1. < Chronic Pain

Abilities and Life Expectancy (living life)

Posted by pfbacon @pfbacon, Jul 17, 2020

Some of us are taking medicines that were, or still are, considered addictive drugs, like narcotics, prescription pain killers, and pot. According to my doctors, we end up taking these when other medicines, like anti-seizure meds and over-the-counter pain meds, don't work any more (I have Neuropathy, it's progressive, and progressively painful). My doctors are reluctant to say what my life expectancy will be once I start taking those.
Can we use narcotics, pain killers, and pot for decades? Are we lucid enough to take care of ourselves? If not, who takes care of us? Perhaps some of you who have been doing it for awhile will be willing to tell us how long you've been using such medicines and what it's like: can we go on working? Driving? Do you live independently or in hospice or with family? Thank you ... Peggy

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Mentor
Rachel, Volunteer Mentor | @rwinney | Jul 22, 2020

I appreciate this conversation and have been enlightened by many thoughts expressed. At age 50, I've been on opiods for pain relief for over 3 years because other preferred choices failed to work. It was challenging for me to come to terms with the use and that I deserved comfort, while understanding I wasn't or wouldn't become an addict. I also do not receive 100% pain relief however, receive the relief my body needs to better partake in daily existence. My acceptance of opiods doesn't mean I wont remain hopeful for future alternatives like, yet to be created non-opiod pain relieving medications which large pharmaceutical companies are presently working on. I'm also hopeful to get to Mayo's Pain Rehab Program on October 5th and attempt to wean off 5mg 4-5 × per day hydrocodone/acetaminophen, as my last ditch effort, and see if I can achieve satisfactory pain relief through an alternitive approach. I owe it to myself to try and discover a possible way around opiod therapy, long term. I respect each and everyone's personal choice to do what's best for themselves and their bodies. Thank you @pfbacon for approaching this delicate topic and thanks to all others for chiming in with their views. Responses were slow to roll in, I believe, because this is an intricate, deeply thought out topic. Life expectancy = who knows! So many variables.
My best to all-
Rachel

REPLY
lioness | @lioness | Jul 22, 2020
In reply to @summertime4 "@becsbuddy Thank you for your reply to those worrying about the effects of taking a narcotic..." + (show)
@summertime4

@becsbuddy Thank you for your reply to those worrying about the effects of taking a narcotic pain reducer. I say reducer because even with my pain meds I am never 100% pain free, but what it does is make the pain well manageable and gives me the ability to take care of myself, spend time with my grand children and take care of my home. I hear people say they will never take a narcotic pain reliever and will even succumb to the pain and inability to enjoy life without the pain. My question is "Why would you do that to yourself. I certainly understand that some folks cannot, in any way, tolerate a narcotic or anything near that. That stinks. I am prescribed 3 percocets a day, one more if needed and less if not needed. It helps me to take care of myself, not lying in a bed crying in pain. I know the perils of drug addiction. I was a certified addiction counselor for 30 years. I retired 10 years ago. There is a huge difference between those seeking mental relief from a chemical and those seeking physical pain relief. Physical pain relief was the reason these drugs were made available. As Becky said, it seems our body metabolizes drugs used for physical pain relief different from those looking to get "High". Of course I wish opiods were not an answer for me, but relieving the pain that takes away my quality of life made me think long and hard about taking the drug. I am 75 years old and have been on narcotic pain relievers for 10 years and I live alone, take care of my home and with the help of a grief counselor grieve the loss of my husband who died 2 years ago. I am not trying to be the poster child for drug use, but rather an advocate for those who are having difficulty making a decision .

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@summertime4 You are so right my Dr told me if you take narciticthe way I perc
Scribe you won't become addicted it's the abuser,s that become addicted Ive been on a couple but they didn't help that much so Tramadol does according to Dr,s dierections

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2 replies
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 22, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@summertime4 You are so right my Dr told me if you take narciticthe way I perc..." + (show)
@lioness

@summertime4 You are so right my Dr told me if you take narciticthe way I perc
Scribe you won't become addicted it's the abuser,s that become addicted Ive been on a couple but they didn't help that much so Tramadol does according to Dr,s dierections

Jump to this post

@lioness- There are many factors that contribute to addiction, among them are addicting drugs. Drugs that actually make you an addict by physically changing your biology. Most of us become addicts of one sort or another after taking something, liking it, and continuing to take it, then because we need it. We aren't born addicts in the strict sense of needing an addictive drug at birth. CIrcumstances need to fall into place. At other times, as I said, it's the drug itself.

