I MADE IT!

After what seemed a life time ( reality..2months) I'm finally free of pain medication running my life.  It's true, it did.  Everything I did was planned around when or how long ago I'd taken my pain medication.  It was never questionable.  If it had worn off, and wasn't time for my next one, I couldn't do it.   I don't regret having to take it as long as I did but I do regret that my doctor didn't encourage me sooner to see what would happen if I stopped taking it.

My rheumatologist had mentioned in the past when I would complain about the various FM drugs I've tried not working that it could be the narcotic blocking it.  No pressure, just information.  You never could have convinced me that I could function without it.  

Wednesday will be one week completely free from a pill doing me more harm than good.  I think each two week step down was just as, if not harder than,  the first 3 days of being totally off.   

Wednesday:  I awake thinking OMG how am I going to get through this day?  Nothing for relief.  I AM NOT a bed person.  How in the world will I manage?  No NSAIDS allowed.

Text message from my husband: How u doin?
Me: Brave of you to ask.....then a list of complaints 
Him: no, your brave!

 My first accomplishment was to take a walk, which I done 43 out of the 58 days I've been on this journey.  During the summer I was swimming and walking in the pool for exercise.  Don't get me wrong,  this is excellent exercise.  Everyday that I was in there I was praising God we were fortune enough to work out a way to have a pool for me to exercise in.  All of my doctors have said, "KEEP MOVING".  Walking was a different story.  I had slowly worked up to walking short distances after my first stimulator surgery.   Several months later I was walking a little over a mile and increased to a good pace for me.  After I had the revision surgery a year later as soon as the doctor gave me the ok I got back to it once
more.  This time I couldn't keep with it.  I couldn't walk through the pain.   I stuck to swimming, walking, PT stretchs in the pool and riding my recumbent bike for exercise.  

A week before I started the tapering I made up my mind that I was going to walk it out no matter what.  10 minutes, 20 minutes, whatever I could do was better than staying inside and fighting this battle with no other help.  Once I made up my mind I was able to do it.  I had to do it right away or I'd let the pain take over my mind and win.  After the walk I did a 25 minute stretch routine that consisted of all the back and core strengthening exercises that my physical therapist taught me.  It took and is still taking commitment to get it done. If I had an appointment I got up early enough to do beforehand.  I knew that if I could get my back a little stronger would help me in the end of this process. 

Thursday:  Each day will be a little better.  Not day 2 though...it was worse than day one. 
During the time of day that I usually took my pain medicine my body was screaming at me. My back hurt so bad.  I just couldn't imagine how this was going to work.  I reminded my self I trust my doctor.  Why would he just torture me for nothing.

Text message from my daughter: How r u?
Me: A bunch of nonsense about how it has to get better than this : < (   A comment my PM doctor said to me on Monday when I saw him. ( you'll find after about 2 months your pain will level off to a lower degree and mostly stay the same.  90% of people find they feel so much better in the end)  I go on with my nonsense to text, " he obviously forgot I live in the 10%". 
Her: Well you've had victory with every other med step you've taken so we'll believe you will here too!! Take it easy.

doing a lot of soaks with this

It's that kind of support that helped me through some though days.  There are very few people who understand what I've been through I have many who care.  Even some of my readers have checked on me.  Thank you, it means the world to me to know you understand and support me.  

Unfortunately when Friday rolled around I had an added discomfort jump on board.  It started as a flaming throat and nose.  At first I just thought it was allergy but by Sunday it involved my ears and chest.  I feel like an moose is sitting on my chest.  I'm hanging in there since I have a doctor appointment Wednesday anyway.   Of course my old friend "the hives" have been lurking around just to make thinks a little more uncomfortable.  A few days I didn't have any but most days I had at least one and at most four.

I hate these buggers :-(

They'll never leave me!

I've been out very little ( besides my walk ) A trip to the fruit stand, very close to my house.  Saturday evening went to eat at some friends house and watch the LSU-BAMA game.  I really wanted to get out of the house and knew my friend would keep me laughing which would be so good for me.  I was right about that too.  I was happy to see my husband getting to watch the game with friends.  We used to always do something for the game but this season we've been right here.  Today I tackled getting gas and going inside Wally World for a few things.   I can tell you I've spent quite a bit of time soaking in the tub but it really helps.  

