Hi. Can anyone give me a little advice, I take a numerous amount of medication for pain relief,due to operations causing hypersensitivity, numbness below my knees ams on side of my leg.An now being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. So can anyone recommend an alternative to sevredol morphine tablets.
Tia .Debbs.
Zomorph? You can take up to three times twice daily but I am not sure what that strength would total to. My Husband takes it for hip and other joint probs but as he is hospital at present with vascular impediment, he has the box with him!! HC
Thanks for the reply hollycorner. I'll make a note of that and will mention it to my gp. Will look up the dosages.
Thanks Debbs. 😊
Hi Debbs73
Are you asking about alternative forms of morphine or alternatives to morphine?
Not quite sure from your question.
🙂
Hiya . Yeah different types of morphine.
Debbs😃
What's the issue with sevredol? By which I mean sevredol is instant release morphine sulphate (MST) which is a powerful, fast acting opiate painkiller (all of which I'm sure you know), so if it isn't doing what you hope it will what are you hoping for with an alternative?
Whatever the brand name MST is MST, whether it's liquid form (such as Oramorph) or tablet form like sevredol.
There are slow-release forms like Zomorph which will provide a longer lasting effect, but in terms of pain relief they are all going to be similar.
If you don't feel it is effective then maybe the dose needs adjusting or you would benefit from a different drug entirely (Oxycodone or suchlike).
Can you talk to your GP about this? If they prescribed the morphine in the first instance then you should be able to tell them your concerns and see what they think the next step should be. I would have thought that, if they are prescribing morphine for chronic pain, they would have given you a slow release form with something like sevredol for break through pain. That is the usual method for anything other than acute pain.
If sevredol isn't agreeing with you for whatever reason maybe discuss alternatives to morphine with them? There are lots of different opiate painkillers some of which may have fewer side-effects than morphine.
🙂
Hi. I don't have an issue with sevredol it's just I've been on it for years now, and as we all know our bodies get immune to any drugs after a length of time.
Yeah it was my gp who put me on sevredol, and yeah he's brilliant makes time for you I have an appointment with him at the end of the month so ill be discussing all my concerns with him.
The thing is due to chronic pain for 20yrs ive tried so many pills and potions is unbelievable so we limited. That's why I asked if anyone could suggest an alterative to sevredol.
Yeah I know it's a fast acting Morphine tablet, im also on fentanyl patches along with other meds.
So it needs to be morphine based it might be that it just needs increasing but don't want to do that without medical advice due to the amount of meds I'm already taking.
So I was just asking if anyone could suggest anything so I can goto my gp with the suggestions.
Debbs
Ah ok. I'd have thought that tolerance to morphine would be universal regardless of what type of morphine you take.
Maybe read up on different opiates (like oxycodone etc) and see what your doctor thinks, they seem to all have different preferences depending on your history / condition etc. Also morphine tends to be cheap compared to some of the synthetic opiates...
Another thing is that what works for one may not be the best for you.
Ade
Hi ade.
Believe me im at my wits end I've tried everything . My gp has been brilliant. Anything I find on line he's willing to give it a try as he knows how much pain im in. Trying a different type of morphine is worth a shot as like ya say what works for one won't necessary work for me. But suffering chronic knee back and shoulder pain is depressing. I'd like 1 day pain free bit know it won't happen, so we are managing the pain best way I can with the help of my gp and pain clinic.
Debbs
Hi Debbs
I'm unfortunately very acquainted with pain in all the areas you mention!
The reason I was asking was because I wondered if an alternative to morphine might be more effective if you've been on it for a while. I was on a very high dose for some time and found that it just wasn't doing a lot for me. Although there is a cross-tolerance between opiates a change can sometimes be beneficial. Although as you are also on fentanyl patches I don't know if that limits which other opiates your doctor will be happy for you to have at the same time.
Have you tried the usual suspects like codeine, dihydrocodeine, oxycodone, tramadol etc? Tarpentadol is another and there are lots more.
For myself I have found that exercising and stretching have made a huge difference to my pain levels and even though I was doing it mainly following spine surgery it has also really helped with other things like an inoperable shoulder that I had resigned myself to being in pain with for the rest of my life. Now I've strengthened around it I can actually sleep on that side again for the first time in years.
Have you had any physio or suchlike?
