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When Body Stops Responding to Pain Medications..???

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Posted 10/18/2009 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
Today at the Emergency Room they gave me 3 DOSES OF 8 MG/ML (forgot whichever a shot is worth) injections...and IT WOULD BARELY HELP MY PAIN!!!!!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? WHY HAVE I ALL OF A SUDDEN STOPPED RESPONDING TO PAINKILLERS AND, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?! MY FIBROMYALGIA PAIN IS UNBEARABLE, UNBEARABLE, UNBEARABLE, UNBEARABLE!!!
PLEASE HELP ME :'(
Posted 10/18/2009 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
Recently, I went through the same thing. I body became of dependent and accustomed to my pain meds that they barely took the edge off and they didn't last as long. I couldn't take it anymore. I talked to my doctor about something called Suboxone. It's like the new Methadone, if you have ever heard of that. This is a medication that gets you off opiates (sp?), but it also works like one when it comes to pain. I have only been on it for a few days, but I loved it from the first. It makes me feel amazing. I do have some drowsiness with it, but that will fade. But I have been able to get so much done that needed to be done, and I don't feel completely incapable of movement afterwards. It's an amazing drug. It helps so you don't go through withdrawal, and it helps a lot with the pain. I would consider talking with your doctor about it. You can't just keep going on the way that you are. Hope everything works out. Best of luck, and keep us posted. *very soft hugs*
Posted 10/18/2009 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hey,

I too had the same problem with my pain meds not working and went on Suboxone also. It's not just prescribed for people who abuse their pain meds, they also use it for chronic pain and to help people taper from opiates who used the pain meds for pain. It's not the answer to everything, but it really helped my pain wonderfully and wouldnt trade it for any other pain med in the world.

Thier's also a thing where people actually get more pain from taking pain meds, it has a name but I cant think of it right now, I'll get back to you later about more info on it. For me it was like everytime my pain got worse and they raised my pain meds, the more my pain went up. So eventually I got tierd of taking pain meds so I decided to go off of them but none of hte doctors that gave me the pain meds knew how to taper me off the right way. So after some research I came across Suboxone and I called a doctor that prescribes it and got more info on it. The only bad part about Suboxone is the fact you have to be in withdrawals to start it or it throws you into even worse withdrawals.
But I would talk to your dotor about it no matter what, you should have aplan for severe pain where your meds at home doesnt take care of it so theycan reduce hospital visits.
-carmen
Posted 10/18/2009 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys, but I've already tried Suboxone. It helped wonders just like it does for you guys for me at first, but I was waaaaaaaaay too drowsy, and it being a while now that I haven't taken it, I/ dont exactly remember why I stopped it, but I do remember it was a good reason :( And I ended up being allergic to methadone :'(
::sigh:: I feel like I've tried everything.
Any other suggestions???
Posted 10/18/2009 6:08 AM (GMT 0)
I would defiently talk to the doctor you see for your pain meds and explain the issue. If you went to the ER for severe fibro pain, then you are VERY lucky that you received any pain treatment with narcotics from them. Even if you come in with a doctor's note telling them what meds to treat you with, they still have a right to not go by the it, and usually they wont cause they say anyone can make up a letter like that. So you need to come up with a good plan and a backup plan with your doctor.

But truthfully, their's probably not much they can do, even upping yor dose would just make you more tolerent and make getting BT meds at the ER even tougher. But I know their are choices out their, and dont skip over the alternative stuff as those do have their part in the medical world too.

-Carmen
Posted 10/18/2009 6:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jesse!

I'm so sorry you're not able to at least bring your pain down to a tolerable level. I agree that it's time to get under a doctor's care for some serious help. I would try a university/teaching hospital nearest you. I believe Sherrine posted a link in the Fibro 101 thread at the top of the page and can help you find the one nearest to you. They are more often on the cutting edge of medical care and might be able to break through the problem much faster than anyone else.