In conclusion I feel like when this allergy/sinus issue is better I can really tell how I'm feeling.  I feel like my back is getting stronger and when it does start to hurt from activity it's a totally different pain.  There is a constant "soreness" more than "pain" from the start of day that turns into a medium grade pain.  When I'm over this I can't wait to see how I really feel.  I'm quite surprised at how my back felt today and praying it continues and is real.  I guess what I mean is sometime when something else is hurting you can put your chronic pain at the bottom.  I'm not saying this a good situation but just how it can be.  I plan to update you in a couple of weeks to let you know how I feeling.  For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to each coming day.  

Live in Peace not in pieces

Iylana Vanzant

My big princess

P on his 5th birthday

My little princess

Come on Spring

We've had a tease of spring weather this past week.  The high in the 70's several days in a row.   Last week end D pressure washed the deck to prepare for sealing.  Between watching him work outside around the pool and the weather it really gave me pool fever.  I can't wait until we can open so I can get back to doing some walking.  We'll see about the lap swimming.  I have every intention to go back to it, but I'm slightly concerned that it may have caused the bursitis.  Last year when we opened the pool I had to wait 3 more weeks because my incision was still healing from my battery change and reposition.  Not this time.  I'm in as soon as it's open!

D and I are both hopeful that we will open 3-4 weeks earlier than last year with the help of the thermal cover we purchased last fall.  We were able to close a month later than usual.
We do need some sunshine for that to work and we haven't seen much of it lately.   I'm hopeful!  

On to how all my ailments are.  

My aching back: Same old story.  I mentioned last post I was actually looking forward to my visit with my PM doctor.  I'm never looking forward to any appointment but I know I needed some advise on my medications.  I have to say for as long as I've been on the same narcotic it's worked relatively well for me.  We talked last year on my pre surgery visit about changing because it had got to the point it was only taking the edge off and hardly reducing the pain scale number.  I was, and currently getting about an hour to hour and a half max relief from it.  He prescribes TID (three times a day) but I rarely take that way.  As you know, if you've taken narcotics for chronic pain for any period, the longer you take them the more you need to get relief.  You body becomes accustom to the schedule of taking it.  

This past winter has been the worst ever.  My PM doctor stated he couldn't tell me how many complaints over the last few weeks he'd heard the same thing.  I told him all my bones hurt and he smiled only because he said he was waiting for that next.  Something else he has heard a lot.  So we did make the change at this visit.  We have a good relationship and he knows what my pain tolerance is.  He trusts if I tell him I've had to take as prescribed lately to get any relief that I'm at my worst.  He knows I understand the longer I hold off the more relief I get down the road.  Not to say it's always easy.  Trust me, if it's a day that will be hard I take every alley I can.  My stimulator runs 24/7, pain medicine and patch or cream.  

The lateral epicondylitis: After 4 months of OT I was very impatient with it and sought advice from an orthopedic in January.   He confirmed what we already knew.  No arthritis, just a bone spur on the elbow.  Good old tennis elbow.  Takes time, he says.  Yep, I've heard.  Funny thing is about two weeks after I saw him I started getting some relief with it.  I was so glad to get a break from the brace.  I left it off and when ever it started bothering me I'd put it back on.  I saw my OT on Friday and we did a review and release consult after my treatment.  She was great. Always encouraging me that it would get better.  It's not completely gone.  I'm still doing the stretches and careful not to over do it.  I'd say it's 80% better.  

The mean Fibromyalgia: This goes hand in hand with my weight control.  Shortly after I started the medication my rheumatologist started me on I reached a plateau.  I've been up and down by 2 pounds since December.  I can't seem to reach my goal weight for nothing.  It's ok though.  I'm happy I'm controlling the side effects of the medications.  If I wasn't still following a plan I promise you I'd have gained at least 10 pounds by now.  I really think I need to increase dose or take additional dose in the morning but I'm so scared of the side effects.  I see my rheumatologist next month so I can wait until then to get his advice on that decision. It can be brutal some days.  What already hurts intensifies, and areas that have never bothered you and have no reasons to hurt can be extremely painful.  