Hi ade. Yeah I've tried alternative therapies. I've had hydro therapy, tens machines, acupuncture. All of which have failed. I've even tried creams. Yeah I've tried a few of what you mentioned. Tramadol I cant Tolerate it makes me puke (sorry if ya having food )within minutes of it going in my mouth. Yeah I keep myself active as best I can as sitting about won't do me any good, it will make my joints seize up. Oh I'd love to sleep on my right shoulder since surgery that's not been possible. I have to sleep on my back, which is a nightmare as the pain in the morning is horrific. Not good sleeping on my back as it makes me snore, so my hubby says. Lol.
I'm very grateful for your input.
Thanks Debbs. 😊
Fibromyalgia is a 'listed' symptom of both Low Thyroid/Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism) and B12 Deficiency or you can have both together. Do some googling.
If your Fibromyalgia is down to Hypothyroidism or B12 Deficiency it is quite straight forward to cure. Ask for a print out of any bloods (and ranges) done and pop them up on Thyroid Uk' here on Health Unlocked. Doctors often say your thyroid or B12 bloods are fine/nothing is wrong with you, or can leave you with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, but check it out yourself and make sure your fibromyalgia is not actually down to Hypothyropidism or B12 Deficiency as then it can be sorted.
Also with fibro you can also be low in vitamin D, iron, folate and ferritin bloods.
Hi. I'm devo not to in iron as I have genetic haemochromatosis and have to have weekly venesections. Also done some googling don't have over active thyroid or suffer from b12 deficiency thanks for the reply.
Debbs.
You say: "numbness below my knees". This needs investigation. Are you putting pressure on nerves.
fibromyalgia is a diagnosis and is not useful. Over contracted muscle which needs to be stretched out will give fibromyalgia symptoms. See a sports therapist for an investigation. Pain killers cannot stretch out over contracted muscle. Pain killers cannot take pressure of nerves.
Worth seeing a chiropractor for a back investigation.
Hope I have been helpful.
Hi John. The numbness is caused by nerve damage from the knee operations I've had over the year's. I've had arthoscopes, injections into my knee even had my leg broken to be realigned and bolted. So hence the numbness.
I've seen a chiropractor years ago an yes I have problem with my back which my gp is aware about and I take medication to help it.
I've swen numberous physios over the years and I have no faith in them at all. They all discharged me. So this is where I'm at now with knee back and shoulder problems. Been under pain clinic and now it's a case of managing the chronic pain that I'm in 24/7.
Debbs
Thanks for the reply. Know what you mean about physios. Many have the tendency to have one size fits all regardless of circumstances. It is worth seeing an Alexander Technique teacher. They will not be able to cure your problem. However they can make you aware how posture affects pain and how muscle control affects pain. They can hopefully improve improve both posture and muscle control which could go some way to reducing pain and making movement easier.
Hi johnsmith. Funnly enough someone on here recommended that to me.
I was on the pain management course through the pain clinic. They taught us similar things. I didn't get much out of the course to be fair, it just seemed like things I do in my daily going's about. Like don't push yourself to do to much, take regular breaks throughout what ya doing, do things little and often, don't cream to much into one day. However once I set my mind on doing things I don't do myself any favours because I feel if I'm having a good ill do everything I can do, but then suffer later that day in mega pain. I always feel guilty if I sit down and do nothing. I have no reason to its just me.,My husband just says debb leave it stop pushing yourself, so no reason to feel guilty.
I'm sure there are some good physios out there somewhere, just I've never come across one in all my years of suffering. If anything they've made me worse, hence the lack of faith in them, ands I think your right in what u said about them.
Debbs.☺
Thanks for the reply. I think I understand the frustration you feel. It is one of the problems when given bad advice by those who have very little understanding of the nature of things as they are.
Pacing is word banded about which enables the pain clinic psychologist to tick a box. It is meaningless word.
Every one with chronic pain has subtle nuances of difference. Each one of us has to investigate and observe how these subtle nuances of difference affect us. Once we know this we can take account of this and hopefully act according.
One theory I work on is that we have a small area of scar tissue. When we move about this unyielding area of scar tissue hits after tissue. The other tissue responds like a bruise it gets inflamed and swells up. When the swelling up occurs it compresses other tissue and hurts. It can hurt like hell. This why we can do some work which needs to be done and then several hours later the pain starts. The time is the time it takes for the tissue to swell up. So I look at moving in ways to avoid the hard scar tissue bruising the softer surrounding tissue. This requires observation and investigation and experimentation.
One of the things I learnt is to get another person to help with a task. The other person does the fiddly bits that you should not do. This way you get the work done albeit slower. It is more productive because you do not spend as much time in agony.
Hope this gives you some useful ideas.
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