Posted 5/26/2010 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
CnThnkofSN...
Hi... I'm sorry you are dealing with so much! It's frustrating...I know. Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar w/ sleeps issues... nausea/vomiting... dealing w/ all the different pain meds... and, on top of it all, dealing w/ kids w/ all these wonderful (not) issues :)
Re: the vomiting... I have a similar thing w/ my stomach called gastroparesis. It causes chronic nausea/vomiting.. and needing IV hydration at times. I have anti-emetic meds to help control the vomiting... like phenergan and zofran. Don't know what you've tried, but you might consider those...
Re: the medications... Fentanyl is an excellent pain medication, but it is one of the strongest. The dosages need to be watched closely because it can cause breathing issues and so forth. That being said, it's a miracle medication for some people w/ chronic pain.
Fentanyl patches are long-lasting medication, and yes - you can use breakthrough medication w/ them. No, you shouldn't have any withdrawal going from the oxy to the patch... I've made that transition before, and as long as the dosage is in the same range, you should be ok.
The "suckers" are called oral fentanyl citrate, or by the brand name "Actiq". Again, major pros and cons with this medication. Pros - it's a strong pain reliever that works well, within minutes. It's the only thing that works when I have a severe migraine, minus IV medication. Cons - it's a VERY expensive medication and it's next to impossible to get an insurance company to pay for them. Next, it can cause severe tooth decay... something I wish I would have known before I used them for two years solid. I went from having one cavity in my life (at age 32) to needing over $15,000 worth of dental work, including root canals and dental implants. The problem is you don't see the damage until it's too late. Prior to getting pregnant, though, I still used the Actiq... but am now brush my teeth after every use and rotate the places in my mouth to use them.
Re: using the Actiq w/ kids... I have six kids at home and they have all been drilled in "medication safety"... meaning you never touch someone's medication and many look like "candy", etc. That being said, I never used the Actiq in front of the kids. Sometimes, I had to sit in the bathroom for 10 minutes... but, for me, it's just too confusing for a kid to see something that does resemble a "sucker"... oh, and I'd only refer to them as "medication" in front of the kids.
Re: meds in other forms, there's liquid morphine... I can't think of anything else right now.
Sorry this was so long :) I wish you luck figuring out the right meds for you... and hope you can get some solutions to your pain issues and vomiting, etc. Let us know what happens at your doctor...
Good luck to you, and hope you feel better.
--Tina