Dr. Oz had a segment on Fibromyalgia this past week.  I wish he would have committed more than 10-15 minutes to it.  He had an audience member who had symptoms come up and a specialist went over the "trigger points" that are very tender to someone dealing with FM as opposed to someone who isn't.  Why are they important?  Because so many women and men are written of as having some other diagnosis because it is very hard determine if you have FM or not.  For instance, most patients experience fatigue.  Fatigue for long periods of time for some patients.  That is a symptom of a lot of ailments.  It could be from any number of things.  Headaches are another example.  I could name more.  He made a point that made me feel better about something.  He said, some women are actually relieved to get the diagnosis because then they know that people don't think they are crazy.  There actually is something wrong.  I felt a little that way.  So many of my doctors said it was just a stem of my back pain.  I knew better.  I'd done to much research on my own about the illness.  I actually agreed when my rheumatologist started mentioning it.  When he officially put it down as my diagnosis it was disturbing none the less and a relief to know at the same time.

It's Sunday morning, raining and I don't have a place that is not hurting.  Every area is tender to touch.   I can remember seeing the commercial years ago for FM thinking how can that be?  Surely they can figure out what is causing it. 

When I was still working we had several patients diagnosed with FM and I was particularly close with one.  The last two years I was there I couldn't believe the change I saw in her.  Before I knew it she changed before my eyes.  Looking much older and frail, I had so much empathy for her in my heart knowing the "ideas" people have when you tell them what's wrong.  Including my own employer.  I believe she was fighting it years, before knowing what was going on for sure.   That was different for me.  I started out with the attitude that no one but my family needs to know about what they "think" I have.  I will however do everything I am supposed to do to keep yourself going.  Exercise, watching my weight, keeping my bi annual appointments with my rheumatologist.  A lot of people who aren't getting the answers they need stop seeking treatment.  I stuck with him even though for 4-5 years he had no for sure answers for me but he always had plenty information.  Ideas and suggestions for supplements.  He is my favorite of all my doctors, and I have plenty! 

Which brings me to....
My weight:  I just said it to my husband this am.  What is worse, to tough out the pain or gain a little weight? As much as I'm hurting this morning I'm really scared of the weight gain.  It's already put 20 pounds on me once before.   I've continued to follow my WW's program.  My husband and daughter both will tell you that I don't play around with something I pay for.  I'm not going to "estimate" or say to myself, well I've eaten good the last few days so it won't hurt to eat out and guess at it.  I'm sort of OCD about it.  If I can't figure out the points or it's not a chain in the app to know the points I'm going to pass.  With all that said my point is the medication is trying to win.  I'm on a low dose and feel like I could really use a stronger one.   He wrote for BID (two times a day) so I'd have if I needed it.  Hopeful though that a nighttime dose could keep me comfortable.  Most of the time it does.   I'd say out of a month I might do an am dose 5 times.  Today was a day I needed that.  I'm actually waiting for it to kick in right now.  

When I started the FM medication I was two pounds away from my goal weight.  There is no doubt I'd have hit it for sure.  It's been a struggle though.  It constantly fluctuates between 2-3 numbers but never have I dipped past that number I was at when starting the medication.  I've hit it again a few times but mostly stay 2 to 3 pounds above that.  There is no doubt if I wouldn't continue to follow a plan I'd quickly gain enough to not fit any of my clothes.  I've always worried about controlling my weight because of my back pain and the challenge of exercising.  

My Stimulator:  Even though I've been frustrated with my coverage and my lack of support ( I feel ) from my St. Jude rep who I've loved and bragged about many times, I seem to always have it on and thankful to have it.   I don't know if he is just so busy now he can't keep up with his number of patients requests.  My last time reaching him it was quite disturbing waiting to hear back from him.  He's told me in the past, "bug me".  Well, I did.  On the day we were supposed to meet he set me up with someone else because something came up for him.  I've seen her before but not for adjustments.  She was with him for several of my visits because she was training.  We did ok with our meet, but I ran into a problem a couple of days later.  I text and called her.  Guess when I got a return call?  Four days later.  I had figured it out on my own by then, thank goodness.  My stimulator was not making connection with the battery.  I've experienced this before.  One of the reasons I had to have the reposition surgery last year. By the time I heard back from her it was just so disappointing that she even called at that point.  Like it was ok?  Her message gave a reason why I it took so long and it was not even a good reason.  I have to get over it because her and Mr. R are my only options for adjustments.  I'm at their mercy. 

