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Posted 10/28/2011 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
Let me start by saying I have been on meds for 12 years. everything from morphine to oxycontin. I am tired of having to take these meds. I made a choice last time I saw my doctor to lower my doses and work on finding a cure not a bandaid in the form of a pill. I went from taking 300 30mg morphine pills plus muscle relaxers a month to 60 60mg oxycontin. I feel so much better i did the research and presented what i learned to my doctor and surprisingly he agreed 100% with me an was happy that i took time to learn my pain and what might help. I am not saying that changing meds is the best option for every 1 but take the time to learn your body no one knows it better than you. I feel so much better plus there is a bonus to me taking charge. My workers comp would not pay for anything but meds and a doctors visit. My doctor "Dr. Mikhail ***shanski" is the best he is paying for my surgery out of his pocket. he is putting the drug delivery theropy pump in me. it delivers a timed amount of medication at 1% of my current dose. I am so excited that we are moving forward with my treatment. If this device works i will no longer have the need for oral medication plus in the future if i have a problem or need more surgery he can add or reduce the meds in the pump further. The moral to this story is PLEASE do not give up. There is hope for every one. there have been times when I have ran out of meds and felt like i was dying. I never want to feel that feeling ever again. I am willing to talk to any one that is going through this medication situation and help how ever I can. I have felt ashamed to have to take these meds and embarrassed when i have to leave some where early to go home and take the meds. No one should ever feel this way it isnt your fault. Please feel free to respond and talk with me.
Posted 10/28/2011 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Painsick, I am Kathy/nini.  Just my 2 cents here, I have never been ashamed or embarrassed by taking meds that I need to have some quality of life.  Do diabitics feel ashamed, how about people who have to take high blood pressure meds, meds for cholesterol, they feel neither ashamed or embarrassed, so why should we, who are chronic pain patients feel embarrassed?  As far as having to leave somewhere to go home and take my meds, whenever I am going to be out, I take extra meds with me.  I am very glad you looked into and researched your options, I also think everyone should do this, after all it is our bodies we are talking about.

I am curious about one thing, you will still be taking meds via a pump, so I am not clear what you are ashamed of, taking them orally, is that what bothers you.  The fact that unless you tell someone, no one will know you are taking meds as they will be going thru a pump directly into your body.  Anyway, I am happy for you, having peace of mind is very important, and if taking the meds thru the pump gives you peace of mind, then good, great that is truly half the battle.

Good luck to you, I hope all works out for you, you seem to have a wonderful doctor, thats another big positive.

Take care,

Kat

Posted 10/28/2011 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I understand your embarassment about taking pain med's. I take one vicodin a day and I feel like I get 'the look' every time I mention it to anyone. My PM doctor is very understanding but she says that no narcotic is a long term solution.

I recently got my vicodin prescription filled at the pharmacy and when I got home I opened the pill bottle and noticed that it looked like less than 30 pills in there so I counted them and there was only 20. I didn't get a chance to go back to the pharmacy for 2 days and when I told the pharmacist that I got only 20 instead of 30 she made it sound like I was some sort of drug addict trying to fool them into wanting more pills. I have never had an addiction problem...I don't drink or smoke and I am just trying to survive with this pain. My husband got so mad he went up there himself to talk to them and now all prescriptions have to be counted by 2 people with initials before you receive them. It is a good change but for people who are just trying to have some sort of normal life, it is ridiculously fustrating.
Posted 10/28/2011 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
Wow Swaye... Where do you fill your RX? I thought pharmacies automatically double/2 person checked on all narcotics... It horrible that you had to have someone vining you the looks like that. Especially coming from a person who deals with that everyday... However, I must admit, that my RXs are hidden from everyone including my husband...
First off, he would want them, second, he would also give me the looks and say hurtful stuff like.... Got pop another pill... Etc... So now no one know...well, except my mom. My only true support.
Posted 10/28/2011 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
I get them filled at my local Kroger Pharmacy. 

I just find it odd that I feel (or many people may feel) that you have to explain yourself or apologize all the time because you have to take pain med's.  I don't see other people having to do it or being accussed of faking their pain when they have diseases.  This is the part of chronic pain that is very sad.  People don't acknowledge, what they can't see.  Now matter how understanding they try to be. 

swaye 

Posted 10/28/2011 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Kathy ,why be ashamed,all through life people tell you what they think,yet you make your own choice.Other people can't feel your pain.So ,you do want you can to controll the pain! I never heard of this pump,before!Is it implanted in your body?I feel you should do everything you can to be your own avocate for your illness ,research ,finding the right dr.also the best meds.I'm still recovering from surgery also still in pain also trying to reduce my pain meds.I have been on same pills for 2yrs,I do expect it to be difficult but if the pains gone Iwill not need them,but I realize some people don't have this option and may need them for the rest of their life,some surgeries only cause more problems.I agree checking into all option to assist your problem ,but taking pain meds when you need to is nothing to be ashamed of!take care from Michele
Posted 10/28/2011 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
I agree There's no reason to be ashamed of taking pain meds. I've never been ashamed of taking pain meds. If people don't like it, then they can turn their head and look the other way.

I wish you well.

hugs
Loretta
Posted 10/31/2011 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
I usualy dont feel ashamed. Its just i never pictured my self being dependant on a drug to get my body up and moving. I have always been out going and wanting to be out doors and just enjoying life. Now i have to make sure i dont do this or dont do that. I am so glad im not the only person that feels these feelings. I have 3 crushed discs in my back and leukemia and have had multiple surgeries on my left ankle and a knee scope. "yes very out doorsy" lol .
Posted 10/31/2011 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
i'll never feel ashamed about needing to take pain meds...i wish some people could feel what i go through on a daily basis- then i could watch them cry out for the meds.  i don't think anyone holds it against me...well one person and i think that's just a "low blow" if we're fighting...but "low blow" it sure as heck is.
Posted 11/1/2011 5:33 AM (GMT 0)
Shame is a result of people not understanding and judging. It's judged by society and sometimes even our friends.

