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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 6/23/2009 7:38 AM (GMT 0)
New to this.  Writing in a forum, not crohn's.  Diagnoised at 12 am now 46.  I have had 3 sm bowel resects and some other major surgeries.  Most of my life lived fairly well with little interruption from crohn's.  Mostly tried to ignor it.  I have approx 5-6 ft of sm bowel left and the disease has decided to stay in a constant flare.  For over a year now.  I have another stricture but is is only about 5-6 cm this time.  Still is very painful.  My question is since the usual doctors are concerned about prescribed pain meds in bulk, how do you get involved with a pain management clinic?  Do I have to be refered?  I have read some of the things written about the amount of pain meds some people are taking but none come close to what I am taking.  I can go thru 120 tylenol #3 and 90 lortabs (7.5) in a month.  Sometimes more.  The damaage to my body from the pain meds is comparable to the damage the crohn's is causing.  I am miserable and am close to just giving up. 
Posted 6/23/2009 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I believe most insurances want you to be referred. If I was you I would talk to your family doc and get a referral. Maybe they can find another way to deal with your pain that will require less meds. Good luck!
Posted 6/23/2009 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
Sobs, I am truely sorry for your pain.I too have had multible sx"s. 4 major this year. As of yesterday, i have decided to drop the pain pills. (walking around with a pillow, with stapels in my gut)!! I decided that they are not working. Pain, heck yeah!!!The pain is making me proactive!!! I am in no way,saying that is for you. I hope you can find a smart, kind, understanding doctor,(wish my daddy was still around) that will help you. This is a great place to vent, when you need to.
Posted 6/23/2009 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
I agree that a referral to a pain clinic is what you need. And just so you aren't feeling like you are way over the line I want to let you know what I was told by my pain clinic when I asked why I could take a pain pill and half an hour later have it not show up in lab work. Most pain meds are absorbed in the SMALL BOWEL. So if most of our small bowel is either damaged, inflamed, or removed, we are at a serious deficit in absorbing the medication. You may be taking a lot of pain medication, but you may not actually be getting a lot of pain medication. You might need a patch, or some other form of administration. Please don't give up. They can find a way to help you deal more effectively. For me it was an increase in the strength not more medication, so that what I was absorbing was enough to cut the pain.
Posted 6/23/2009 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
Being referred helps. I have one friend who is a nurse, she helped me find the pain doctor I am with now. He is also a pyschiatrist. He is wonderful. I made sure they had all my medical records, and my past drug screens from my former pain doctor, I didn't have problems.

The biggest obstacle you will face when finding a pain doctor is drug seeking. They want to rule that out right off the bat. Your medical records, your surgeries, and your illness can help with that. For you, just from your post, I think it will be more of a question of why did you wait so long...

You should expect a delay too, it took me about 4-6 weeks to get into my current pain doctor. And some info for you, when you do find a pain doctor, and you are their patient, should anything go wrong, anything at all, and you want to see another pain doctor, they have to keep treating you, scripting you meds, for up to 3 months while you search.

Take Care
Posted 6/23/2009 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
I want to send great big 'thank you' to all who replied to my post. It really made me feel more confident in my decision. I have already made an appt for tomorrow with my pcp to discuss the need to see a pain specialist. My hopes are not only to find a way to make the pain meds work better but to also use other forms of pain therapy in conjunction with the narc. Hopefully it will help reduce the need for some of the narcotics. I have lived with this disease for soooooooo long, but it has just been the last year or so that it has really disrupted my life. I am assumming a lot has to do with the fact that i am getting older,46 now, and a younger body bounces back easier and quicker. All these years, I never had much problem dealing with the pain or the inconviences that having crohn's can cause. I never had too much problem with depression. Now, I find I am constantly fighting depression and have caught myself thinking about just giving up!! Maybe menopause is setting in and making my emotions more volitale?
Posted 6/24/2009 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
I am with you sobs! I get sick and tired of taking meds and feeling the way I do. I spoke to my Gastro when I was feeling like this and told her i WOULD like to see a Psychiatrist. I didn't know what symptoms were being caused by the Crohn's and what was caused by the medicines...  She put me on Seroquel which relaxes me at night and sleep always makes me feel better.  I am still working which is very very hard to do.  Hiding wipes and pads in my socks or pockets to use the restroom..  Going several times a day.  This feeling also comes from not being able to take care of wifely duties.....I have had Crohn's for 26 yrs and now am 46 yrs old. My younger days just made me weak for days. Now I get tired and depressed.

Posted 7/19/2009 7:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hey, sorry you haven't heard from me. I got really sick after these posts and went into the hospital. I just got out. You can see my new post.
Posted 7/20/2009 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
Been thinking about you sobs how are things going? Did you get the pain issue at least taken care of in the hospital.
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