To let you know how much I'm using it reflects in how often I'm needing to charge now  I charged my batter yesterday and it had only been two weeks.  It took 2 hours and 10 minutes.  I used to go a month. sometime longer before charging and at most it was an hour.   I've had it running 24/7 the last few months in this awful damp cold we've had.  I've found if I turn down pretty low and leave running I seem to not be as uncomfortable when moving around in my sleep.  I have 13 programs right now and can only use 2.  I'm thankful for them, but even they could use tweaking.  To have at the level I need I get the zaps into my side and stomach.  I  will soon just bite the bullet and reach out to Mr. R again.  I need to do it before I loose placement with the 2 I have because it could be days before I get something set up with him.  

Dallas:  He has started a medication to help reduce swelling of the tumor in his bladder.  He has good and bad days.  Some days except for his bleeding you wouldn't think anything was wrong.  Some days he is just so lazy and laying around looking pitiful.  Our vet said at some point we will need to put him on some pain medication.  He's still up for his afternoon walk and eating all of his food every evening and she said that is a really good sign.  We are very hopeful that this medication will shrink the tumor enough to keep him comfortable and still active a little longer.  

Sweet AJ and P:  Things are going great for them.  AJ nursing well and P is such a great big brother.  Always checking and asking questions about his "baby sister".  B had two week pictures of her and they are absolutely beautiful.  Can't wait to share, but I have to wait until B sends out her announcements.  They are on their way.  She did share one of P and AJ together so I can share that one with you.  

Makes my heart melt <3

If you are on WW's and always looking for a low point snack like me I'll share a couple I've been having.  I have discovered Wasa multigrain crispbread.  They are only 1 point a piece and I pile on a wedge of laughing cow cheese, also 1 point.  It is a filling snack.  Have a piece of fruit with it and a full glass of water and I promise you it will help curve your appetite until your next meal.  

Wasa crispbread with laughing cow cheese

After my medicine kicked in and I felt a little better this morning I decided to use up my over ripe bananas.   I usually make breakfast muffins with them.  This recipe was a 3 ingredient and I followed exactly.  I already know a few changes I willtry next time.  So simple and  15 minutes from start to oven.  If you are on weight watchers they are 1 point a piece.  I'll probably eat 3 with some fruit.  A good way for me to get some oatmeal because I do not like it in bowl.   I used a measuring tablespoon to make sure I made 16 which is what recipe called for it to make.  That's not as important if your not following WW's.  If you are it is because the points will not be correct if you add anything or make quantity different serving size.  If you want to make them head on over to Skinnytaste.com to get complete directions.  They are called "Healthy cookies"  1 cup of Quick oats, 2 ripe bananas and 1/4 cup of walnuts.  I really like blueberries with oatmeal but these are small so fruit really doesn't do to well.  I'm anxious to finish these and use cranberries or mini chocolate chips next.  

Healthy cookies

Another of my favorites is a pizza on flat bread or a bread that is called flatout fold it.  I love the Rosemary & Olive Oil flavor.  They can be hard to find sometime.  Great for hamburgers or chicken sandwich too.  It is made by same company as the flat out.  Each kind is 2 points but the tortilla I used is only 1pt.  I mentioned it in an earlier post.  I use it to make a wrap sandwich and also toast to crisp and cut into strips to dip in my soup or chili.  Today it worked awesome for my pizza since I was out of the flatout flat bread.  

7 point pizza

You know what I love about making my own pizza?  You can put a lot of 0 point items you like on there to make it yummy.  I used Paul Newman marinara Sauce 1 pt , turkey pepperonis (serving size) 2 pts, mozzarella chesse (serving size) 2 points and the tortilla is 1pt.  It is even better with the flatout flat bread because it's a little thicker and more filling. It also makes the pizza 8 pts vs 7 because bread is 2 pts not 1.  My extras were onions, bell pepper and banana peppers.  So tasty.  

For the first time in I don't know when I don't have any doctor or therapy appointments this coming week.  I won't know what to do with myself.  Really I'll be caring for Dallas.  He's becoming a handful right now.  

I've enjoyed watching the Olympics.  D and I've enjoyed watching together.  They're aren't many shows we watch together.   A few shows that D and I watch together will start coming on again this week so we're looking forward to that. 

