Morphine or other medicine for breakthrough pain?

My pain has been pretty bad lately and I haven't gotten my TENS unit yet, and I am still working on the paperwork for more electrotherapy at PT. My friend suggested that I ask my spine doctor for a few morphine pills or something like that for when 2 10 mg Lortabs aren't working for my pain (it works most of the time but there are times it won't even touch the pain at all).

The question here is...how do I ask my spine doctor for a stronger pain med like Morphine or something like that for breakthrough pain without sounding/looking like a "drug seeker"? I am so afraid that I will be labeled a drug seeker and then I will never be able to get any more Lortabs ever again. I get into panic attacks before each appointment worrying that he will decide to just cut or reduce the amount of Lortabs drastically, cause then I'd be up the proverbial creek without the proverbial paddle.

So, suggestions?

Thank you so much in advance!

im 19 and on morphine for chroinc pain from adhesions. whats wrong with you if you dont mind me asking? i was put on oramorph because i was on tramadol and i was in hospital every 2 weeks because of the pain, my surgeons put me on the oramorph and then my general practioner put me on mst 30mg then up to 60mg every12hours. iv seen a pain management team because they can not operate because the adhesions are 19 years old and it could cause more damage or at worst kill me, there is nothing they can do to help so basically got to live with it, what i can advise is ask your gp (physician) to refer you to a pain managment team or even explain to them that the drugs you are on are not helping aswell as they where or should be and they may something to take along side the mediaction you are on or they may change it altogether. i wish you the best of luck and if i can help at all you can email me at

 best wishes rachel  

rachael.........you can put your email addy in profile instead of here where non members  cannot get it and as gagabonnie said it is better for your protection

thanks

lyn 

Post Edited By Moderator (Howlyncat) : 11/23/2007 10:50:18 AM (GMT-7)

RACHEL UK said...
im 19 and on morphine for chroinc pain from adhesions. whats wrong with you if you dont mind me asking? i was put on oramorph because i was on tramadol and i was in hospital every 2 weeks because of the pain, my surgeons put me on the oramorph and then my general practioner put me on mst 30mg then up to 60mg every12hours. iv seen a pain management team because they can not operate because the adhesions are 19 years old and it could cause more damage or at worst kill me, there is nothing they can do to help so basically got to live with it, what i can advise is ask your gp (physician) to refer you to a pain managment team or even explain to them that the drugs you are on are not helping aswell as they where or should be and they may something to take along side the mediaction you are on or they may change it altogether. i wish you the best of luck and if i can help at all you can email me at
best wishes rachel

I have 2 injured discs in my lower back at L3-L4 and L4-L5 which is causing a lot of the pain.

Post Edited By Moderator (Howlyncat) : 11/23/2007 10:51:09 AM (GMT-7)

Lucia, I don't ever think its a good idea for a patient to walk in a drs office and tell the dr specifically what they want to take. Its best to be upfront and tell your dr the pain medication is not working for you and is there anything else he can give you, or ask him if he thinks you should be switched to something else. Drs become very leary of patients that walk in and start telling them what medication they want, thats a quick way for him to assume you are a drug seeker. Sure don't need that title. Hug, Susie

hi your doc will prob try and change it. the advice from other people is right. let me know what the doc says.

take care and good luck

rachel

Hello Pain Friends,

I too have been in just about all of these situations over the last three years or so.

With spinalcord stimulators (10 1/2 hours to put in) and plastic inplants and screws and wiring up and down my back to about 15 sympathetic blocks and could go on forever!!!

There is no dobt the imediate need is for the fastest relief possible. (pills and needles) But scince I cant get some needles and that freezing stuff injected, Ill stick with the pills. Like everyone, they start with some percs and then dont work good enough or long enough. From there everyone seems to travel diferent pain pathways. I did the gabapentin and nuerotin and several other pills throughou a few years. always taking some form of pain pill.Oxycontins 10mg percs. After a year or so I moved up to dillaudid2mg, then when that wasnt good evough I went with dillaudid 4mg. All in the meantime having excrusiating procudures because at pain managment thier is a a-z or 1-10 trial and error period. Finally I graduated to morphine pills I forget the mg's but from there I went straight down to the dark side.Within 4 months on morphine I was SO ADDICTED to pain meds I coulnt get enough. The first time I called my script in early, he signed it and there was no problem. Second time I wanted another script early I was completely shutdown. Within 1 day I was absolutly INSANE FROM WITHDRAWING. End up getting 20 percocetts from a friend and I ate all 20 within 4-5 hours and it coulndt touch my soul from being ripped apart. From there I went straight to the ER, just wanting to die more than in my whole life put together, and they gave me a shot of dilladid that lasted about an hour or so and jumped right into hells grip again. 12 hours later I ended getting shipped to a detox localy and stayed there for 6 days.           

     I have a mortgage and two boys along with everything else normal, but the reason I tell this long boring story is because now matter what you get for meds, there is always going to be somthing that could work better, BUT its not always the best thing to do.I never asked for a ealier prescription before the morphine. These medications have a way of sucking you in. It took me 3 years with the heavy doses in second half of rehabing.

somtimes its better to be a little patient than to go for the hi-test right away

    I have crps and cant get rid of it.

I continue to take cymbalta,lyrica,ambien cr and dillaudid. I take exactly what the script says or i call up the doctor to o.k. any changes if I wanted one.  I will NEVER withdraw again. If and when I need to get off my meds, I will very slowly do it with the concent of my doctor so no problems arrise.

     Sorry about the long post but just remember, once you hit the mophine scene there is none stronger, only more of it to be taken, and then no matter who you are you will have problems.

                     just an opinion,

                                    mike

 

Straydog when I go to the dr  or pain clinic I always take my pill book with me . And ask the dr. about certain meds for pain and you would be surprised the meds they dont know about. Like the last scrip I got the Opana. Pain dr. never heard of it and had to go goolge it first before writing me a scrip . He asked when I heard of it and I told him my support group. He didnt have a problem with that . Of course the med didnt work and I go back on the 26th .

I am on Oxycontin 80 mg BID and for BT pain 20 mgs prn........as well I do have percocets for the BT ( rarely use these) BUT when on Morphine 100 mgs it was not for BT pain as wolftrades has explained it is a longer acting med .......

My doc refuses for me to be in pain and obviously makes sure I am looked after in that way .......I do tell him what works and what doesnt BUT I have had him for yrs and he has seen my skin being eatin to the bones with gaping holes and ulcerated shin surrounding them.we do work together as a team with my tx as this is a rare DD along with my crohns and other illnesses I have ......I am definitely one of the luckier ones I guess.......

I do hope that you find some way of getting pain meds that will help you long term and for bt pain.........

NO one needs to be in pain IMHO..........

Take care all

LYN