Pain Medication...

So, I love my new GI and all the perks that come with a bigger hospital and more research availabilites and such. But, he is NOT good about pain control. I am NOT one to take pain meds. I'm not one to take any meds on an "as needed" basis unless I REALLY need them. With this DD, I've been to the ER maybe 4 or 5 times in 3 years total. Mainly due to dehydration and mainly (if not always) because it was after hours and the little clinics they have would of sent me to the hospital anyway.

Anyway, my questions..

How lenient about pain meds is your GI? Do they give them fairly freely? I'm not talking much. I primarily get Norcos, sometimes Loratabs.

When they give them, how many do they usually give? I usually only get 20pills at a time and it always requires authorization to refill. My last hospital stay, I got 3 refills, but the doc knew I'd need them after being on Dilaudid for a week (this was a different GI then my primary GI).

I'm nervous because I'm down to maybe 4 Norcos. I don't so much need more then one a day at most, but I'm down to 2 weeks until the trial starts and I'm realizing that I could easily need more pain meds to get through the next few weeks. Even just gas passing through my intestines is painful. Sometimes it's sharp and stabbing and then goes away. I'll be having a CT in a few weeks, so we'll see how it all looks. But, anyway, for me, just KNOWING the pain meds are in the cabinet helps me cope with it a bit better...

Am I nuts? Does your family doc give them out? I'm considering getting a pain management doc, as I'm a little apprehensive my family doc will issue them. She's a bit conservative, though very informative and very on top my Crohn's (she checks my charts and asks about me when I'm in for my daughter's appointments -very thorough, she found the fissure that led to the dx nearly 3 years ago), but I know she might not be comfortable issuing pain meds to me. I could call my surgeon, but the nurses are VERY difficult to deal with. I just don't know where to turn...what to do... I do have some Xanax which has certainly helped calm me down during the nights and I have Ambien CR if I know I'm going to get a good nights rest, I take one of those and it usually helps keep me asleep and "calms" my gut.

Just wondering others thoughts on this... Thanks!

Hi Kaycie,

As far as pain goes, I'm the man! lol. Umm... I'm not a huge fan of pills either. They're annoying and can't be good in the long run. My med. doc prescribed for me "Lialda". It helped a bit with the pain and they're not bad at all to take. They help keep it under control. I'm also on Remecade. Ask your doc. about that. Every eight weeks I go in to have that done. It hasn't completely taken the pain away but it does help tremendously and side affects are minimal. I can't stress enough, DIET!!! Pain can come from foods you are allergic to. I highly recommend getting an allergy test. When my report came back, my diet was even more limited. But, there's hope! Get off those foods for a while and see what happens. BIG difference in pain. I was allergic to foods that I thought might be helping me. It is crucial to give your stomach a rest. Those foods will do nothing but aggravate. Get the books, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall and "The Makers Diet" by Jordan Ruben. I cannot stress diet enough!!! Good luck to you! :)

My GI always allowed me to have Tylenol w/Codeine #3's. Never anything stronger, unless in hospital. Now I am treated at the pain clinic he is off the hook. He was always very good about it.

My GI used to give me anything I wanted. But that was 4 years ago. I just went back yesterday in major pain! and she won't give me anything. She was willing to give me Darvaset but then found out I was still breastfeeding and said no way. It's crazy, what are we supposed to do about the pain? live with it? i don't think so! I told her I would ween the baby before filling the pills..but nope..won't do it. UGG! i might have to go to my GP to get pills...i don't know, never done that before. I'm also not one to take anything unless absolutely necessary.

I lived with severe pain for years.  I bounced from one doctor to another.  My Gastro doc flat told me that he didn't believe in pain pills.  That if I was in serious pain that I should go to the ER and they would figure out the cause and proceed accordingly.  One day I was in excrutiating pain and called his office.  I explained to the answering maching the reason for my call and asked them to contact me as soon as possible.  Twenty four hours later I still never received a return call.  That was the end of that guy.

When I go to the hospital I bring my own pain pills.  I do not believe in pain no matter how slight.

This may be the problem...your age.  The doctor has to consider the "long term" effects of any medication that he/she gives you.

When one of my doctors cites the possible long term effects of pain pills to me I remind him of my advanced age.  This is one of the perks of getting old.

I wish you well.

TomH