Good night everyone.  Have a nice peaceful and pain free week.
Filled with H.O.P. E. (hold on pain ends)
Theresa

Coming off the meds

On this long journey of finding pain relief something other than the pain has been hard.  Dealing with the fact that to function day to day I need to take narcotics to get just about anything done.  Why is that hard you ask?  I have a reason right?  Try having the pharmacy tech stare at you like a druggie.  You can read their mind. ( You look ok to me)  Or when you show up at your PM office to pick up your refill. ( narcotics cannot be called in) Am I paranoid?  Maybe so.  Maybe it comes from being on the other side of the table too.


Working in the dental field for as long as I did you see plenty people sit in your chair with perfect teeth, yet they swear they have a tooth killing them.  They come in with the towel and shed some tears.  Those tears easily flow because they know how their body will react when we say NO to their Rx request.  You learn quickly all the signs.  They usually know just what kind they need.  They ask for it by name without you mentioning pain medication.  I'm sure lots of other kinds of doctors office and the ER see it also.  The last doctor I worked for had a strict rule.  No treatment, no Rx. and I rarely saw him break it.


I mentioned in my last post that I discussed with my doctor coming off of my pain medications.  Let me update you on how long I've taken it.  From surgery, June 09 until current.  Before I took more ibuprofen at a time that you should, but I never once asked for pain medicine or was I offered any.  I used the pool, acupuncture, and anti inflammatory's.  I went home from the hospital with a full bottle of Percocet.  I hated it, it kept me up all night, made me throw up and feel foggy.  At my 10 day post op check when I complained of this, I was given Ambien to sleep and phenergan for the nausea.  I'd battled insomnia for years so I LOVED the Ambien.  At 3 month check he said, lets ween you off this pain medicine.  Great, I was ready.  But I had a lot of flare ups and still at one year I was hurting.  (your can read about this in posts before May 16th)  Just the time I'd be off I'd have to use them again.


At one year when I saw someone for a second opinion I hadn't taken any narcotic for one month and he gave me a script for Lortab.  Don't be scared to take this if you need it he told me.  How many are you taking a day?  Before a month ago 1 a day.  That's not a lot he told me.  Don't let your pain get out of control, take it before you start to hurt.  Did I listen, nope.  Why?  Because I was so scared to get hooked on taking them.  I'd read so much bad stuff about opioids.  I've since learned the difference and understand being dependent and being addicted.  


Fast forward to 2 years after surgery and I was definitely taking two a day.  One in the morning and one when I got home from work.  If not I had to stay in bed and get nothing done or see anyone at my home.  At close to the 3 year mark I had sinus surgery and took more than regular dose but that is how the ENT wrote it for relief for up to 72 hours after surgery.  I only used it that way for 24.  I was impressed to see her contact my pain management doctor and ask his permission to give me pain relievers for my surgery.  She respected the fact that he was my controlling my dosage of it.  


By year three I was up to 3.  A few months before I lost my dad (May of 2011) I had bumped up to three because I just couldn't finish my afternoon at work without it.  Even though I came home at lunch EVERY day ( I lived less than 2 miles from my office) and skipped lunch and rested in bed to make it through the afternoon. I was also have a lot of pain in my left leg that caused me to limp which exacerbated my back pain.( How I started going through trying the Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella.)  I've been on 3 a day since then.  The only other time I've taken more again was after this SCS implant surgery.  For the first 2 days I took 4 a day.  A fourth one at bedtime.  Mainly because it was so painful for my implant area to be touched and it was impossible not to lying in the bed.


So what's my point?  The letter I inserted below I ran across when researching what it would be like to quit cold turkey. She writes about  just how I felt at times.   Still, all this time I was feeling bad about having to take it.  Not wanting my co-workers or friends and family to know I had to take pain medications to function.  I just assumed they'd think I was addicted.  Especially since "I don't look sick"  I was amazed to find the out poor of people who had been through quitting "cold turkey" because they didn't want to do the long drawn out tapering.   I found lots of advise of what to have around for the all over death, flu like symptoms you will have.  Lot's of sweating, diarrhea ( have something for hydration) and no sleeping.  


I asked my doctor about doing this last week.   He said tapering would be better, but it would't kill me. I'd just feel like I wanted to die.  (some meds will, please make sure to discuss with your doctor before quitting any prescription medications. some can be really dangerous)  He thought my dosage was fairly low, he even gave me a comparison to what some of his patients take and I was in shock.  How could they not over dose.  If you search on detoxing from opioids you will see forums of people who take up to 25 a day.  There is your addict. 


