Medication, abdominal adhesions and liver function

Vampira,

I am not a doctor, but found a good article by the National Institute of Health:

livertox.nih.gov/Opioids.htm

Hugs,

Mama Lama

MamaLama, excellent article...thanks for posting.

vampira, if you haven't already...please read the article linked above by MamaLama.
It offers a ton of solid info without wasting your time and will help to allay any fears you have of "opiate-induced" liver damage. In prescribed dosages, opiates generally are well tolerated and not hard on a liver. I have seen quite a few patients on what would typically be seen as very high doses of opiates and they have done remarkably well.

There are of course, potential problems with chronic opiate use and constipation is chief among them, but it sounds like you're doing well and have been for some time.
I'm not really seeing where you're on huge doses and just to be clear, diazepam (a benzodiazepine) and baclofen (antispastic agent/muscle relaxant) are not opiates.
Plus the drugs like buprinorphine and tramadol fall into a category called "partial agonists". This means that when these partial agonists bind to the specific mu receptor (one of the opiate receptors) they cause much less excitation of the receptor...in other words it causes a weakened response. Interestingly, Buprinorphine is not only used to treat pain, it's actually very effective in treating opiate addiction and withdrawal.
I don't know how long you've been on this specific regimen, but currently in medical practice you will often see rotation of various opiates when patients have increased difficulty wth pain control or in managing more severe side effects. With respect to the 3 "opiate" receptors mentioned in the article linked above, this "rotation therapy" can be very effective.

Almost all abdominal adhesions are the result of abdominal surgery...plain and simple and of all those patients who undergo abdominal surgery...93% will develop adhesions. The good news is that in the majority of cases, adhesions do not cause problems
Adhesions are scar tissue and result from cutting (includes cutting with electro-surgical instrumentation), manipulation (both manually and with instruments), exposure (drying out), contact with foreign material such as sterile gauze, towels and failure to properly evacuate blood, blood clots and other tissues. Also surgical time plays a role, the longer the surgery, the greater exposure you have.
You can also develop adhesions from infections and even from things such as radiation treatments, etc.

The best way to prevent complications is to follow a good bowel regimen and stay regular. Adherence to a healthy, nutritious diet is essential for both your bowels and your liver.
My wife and I try to eat healthy, organic foods as much as possible...at least for things we eat frequently. But we really try to stay away from the processed junk...the more processed the worse it is.
Man, that stuff will kill your liver and you.

Sorry to run on for so long...but
Hope this helps,

woofer5

___________________________________________

2013 / Diagnosed and successfully treated for hep c geno 1b with Telaprevir, Interferon and Ribavirin...treatment duration 24 weeks.
Retired CRNA (aka nurse anesthetist)...approx 35 years experience in the ER and anesthesia.
Exposure was likely a bloody needle stick from a known hep b patient in 1977. Hep B never progressed to the chronic phase...my own, healthy immune system crushed it.

Barry (Ppm Guy), Dilaudid? Haven't heard that one in awhile. Seen a good fella go to rest home shooting that stuff. Hope ya don't mind me mentioning it. Just got that memory still lurking, Wished I hadn't viewed him to this day. Brilliant fella always vegetative on couch Booted up slobbering. Much preferred to shell he was in a suit, pasty, grim look. Children, ex-wife carrying on what a waste. Feel sure he thought the same about me when I got sick.

Believe Neil Younge said sumtin bout needle and the damage done. Here's wishing you and the wife best.



Ziff