Help comes in many forms.

[scholey23]

Good Morning fellow sufferers. Some of the posts that I have read complain about the pain medication making them drowsy or dizzy or feeling sick. These are the side effects of Opiates and Narcotics and when taken for Pain Control are an indication that you are either on too strong a dose or not strong enough. In any case you should seek a medical opinion immediately, either from your Doctor/Surgeon or Pharmacist. In todays society the Pharmacist (Chemist) is a very highly qualified person and is far more up to date than the doctors who prescribe the drugs. Usually it is best to use a Chemist that is part of a chain as they keep educating the pharmacists with training courses on a regular basis.

Many sufferers tend to refuse to take Morphine, Codeine and their derivatives because they think they will become addicted to them. This is, largely, nonsense, as the addiction portion of the drug is used up in the body to lessen the pain and assist in calming the mind. It is now a widely accepted fact that when the pain is controlled then the sources that caused the pain in the first place is able to be cured much faster.

Research into the effects of these drugs when used with anti-inflamatories and/or anti-depressants is growing exponentially. When I was talking with a researcher I was told that tin this last year there has been more advances made than in he last five years.

However, I must caution you all that you MUST follow the directions on taking the prescribed drug. Read the inserts about the drugs. Learn as much as you can about what they are prescribed for, etc. Since 1989 I think I must have been prescribed every type of pain killer in existence. This has to be done to provide the Surgeon/GP to determine what is the best combination for you. This is where a daily Pain directory comes into play. Record your levels of pain throughout the day along with what you were doing at the time. This will provide a more complete picture of what your body is going through.

My last piece of information is to make sure you are getting as much relaxation and rest as possible and don't forget your exercises daily.

Good Luck dear friends.

[Calceolaria]

Thank you Scholey. Best wishes.

[marmaris]

I liked what you say about lessening the pain and calming the mind and going on to say that when the pain is controlled then the sources that caused the pain in the first place is able to be cured much faster. I fear the side effects I must be honest and often suffer in silence. With regards the opiates such as Codeine which I was recently given and have not tried. It all makes sense as when we are in pain, our minds are stressed and on and on goes the vicious cycle.

[earthwitch]

I have to disagree about opiates not causing addiction. Yes, if you need them for pain, then take them (as prescribed) but please don't ever underestimate the physical withdrawal effects you can get from them if you stop them too suddenly, even if you aren't psychologically addicted.

[Tracy_K99]

I have recently undergone a discectomy. Prior to this I took Sevredol and Oramorph along with other Meds to control the awful pain I was experiencing. I too was worried about withdrawal from the opiates once I was no longer in pain and yet still felt in need of them. My consultant told me that if I was experiencing more than a bad headache for a couple of days (Aside from the psychological fear of going without the drugs that I had relied on for so long) then it would mean that I had been actually taking more than I needed to as the body would (as previously mentioned) use up what it needed for pain relief and only the excess would cause any real problems with withdrawal. I am now reducing my intake of morphine and have honestly felt no withdrawal except a headache and one night of strange dreams. I know it is of course the choice of the individual and all pain is different and people's reactions can differ but the relief these drugs gave me when I was literally screaming in pain actually saved me from going mad with unbearable pain and I don't know how I would have coped without them. The trick is to take what you need and to monitor your doses and not to overdo it. At the time they were the only drugs strong enough that worked and I for one am truly thankful that my GP saw that I needed this level of pain relief and gave it to me. Hopefully I am on the path to recovery so now I am radically reducing my intake of these drugs and will not take them at all very soon. I would probably feel differently if I had to take morphine indefinitely but I can say hand on heart and without exaggeration, that they saved my sanity at a time when I thought I couldn't take the pain anymore. Once again this is just my humble opinion and my personal experience and I have no knowledge of the possible effects it may or may not cause me in years to come but at the height of my pain I would have taken ANYTHING to get rid of my pain and would definitely do the same again given the chance. Constipation, dizziness, fatigue .... All these are nothing compared to the intense pain and the damage that level of pain does to your mind, body and soul and the healing process. I think the key thing to do is to use these drugs in the correct doses and not to take more than you need. So in short - you control the drug and the drug does not control you.

[Tracy_K99]

Sooooooo .... Just an update on my morphine withdrawal .... I am over 2 weeks post op and have reduced my morphine considerably HOWEVER I also had to reduce my Gabapentin and I think I did too much too soon and had a couple of AWFUL days. I think it was a combination of lowering both Meds too much. I thought I was in control and doing fine but it hit me out of the blue and was not pleasant viewing I'm sure. I feel a little better after speaking to my GP and Physio and also by not expecting too much too soon from myself. So .... I DID eventually have a couple of awful withdrawal days but it seems to have levelled out now and I am not being so blasé about it now. I'm afraid I must have been taking more than I needed to start with in a bid to stop the pain before it kicked in too hard and I paid the price when I reduced the Meds too quickly. So there it is - nothing is simple is it but I still would not have coped without the morphine prior to my surgery and the good news is that every day I feel a little better.

Just thought I would share my experience as it's not over yet and seems to be changing daily and has altered since my previous post. Hard to admit but if I can help by truthfully sharing my personal experience then that's all I really want to do. Txxx