So why do I want to do it and why do I want to just go "cold turkey"?  First question, I have often wondered if your body is dependent on the medication could it be causing some of the pain I feel other than the back pain.  I asked my rheumatologist about this last year and he said that what he could tell me is that some of the medications I was taking and have taken in the past taken with a narcotic could actually cause pain additional pain.  Lyrica, Cymbalta, Savella.  They all have several things they are prescribed for but they help with nerve pain too so maybe that's what he was talking about?  But it stuck with me and I've wondered every since.  I tried several times to not take it and I could, I didn't feel a craving for it like an addict but I was dependent in the sense that I was bed ridden without it.  My pain had been covered so long I couldn't function with level 10 pain without it.  It doesn't really make it go away, it just takes the edge off.  I don't know how I kept working for so long with only taking one in the morning because I was definitely hurting that bad then.  


Second question, it would take 2-3 weeks to taper properly.  I hope to be out of the recovering stage by then and hopefully by 3 months Mr. R will have a better program for me that covers right area.  (thats another post for next time, I'm really bummed about that)  While I'm home already and still resting and recovering I want to just fight it out.  4-5 days max and it will all be over.  I did the same with Ambien.  I was dumb to do it because I didn't ask my doctor and didn't read up on it until after I stopped taking it and found out what was wrong with me.  It was a super shock to my body.  I had brain zaps and creepy crawling tingling in my legs.  4 nights straight with no sleep. 10 days before it was completely out of my system. 
I had read that an Ambien side effect could be back pain.  I was willing to try anything to get rid of the pain.  What if that what had started the "different" back pain after surgery. I had to try. It was definitely advised not to do it that way.  I honestly don't think it will be any worse than that experience was.  Just keep me in your prayers.  I don't expect it to be easy.  I have to see for myself if I can manage my pain with out them or at least just use them for break through pain. If I can't well, then I except that and know the facts for sure. 


My plan is to drop to two days of two and two days of one then 0 until I'm not detoxing any longer.  So I started this plan yesterday.  Only two.  At  2pm my back was on fire and felt like it would break, ( I usually take 2rd at 1) I took 2 ibuprofen and held off until 8.  I think I'd have done better to take second at 6 so my body didn't go so many hours without because I started feeling pretty sick last night.  It lasted from 6:30 until 2 hours after I took second Lortab.  Today I took am and second at 6.  Just feeling a little flu like.  Not to terrible.  The real test is have only one tomorrow.  I discussed with my husband last night and he thinks I always believe the worst about everything. "you shouldn't believe everything your read"   I don't look at that way, I'm just prepared for the worst.  Hope for the best.  He hasn't all that I have on coming off of narcotics.  I could write a book on what I've learned.  So could many of my readers who suffer with chronic pain also.  Any how,  if you've taken the time to read this long post, take a little more to read the letter below it could help you if you need the material. 






I copied this from a newsletter I receive called "Dominie's Newsletter" dated November 1, 2006 written for people with Fibromyalgia, CFS, &/or M.E. Well this article could pretain to anyone in severe pain. I not only have RSD, but also Fibromyalgia & Sjogren's Syndrome. I have read concern from members here & from other websites in the past about how we, who take powerful pain medications for severe pain &/or how some of us are scared to take powerful pain medications for fear of addiction or what other people will/would think of us, including our own Doctors. Well Dominie was sent this from another reader of her website/newsletter, who was not named or I would give that person complete credit for what she wrote, on this specific subject. The drug that she is talking about is Oxycontin. But this could pretain to any opiate/narcotic that anyone of us may take for RSD pain.

"People don't become addicted to oxycontin in three days. It just does not happen that fast. Talk to any medical specialist (doctor, nurse, pharmacist) and they will tell you. Yes, after two weeks if you stop cold turkey, you will have withdrawal symptoms. You should NEVER stop a medication like that cold turkey, but that does not mean the medicine is addictive. You should not stop heart medication cold turkey, you should not stop diabetes meds cold turkey, you should not stop steroids cold turkey because you will have side effects if you do. Some can be dangeorus. But you don't hear anyone say they are addicted to heart medicine! Withdrawal symptoms means your body has become accustomed to having the drug in your system, but that is NOT addiction.