It's my understanding that when opioid pain medications stop working it is because the 'opioid receptors' are full. Sounds silly but how the medication works is it attaches to specific proteins called opioid receptors. When they attach to certain receptors in the brain and spinal cord they affect the way a person feels pain. If they can't attach because the receptors are full then more medication won't do any good. It can't get in there to work.

This is a good example of why you need a good physician to get you through this misery and on to some better quality of life. Please keep us posted and I will add a special prayer for you for some relief.

Hugs,
Chutzie
Posted 10/18/2009 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
"There's also a thing where people actually get more pain from taking pain meds, it has a name but I cant think of it right now"
It's called opioid induced hyperalgesia.

As for the drug they gave you, it was probably morphine. 8mg is a standard morphine dose for moderate-severe pain.

Because it didn't seem to help you, have you tried NSAIDS or steroids? If there's any possibility is pain resulting from inflammation, those will trump opioids. Also about suboxone, I've seen it used for chronic pain patients, but I've never seen it used strictly for that reason as a first line. It's a combination agonist/antagonist so you still get some relief, but abusing it or other opioids will trigger instant withdrawal symptoms. To my knowledge, it's only approved by the FDA to help ween addicts off of other opiates or keep them on maintenance doses so they don't get sick. If you feel as though you're dependent on your narcotics for pain relief, it's a viable route to pursue.
Posted 10/19/2009 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you everybody for your inputs, it really helps.

I would like to clear a few things up: I have been, and still are, going to clinics in a hopspital called UCLA. Obviously as much of you probably know they are suppose to be one of the best. I regularly see a Gastroenterologist there, a Rhuematologist, PAIN MANAGEMENT, PCD, and working on seeing my Neurologist I used to see once again. The Pain Management I see are the ones that are giving me my painkillers, and NOTHING else! I just saw them the day before I went to the ER, crying, and explaining how the 10mg Oxycodone I would take is no longer working, AND that I was in excruciating pain. Do you know what one of the Dr.'s that came in to see me said? He said: "If you are in THIS much pain, then all we can pretty much do is keep giving you more and more pain meds so we can keep you as comfortable as possible until you stop breathing."!!!!! I freaked out!!! Why wold he say that to me?! Besides the plain rudeness.....uughh i cant even talk about it anymore. Then the Doc increased it to 15mg's.

What do you guys think of this? I've tried EVERYTHING everybody here has posted..especially the Suboxone.

GCoin and Chutzie,
when the pain meds don't work anymore, how often does it take until they DO start working again??? Let me guess: you have to cleanse your body first right? I'm sorry, I'm just a bit better with any holistic stuff...I've never had GOOD experiences with them! And if lets say indeed that its come to a point where they're actually HURTING me instead, then what do I do? How does that happen in the first place..?? Especially since they were literally the ONLY THINGS THAT WORKED FOR THIS EXCRUCIATING PAIN!!!! And yes, of course I have taken NSAIDS and Steroids-Steroids are what I often feel are what CAUSED it, and with my Pouchitis and all that, I'm not really allowed to take any NSAIDs!!!!
NOW WHAT?!?! WHAT DO I DO?!?!
PLEEEEEEEEEASE HELP!!!!

Thanks again,
Joslin
Posted 10/19/2009 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Well, to continue on opioids, there aren't too many choices. I'm not a professional, but I see two ways you could go. You could A. Switch to a more powerful opioid like fentanyl. or B. Get a temporary script for a long-lasting benzodiazepine like Klonopin and taper down your current dose to a much lower one and fight through on that dose for awhile. With B, there's no doubt you will experience withdrawl, but that's where a drug like Klonopin can help. It will serve as almost a "tolerance break" where the goal is by the end of it, smaller doses of opioids will accomplish what used to take much higher doses. Again, you'll most likely continue to go up again over a period of time, but it is a cycle you can repeat as needed.

Also, I noticed that you were on MS Contin. Due the nature of morphine, it has a very low bio availability taken orally (not as much enters the blood stream), so MS Contin is not as effective as other opioids. OxyContin is similar drug with a much higher oral bioavailability, and there are also drugs even more powerful than that. In your situation, I would probably try a more powerful opioid first before I'd try a tapering.
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