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Opiates Don't Work?

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Posted 3/30/2011 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Opiates don't work on me, or only work once or twice before they stop working. Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Demoral, Morphine, Dilaudid... They all either worked 1-2 times (If it worked the first time, the effect was substantially lower the 2nd time) before not having any effect, or didn't effect me at all. I'm able to be put under anesthesia, and Lidocaine and the like work as numbing agents, but no opiate painkiller works on me anymore. And by "working 1-2 times" I mean that I took an Oxycodone, it worked, the next time I took one, it didn't really work so I took a second pill and that finally kicked in, and the 3rd time, 2 did nothing for me at all. 2 shots of Morphine just made me glassy-eyed but did nothing for the pain, and the Dilaudid dulled the pain (but didn't make it go away) for about 20 minutes, then it wore off.

Just wondering if anyone here has this, or has heard about it, as I've never been able to find info on it, anywhere.
Posted 3/30/2011 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
I have read somewhere that they are people who have a different pain response and that certain drugs don't work on them properly. Can't remember where I read it, somewhere a few years ago, something to do with chemical pain receptors in the brain. Opiates work differently from other painkillers in that they don't get rid of the pain but fool the brain into believing they are gone. If that makes sense, something like they don't work on the actual pain centre but on another area of the brain, so the pain is still being felt by the body but it doesn't recognise it as pain.
Posted 3/31/2011 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
I have a similar problem with the effectiveness of pain meds. My day to day life is ok with the help of vicodin,
although the relief is not that great, but I don't want to go any stronger, as I have issues that will get
progressively worse with time, so I want to at least leave myself with more options when the time comes.
My biggest problem is when I'm hospitalized, not only are they not effective, but I also react strongly to
them, ie; vomiting and migraines. So I get very fearful of being in the hospital. I worry that I will be in pain
with no help. My specialist has assured me, that there are many meds that they can try, and is certain she
will find one suitable for me. So I really understand what you are going through, and I wish I had an answer
as to why some people have a high tolerance to pain meds. But you're not alone!!
Posted 3/31/2011 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
My GP doc said that, if need be in the future, I could try methadone, but that's a scary thought. The only thing he could think of is that, yeah, the pain receptors in my brain aren't normal, so opiates don't work on me like they do on most others.

Lame side effect of this, though: New docs think I'm a drug seeker. I always make sure to mention that opiates don't work on me to a new doc, because I figure they should know not to bother with an Rx for them, and I always get grilled about it.

New Doc: "Now, WHY are you telling me this?"
Me: "....Because you don't need to waste the paper for an Rx."
New Doc: (With a skeptical look) "So, you don't want any narcotic pain relievers?"
Me: "Not unless you've got one that will actually work on me!"
Posted 3/31/2011 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thankfully I respond well to Norco (hydrocodone)... It helps with my rectal pain. Doesn't completely take it away, but dulls it. However, Fentanyl does not work for me. I've tried the patch in hopes of using a longer acting pain med instead of the short half life of hydrocodone. Also, when they go to put me out with Fentanyl, it takes much more than an average person my size. This has been true since long before I ever, ever tried a narcotic pain medication orally/regularly. Even when I was completely narcotic-naive, the nurse told me that they could put the "biggest most strapping man down with half of what it took me." (I'm quite small) No reason I can explain or understand. My home health nurse (when I first started Cimzia) told me that she does not respond to Fentanyl either. It scares me too to think that if I have surgery they won't work well...

Good luck!
Posted 3/31/2011 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I actually respond well to plain old codeine longer term than any of the stronger meds ... all they do is make me want/need more.

Also, do you have red hair or do people in your family have red hair. Anesthesias and pain killers often do not work as well on people with red hair and they need higher doses.

 

Posted 3/31/2011 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Pain killers dont work on me either! I feel like a drug seeker sometimes....and I know all about those because I work at a medical facility. I can't take codeine because im deathly allergic. Percocet doesn't do anything for me. My dr gave me tramadol and that dosen't do anything for me. So anyways....im SOL haha.

Tigerdan...thats very interesting what you said about hair color. My dad is a redhead...my sister is a red head...and I have auburn hair. My oldest son is a red head also.

I had problems with waking up during colonoscopies for my 1st one so now when I go in for a procedure they have to give me more medication than they give most and Im really not that big of a person.

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