You should take great care with ANY medicine and should know the facts, potential side effects, potential problems with other medicines, etc. We must take responsibility for what we put in our bodies. But we should not shy away from pain medicine if it will help us function, particularly if the pain is severe and nothing else helps. Side effects from stopping a medication can be avoided altogether or greatly reduced if you do so according to directions and oxycontin is one you do not stop cold turkey w/o side effects.

As for oxycontin being an abused street drug, yes it is one of many drugs used by junkies. NOT because it is highly addictive but because it is a time-released pill and when you crush it, you get the entire dose at one time. This gets a person very high. It is also extremely dangerous, particularly with the higher dose tablets. The tablets most people are given for pain are the lower dose ones. You only get the higher dose ones when you have something like cancer and only after you work your way up to the higher amounts. When taken properly for pain control, oxycontin is no more addictive than any other pain medicine (i.e. the % are very low). The only reason oxycontin is sought out by street junkies more than some others is the slow-release aspect giving them a bigger high. When taken as directed for pain control, a person doesn't even get a mild buzz from it once your body adapts to the side effects.

If taken properly, pain medicine can be extremely beneficial. Of course if there is a natural remedy that works I would take that before I would take a prescription drug. But sometimes you need prescription medicines. The main thing people need to do is research. Don't put something in your body until you have read, read, read and know all there is to know about it. Some people think just because a doctor writes a prescription, it must be safe and that is a very dangerous mindset. Just as it is dangerous to assume that just because something is sold over the counter, it must be safe. Even water, taken in excess, can kill. Too much water in a short period of time will throw off your electrolytes and cause your brain to swell and you can die. 

It frustrates us when the medical community poo-pahs natural remedies, esp. when we know they work. But there are people in the natural healing arena that can be just as close-minded by only accepting natural remedies and refusing to even consider prescription meds. For me, I take natural remedies 99% of the time, but there is that 1% I take that isn't. 

I don't think anyone should take opiates lightly, but I also don't think they should be scared out of taking them because there are people that use them on the street to get high. There are people who use pseudoephedrine to make crystal meth, but that doesn't mean people with a runny nose shouldn't take a decongestant. There are people who sniff glue to get high, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be allowed to use glue. It's all in using it for its intended purpose correctly.

It is hard enough to have a disease people make fun of and disbelieve. We shouldn't also have to deal with the stigma of being a "drug addict" when we take pain medicine. People who take insulin for diabetes aren't bad-mouthed. People who take heart medicine or anti-seizures meds aren't made to feel bad for it. Why do so many sit in judgment of those who must take pain medicine? 

If you find yourself taking more medicine than prescribed, if you find yourself doing whatever it takes to get more and more drugs (stealing your doctor's prescription pad, buying them illegally over the internet, stealing them from people's medicine cabinets, seeing more than one doctor to get more meds), then you have a problem and should seek help. But if you are taking the medicine as prescribed to control severe pain you cannot control with anything else, then don't let others make you feel guilty for doing so. And don't let others scare you into avoiding them."

I hope this was/is helpful to atleast one person out there. If you would be interested in her website you can find it here: 

http://www.fms-help.com/


By the way, my mom has fibromyalgia and my rheumatologist told me four years ago I had many of the 18 pressure points a fibromyalgia patient can have.  Even though I didn't have all of them he believed after seeing me for several long visits that I had beginning stages.  I still see him because all of those areas I saw him for to begin with still hurt, especially when my back flares at its worst.
I mention in an earlier post before surgery about someone stating that doctors give the diagnosis of fibromyalgia to crazy people who they can't find anything else wrong with. If he only knew how painful fibromyalgia really is.  For years there was no treatment for it.  My mom also has RLS which there was not treatment for when my mother first starting having severe symptoms.  They gave her medication that was given to Parkinson patients.  Now they have drugs that work better, same as fibromyalgia, but its a long road to find the correct one for some people. 
Some days I just want to get off of everything I take and see how I'd be then.  I do believe in medications, but when you still feel the same taking them I really don't see the point.  That is one reason I'd like to get off of the Lortab if I can tolerate the back pain with my stimulator then maybe the Savella will work for my other symptoms better.
Sorry to be so long, but it is not a topic to write a little about and express yourself.  I guess you'll know how I'm doing by how long it is before you see another post.  


Wish everyone hurting a pain free day.
God Bless