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High tolerance to pain meds and a low tolerance to pain?

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 3/27/2013 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
I had my back surgery done 2/20/13. On the right side of my spine I had a hemilaminectomy on L4 L5 and S1. It took allong time to come to this but it finally came to this and I have not leg pain except for the knees withthe arthritis. I had those done today with Synvic (spelling). Hopefully that will cut down the pain even more that I feel. But something has been bothering me. The nurse that does the sedation commented to me when I told her that table was causing back pain- she told me that I have a high tolderance for pain medication. And yet I think I have a low tolerance for pain. Can someone explain this to me?

Post Edited By Moderator (Screaming Eagle) : 3/27/2013 3:28:42 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/27/2013 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
…not sure I can explain it as well as others here, but I suffer from the same thing. A low tolerance for pain simply means that it does not take much of an injury to feel the pain…and the pain can feel rather hard. I know people that when an injury happens to them, they barley notice it…while the same injury…would put me at a 7 to 8 on the pain scale.

Now…a high tolerance to pain meds, simply means that it may take a higher dose to realize any relief. I'm guessing that when she sedated you…she gave the correct amount given your build….and you did not get the relief needed.

Hope that helps, and maybe others will explain this better for you.

SE
Posted 3/28/2013 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Can't do better then that Michael. Perfect


Vickie
Posted 3/28/2013 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
As good a basic explanation as I ever read S.E.

Everyone feels pain differently. Also how we feel pain can differ from one part of our bodies to another and can also change over time. It is quite common, and something of a paradox, that the more we are exposed to pain the more acutely we feel it. The best explanation for this I have heard is that the longer we are in pain the more sensitive to it we become and also our bodies ability to naturally moderate pain becomes "worn out".

As far as tolerance to pain medications go this is both a natural thing as well as "man made". Everyone reacts differently to any kind of medication. Some people are super sensitive to certain medications, some react within "expected" results, and others have a high tolerance naturally. Then you have those who have been on a certain type of medication for a long enough period of time and they become used to it or tolerant and it takes more than the average dose for the desired effect to be reached.

Being tolerant of a medication is not the same as being addicted to it. Tolerance is strictly a physiological occurrence while addiction is both physiological and psychological in nature.
Posted 3/28/2013 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
Jim you did a great job explaining tolerance versus addiction.Simple clear cut and understandable.
Posted 3/28/2013 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
SE, what a great explanation, that post would be worth saving for future use. Great job.

david
Posted 3/28/2013 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for all your responses. It made the situation a bit more clear for me. It did not bother me that the nurse said that but she mentioned it and it kind of stuck with for the day. I needed a clear view about it.
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