I can't take tramadol, I wish that I could. But it can become addictive, so be careful too.

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1 reply
babette | @babette | Jul 22, 2020

Your body does become physically dependent on some drugs. But, especially after a certain age, does it really matter? Isn't the point to have as many high quality days in life? I'd rather have a good shorter life than a long miserable one!

REPLY
lioness | @lioness | Jul 22, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "@lioness- There are many factors that contribute to addiction, among them are addicting drugs. Drugs that..." + (show)
@merpreb

@lioness- There are many factors that contribute to addiction, among them are addicting drugs. Drugs that actually make you an addict by physically changing your biology. Most of us become addicts of one sort or another after taking something, liking it, and continuing to take it, then because we need it. We aren't born addicts in the strict sense of needing an addictive drug at birth. CIrcumstances need to fall into place. At other times, as I said, it's the drug itself.

I can't take tramadol, I wish that I could. But it can become addictive, so be careful too.

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@merprep Thanks I am aware but as all my post about Tramadol you can see I was on 4 at first after my fracture now I only take 1if needed well there are days I don't need it so yes it can be addictive to those who can't control themselves

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2 replies
babette | @babette | Jul 22, 2020

Hi Lioness - Speaking as a therapist, it really isn't about self-control. There are very real physical *only* dependencies and behavioral addictions and both are about neuroscience. I think it's important to see addiction for the disease it is.

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 22, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@merprep Thanks I am aware but as all my post about Tramadol you can see I..." + (show)
@lioness

@merprep Thanks I am aware but as all my post about Tramadol you can see I was on 4 at first after my fracture now I only take 1if needed well there are days I don't need it so yes it can be addictive to those who can't control themselves

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Linda- some drugs make people addicted. It's often not a matter of control, it's a matter of the drug taking control. Thinking that someone can't control themselves is a judgement call. It's just not fair to classify everyone like that.
I have chosen to take antidepressants for the rest of my life. I know that my mind and body have adapted to them so much that if I quit I'll go into withdrawal.

Does that make me an addict?

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2 replies
lioness | @lioness | Jul 22, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "Linda- some drugs make people addicted. It's often not a matter of control, it's a matter..." + (show)
@merpreb

Linda- some drugs make people addicted. It's often not a matter of control, it's a matter of the drug taking control. Thinking that someone can't control themselves is a judgement call. It's just not fair to classify everyone like that.
I have chosen to take antidepressants for the rest of my life. I know that my mind and body have adapted to them so much that if I quit I'll go into withdrawal.

Does that make me an addict?

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@merprep Any medicine I believe your on helps you and going of something that helps you will cause withdraws yes it's the quality of life that's important so we all have things we do to make us feel alright 😘 you take care and live with whatever gives you that

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pfbacon | @pfbacon | Jul 23, 2020
In reply to @becsbuddy "@pfbacon Are you worried about having to take narcotics in your future and how will you..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@pfbacon Are you worried about having to take narcotics in your future and how will you take care of yourself? I don’t take narcotics or any pain meds but, as an oncology (cancer) nurse, I have a lot of experience with them. Many of the patients on the unit where I worked , took large amounts of narcotics, but they acted just like you and I. The body adjusts to each increase in dosage. It’s not like a drug addict; they want the drugs, but the body doesn’t need them ( for pain relief). For a person with cancer, the body both wants and needs the drug. Their mind is completely with it.
Also, if a person needs to start taking high doses of a drug, they can be referred to a palliative care doctor. They treat everyone, not just cancer patients. Their speciality is pain management. They aim to help you get “more life in your days, rather than days in your life.” The whole palliative care team helps you to figure out what you want to do to get life in your days.
Do you have any other thoughts or questions?

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Thank you, Becky ... your information is encouraging. Yes, I'm afraid of taking narcotics, afraid I'll be 'out of it'. It's encouraging to me that your patients who took large doses for pain were as normal as ever, and your explanation about how that works makes sense to me. I noticed the same thing with Adderall. I have ADD, I take a small amount daily, it makes me normal. When people who don't have ADD take adderall, it makes them high and not normal. Thank you! Peggy

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