes in each position, taking my time, but I was never told to do it three times a day so maybe I’ll try that more often since you were told to. I’ve only been doing it once a night and make sure I don’t lay flat after I went out and bought a new bed that tilts just for this reason. Thanks I’ll try it.
Oh Helen you’re so right! it’s awful!! The check both ears and they said it’s only one I just don’t know anymore but I’d give everything I own to get my balance back!! Thanks