My late mother and I were resistant to the effects of virtually all analgesic drugs. Only morphine or similar will give some measure of relief, and I find better relief from TENS or heat. I suspect that we are genetically 'poor metabolisers' of many drugs.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Yup but in the opposite way.. A normal dose of 2 tablets at a time as recommended on most painkillers knocks me for 6 in fact half a tablet of OxyContin had me flat out on the bed unable to walk and slurring speech then. I fell asleep for hours , killed the pain but I was in no state to appreciate it it's the same with alcohol when I was younger and one glass and I was soooo drunk... My gp says my liver doesn't metabolise alcohol and the stronger painkillers so it's on my notes.. No opiates... Doesn't help as I am allergic to penecillin etc etc.its very frustrating getting anything when I am in pain or unwell
VG x
You must feel fed up medications morphene type the body gets used too as with other types
I have been on various for thirty years or more. You are fortunate that you get scripts for morphene many areas refuse too give them as with northumberland. Newcastle/tyne are more forthcoming, and do give scripts
One thing that bothers me with pain control is the fact that in the end if you need opiates the body will be able to prevent effects of the medication, that really bothers me, as now I am able to take a high dose that would normally knock the average patients out. I use a V TENS that can act as a EMS that helps, although the weakness is still there and there are still pain niggles with all the associated problems
I was admitted to hospital last year on a different matter and morphene just did not hit the mark so they kept upping the anti, It is really frightening.
So you are not alone on this
So good luck try some relaxation techniques I can now reduce my heart rate, with self hypnosis So I suppose there are other ways, As the old saying goes KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS Iam very cynical now
I only take anything when absolutely essential now - mainly using TENS, cold or heat.
Hey!
I have this problem too, I'm on amitriptyline, gabapentin and morphine for my back, neck and shoulder pain and get zero relief. The GP has said to keep going with them a little longer but I doubt they will magically start working now! I've started looking into other things and have been using the TENS machine and have started a yoga relaxation class once a week - it involves gentle yoga exercises and relaxation techniques (deep muscular relaxation) and I'm thinking about acupuncture.
I feel like I'm going around in circles with pain medication and trying to manage my pain, I've been extremely bad the last few weeks and really need to get it under control!
C x
Many years ago when I broke my ankle, I was having a very hard time with pain relief when I was in hospital. I was being given codeine, but it was not working and I was in terrible pain for the first couple days when I was waiting for surgery to repair fractures (I was too swollen initially to operate on).
The ortho consultant at the time told be that 7-10% of the population are what is called "poor metabolizers" - that is they are poor at converting codeine to morphine (which is how codeine works - your liver enzymes - CYP2D6 to be specific - convert it into morphine). He switched me over to morphine and it worked perfectly.
So, yes I am a poor metabolizer of opiates other than morphine. Poor CYP2D6 function can effect the metabolization of other drugs used for pain management as well (e.g. anti-depressants).
Yes - that is exactly the problem. It means that we under-react to drugs which need to be metabolised by this enzyme in order to work, and over-react to those which need to be broken down by it to excrete them!
My husband is on 75 mg of Fentanyl patches, 75 mgs of Amitriptyline and topped up with up yo 8 cocodamol tablets. He has to have a hip operation (not replacement) and is concerned about pain relief. What would they use?
P x
PS he finds acupuncture very good - ebery 6 weeks.
He may well find that the major hip pain disappears immediately post-operatively. In my case I was given a combination of a general anaesthetic and a spinal, so that the spinal offered pain-relief for some hours afterwards. He'll probably find that his normal pain relief is adequate afterwards, but when he has his pre-op assessment he can discuss this. The thing I found most useful were cold packs against my wound. If he is being discharged home quickly post-operatively, it would be good to have two or three so that two can be in the freezer and one in use.
Good luck. I've had two and it was one of the best things I've had done!
Ann xx
I take 200 mgs of tramadol (100 x twice a day) Amitryptaline 3 nightly Kapeke 500mg x 2 three times daily and yet i no longer get any pain relief from my O. Arthritis. I recently had steriod injections in my neck and shoulders and it was fantastic the relief now for 3 months and i will be getting them again. i have pain everywhere, left hip, lower spine, knees, left ankle and recently and with pain so severe my hands. what i think is that the longer you are on a medication the more resistance to your body it becomes.
Nerve painkillers
Response to several questions:Opened file because of person whose doctor took them off their painkillers.
Painkillers
Painkillers
Getting Off of Painkillers 
