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Paid meds during severe flares?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/29/2011 4:48 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all - came here looking for some advice. Currently having a "moderate to severe" flare and have been in the hospital for 8 days trying to get it under control. Half of my pain is due to cramping with each bowel movement and urge, the other half is due to anal fissures (wonderful, huh?). While it is finally beginning to subside, I still need some pain meds while I'm here and will probably have to be prescribed some once discharged - hopefully only for a short period of time.

I am currently on dilaudid, which was wonderful at first. After 8 days of receiving it just about around the clock, I believe I am building up a tolerance to it. It is not nearly as effective and only lasts for about 2 hours, as opposed to the 6 or so it was lasting when I first began receiving it. The doctors and nurses keep pushing lortab and percocet on me, both of which I have tried during this hospital stay. They both helped the fissure pain, but do not touch the cramping.

So I am insisting we try something different and they are giving me a hard time about it. I figure I need to present a solution or at least suggestions with my problem, so any suggestions you all have would be very helpful. I am not big into pain meds and rarely take them, so I don't even know where to start. Oh and in the ER they gave me morphine, that didn't seem to help much either, but it was probably a small dose.

Edit: Also, I need something for anxiety. I've tried Ativan, Klonopin, Buspar... nothing has really given me the right effect. I want something that is smooth, mellows me out, doesn't make me gain weight or overly tired... I've heard great things abut Xanax, but no doctor seems to want to prescribe that. I guess a lot of people abuse it, but stress = flares so I think I have a good reason for requesting it. Especially while on steroids that make my anxiety and stress go through the roof. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

Post Edited (beebop) : 6/28/2011 11:22:23 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/29/2011 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi beebop, sorry to hear you're having such a tough time but it sounds like you're improving, so that's a positive. My GI is not big on prescribing pain medication. She feels that the inflammation that causes the pain needs to be treated. I have never gotten any tyep of painkiller from the GI. I do take klonopin which I got from a different doctor and while it does help ease anxiety, it's not really helpful for UC.

I have seen members here mention taking Bentyl for cramping. It may be worth looking iinto that. Hopefully you get into remission soon so the cramping isnt so painful.
Posted 6/29/2011 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
I didn't find anything effective for flare related pain except just stopping the flare. You could try bentyl for the cramping and hydrocortisone suppositories might help the fissure. I used Xanax during my last flare and it really helped counter act the emotional effects of prednisone. However, my doctor only prescribed it for a little while and put my on an anti-depressant instead. At the time I tried Lexapro and that does help with anxiety as well. Now I take pristiq which works a lot better for me. It takes care of sadness, anger and anxiety. I feel a lot more mellow! I hope you feel better soon!!! :o)
Posted 6/29/2011 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone keeps pointing me toward antidepressants, but I simply do not have the luxury of dealing with the adjustment periods. I have explained this to each and every doctor. I know I'm asking a lot by expecting something quick and easy, but Xanax is exactly that. I've never been on it, I can only imagine that the lowest dose would be more than enough (I don't tolerate those types meds well, so I'd probably even take less than that). I just don't understand why doctors are so hesitant to prescribe medications for anxiety. Especially to someone who suffers from a stress-related illness. Doesn't make sense to me.

The doctors keep pushing lortab on me, which I don't understand because it does not do anything for the cramps. It is beyond frustrating! I talked with a pain management doctor today and explained that I don't need something for chronic pain, as I don't have chronic pain, only acute pain with the infrequent flares. However, I do think it would be a good idea to have something on hand that I could take IN CASE I begin to flare again and can't get in to see my doctor that day. When I have the urge to go to the bathroom, the cramping is sometimes really bad eve when I'm not flaring, but I can deal with it. It'd just be nice to know I had something to take if I couldn't deal with it, or if I was in class or at work or something, a know?

The fissures are getting better. I was actually on the cortisone suppositories and they didn't help. This botox procedure has finally seemed to help though!

I am going to look into Bentyl. I don't think I've ever heard of it. I have tried dicyclomine and it doesn't seem to help at all. I want something to specifically target cramping, not some generic all-purpose pain pill.
Posted 6/29/2011 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Ohhh nevermind, just looked up bentyl and realized it IS dicyclomine. Didn't know they were the same thing. Thanks anyway!
Posted 6/29/2011 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
When I was in agony I always took some valium + oxycontin works a treat!
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