Because its something we have limited control over, there's only so much we can do on our own accord to change our pain. In order to change our pain dramatically, we require the help of a doctor to prescribe the right medications and treatment

Most things judged in society deal with things in which the person has more control over, and unfortunately people that do not live with chornic pain sometimes lump this in with things that we should have more control over.
Posted 11/2/2011 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi PainSick, I am with the rest of the folks here, I have never been embarrassed by the fact that I need pain medication to function. To me its no different than the 3 different blood pressure medications that I take to control my BP. Few people know my situation and as far as I know none of them have ever had a problem with me being on medication, they are more interested in seeing me be able to function again, not judge me. I do not know who has made you feel this way, but if it was a friend, then all I will say is that is not a real friend. But the bottom line is it is really no ones business.

You mentioned you will having a pump put in I am assuming for pain control. You mentioned it being a time release medication, I have not heard of that kind of a pump before or a time release medication for a pump. I have a pump, it was implanted back in 2005 and it is a continous drip of medication into the spine for pain control.

I most cases you can end up on less pain medication because the medication used in pumps is in a concentrated form which is much stronger than a pill.

I do have oral medication to take for BT pain, because even with a pump you will have pain, the pump does not make a person pain free. If a dr tells you that a person does not need BT meds with a pump all I will tell you is he does not know what he is talking about and does not have the experience needed to handle a pump patient. It can take a good 6 months or even longer to get a pump patient up to speed with a pump in getting their pain under decent control, it does not happen all at once, it will take several increases to find that magic number. When will you be getting your pump put in? I wish you the best with it.

Take care.
Posted 11/7/2011 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
I completely understand where yall are coming from. I grew up in a family that was awsome. My mom was a nurse so it was put in our heads that we dont need medication unless we are very sick. I understand that chronic pain is an illness that needs medication and a doctor to fix it. I just prided my self all of my life that I never did drugs i dont drink the hardest drug i ever did is marlboro until i broke my back and ankle and knee. I guess i dont feel ashamed i feel weak that i have to rely on the medication. I look at my son and he sees his dad having to take so many medications to make it through the day and it hurts me alot for him to see me this way. I want to be the best father i can and i have set down and explained to him why i have to take these meds and what happend to my body to make me have to use them. I am so glad i found this site and know that there are people going through the same thing. Your right it is society that judges us and we shouldnt care what others think. I am going to ask my mother inlaw to register here as well. she broke her back in a car accident and broke her neck from a fall. She uses the same dr that i do and seems happy with him. You know what really bothers me is these peole that hop from clinic to clinic to get meds then it makes the pharmacist look at us legitimate injured people like we are addicts. I actualy quit using cvs pharmacy due to the pharmacist actualy telling me i needed to get a fix one day when i was in a hurry. That hurts more than anything. I reported him and never got a call back from cvs about it. So i quit using them completely.
Posted 11/7/2011 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
What do yall think about the Intrathecal pump? Doc thinks its the right way to go with me since im on such high doses of meds.

And also i have heard of a pain patch the one with pain medicine in it that you wear on your shoulder instead of taking the meds oraly?  Im trying to take charge of my treatment and be up to date on meds and techniques. Is there something better than what im doing now Oxycodone 15mg 2 every 4 hours and oxycontin 60mg 1 every 12 hours? I just feel that in this day and age there should be something better and cheaper for us.

Posted 11/7/2011 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
painsick7805

 

I want to welcome you to our family here at Healing Well Chronic pain forum. I do understand where you are coming from about taking the pain meds, but like so many other here that have posted, there really is no shame in a having to take them! But like so many men, allot of us was raise with the "grin and bare it and "real men can take the pain!" type of up-bringing! We all know deep down this is "BS" but still it is deeply ingrained in allot of us, and it does tend to make things more difficult! So you are not alone, in your feeling, you have plenty of company here at this forum, that can give you support! If you are getting a pain pump, there are many members here that have them and can be of great assistance to you about the "ins and outs of having one! As Straydog mentioned on her post here, she has had one for many years and I am sure her knowledge about them could be of great value to you!

 

You know there is allot of myths floating around out there about chronic pain, and all that BS about "real men" can "grin and bare the pain" is nothing but BS. Real men acknowledge there pain and treat and try to get on with their lives! There is no shame in taking pain meds and acknowledging you have pain and are doing something about it! The shame is in the person that is suffering from pain and does not treat it, and thus because of that the person can not be a good father or parent to their children! That is a shame and also a weakness! Isn't it better to have your son see you take your pain meds and take care of your self, and be able to do things with him, than to have him not see you take care of yourself, and you not being there to do things with him?  To me that is a " no brainer!"

 

Again I welcome you to our forum and our CP family

 

White Beard

 

P.S. I would also like to Welcome lahaina and swaye to our forum, I hope all of you will find as I have and so many other, that this forum is simple a fantastic place to come, not only for advice and support, but also just to know your not alone in your suffering! There are just so many kind, and caring and compassionate people here that really do understand what your going through! No false sympathy given here! Just heart felt empathy from some of the  bravest and strongest folks that you will find anywhere on the internet!  So please stick around and become an active member in our  CP family!

 

 

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