Do I really need to detox just so I can lower my tolerance?

Hey Dago , Most likely your tolerence is higher because of your taking it for ten years , but it can be overcome I beleive . Going to a detox is probably best becauae you'll be supervised by medical and theraputic staff . Also its confidential so you don't have to tell your doctor or antbody if you prefer not to .Going to a detox they'll attend to your emotional needs that come up when going thru this as well . I'm no professionall but thats my opinion , Best of Luck . Keep posting and let us know how its going . Mikel

Dagogirl,

Talk to your doctor. Voice your concerns about tolerance. He should be able to give you some suggestions and guidance. Drug holidays do work for some people. Or perhaps you might switch medications for a while. Maybe something new will give you better results.

hugs,
Skeye

  AVE PLENTY OPF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, JUST LIKE YOU. I THINK THAT IF YOU CAN BUCK UP FOR about 4 DAYS AND JUST POUND WATER, YOUR TOLERANCE WILL GO DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY. PLUS "REMEMBER" TO STAY ON THAT AMOUNT AFTER THE FOUR DAYS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN... REMEMBER, IT'S ONLY 4 DAYS (I KNOW THAT IT WILL SEEM LIKE YEARS WHILE YOU ARE GOING THROUGH IT, GET PLENTY OF IMMODIUM AD AND POUND THAT WATER HARD CORE)...

TIMMY

 

Dagogirl I really do not have much to offer other than by all means talk to your dr. I am amazed that you have been able to control your pain for this long on the meds you have listed. Many times just switching to a different medication can do the trick. Some PM drs do require their patients to do a "drug holiday" but it is under supervision which is the correct way to do it. I don't understand why you feel the need to hide possibly going to a rehab from your dr. If anything he would most likely commend you for even considering the idea.

You have a very painful medical condition and that is most likely going to require you being on narcotics for the rest of your life, unless a miracle happens. As rotten as life can be at times with CP we are still entitled to quality life. Taking medication for pain is another tool that we have at our disposal to help achieve that quality life.

I do hope you will talk to your dr.

I agree with the others. Going on a "drug holiday" can make a difference. My PM puts me on one once a year and it has been pretty good. There is research out there that says that many conditions can be managed by a consistent level of medication if tolerance is appropriately managed. But as PA points out, that doesn't apply to all conditions. Some actually do get physically worse & that's what contributes to needing more meds.

Also, if you are taking the prescribed amount your doctor gave you, I would suggest that INSTEAD of going to a rehab facility, that you have the holiday managed by your PM. S/he would better understand how responsible pain patients react to withdrawal. Detox centers are just used to people who are looking for more drugs (with a few exceptions). Your PM would know to give you more meds if somehow you have a horrible, horrible pain experience when cutting off or cutting down on your meds.

Also, as others have pointed out, your PM will check to make sure you are healthy enough to go off them completely. Some people (like me) have a hidden health issue & cannot cut down as quickly as others. I have an extra heartbeat. It is not really ever a problem except when I am cutting down to quickly from the pain meds. So we just go a little slower. And if needed, sometimes he will just switch me to a different medicine for a while, or just cut me down pretty low, rather than cutting me off completely.

There are responsible ways to manage tolerance & your doctor should be able to help you. Plus, there are meds to help you cope with the withdrawal symptoms.

Please do have a thoughtful discussion with your doctor about what your options are. Almost every PM out there is happy to help their patients who want to manage tolerance do so. Also, sometimes medications that have worked for years just aren't effective anymore (this happens even with anti-convulsants, anti-depressants, etc.). Maybe it's time to try a new med.


take care,
frances

PS -- Yes, they can disclose your status to your doctor in some cases. Rehab centers often assume that you are there b/c you are an addict & that informs many of their decisions. I have heard of people who are not able to get any more pain medication ever after visiting a rehab place.

Wow! I'm overwhelmed with relief. Thank you, everyone for all of your advice. Its so nice being in a place (this forum) where people genuinely care about you and your well-being. I can't say I've ever felt so. what's the word I'm looking for....... informed and loved at the same time. I can't thank you all enough! I have an appt. with my dr. tomorrow, and I will have "the talk" with him. I've also scheduled myself to be put on the waiting list at the only detox center that can take people without healthcare/insurance. That way, if and when the time comes, I won't be waiting so long to get in. I hope the dr. does work with me on this. And maybe he will recognize my need for more potent meds as what it is, and that I'm not some junkie searching for drugs. (I hate that feeling.... I've gotten that from a lot of dr.s in the past.) In any case, I think I'm ready for whatever needs to happen. Thank you, everybody. You've been the biggest help.

Dagogirl,
I'm glad you've found everything here helpful and supportive. One thing I know has been difficult for me (and is for many of us) is accepting the need for pain medications, particularly as our need for more potent pain management increases. RSD (or I think it's now called CRPS - Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) has, to my knowledge, no known cure, although I've heard of some experimental procedures mostly in Germany with the use of a hyperbaric chamber (but that's a risky enterprise and I don't know if anyone in the U.S. is doing it yet). That means you're going to continue to need pain management, maybe in a variety of forms - medications, injections, etc. So I would think detox wouldn't be the direction you'd want to head in unless there was another reason your PM doctor recommended. It sounds more like you need to discuss the managing your pain better. And maybe you need to struggle with what I mentioned - accepting the long-term need for pain medications. It won't help you to go on and off pain medications (except maybe drug holidays under your doctor's supervision) on your own. Have you considered seeing a pain psychologist/therapist? That could be a very helpful piece to your overall pain management program.

Let us know how your doctor appointment goes!

PaLady