Pain Meds
Question:
Check with your pharmacist to find out the total milligram dosage of ibuprofen and ketoprofen. You would be very smart not to exceed that to avoid toxicity and/or liver/ kidney damage. This does not even address rebound headaches from constant use of analgesics. Marnette I am not a physician.
Response:
Regarding usage of Fioricet/Fiorinal, Fiorinal seems to be the only medication that really works when I can’t "catch" the HA in time with Advil. My doctor will no longer write prescriptions for anything with codeine, but will still give me Fiorinal. He’s also just given me Imitrex pills, but since I’m trying to get pregnant I’m wary of taking it unless I absolutely have to. Anyway, Fiorinal has saved my life many times over the last 20 or so years. Like many HA sufferers, I’m never without out a couple of them "just in case"…Good luck. Katherine
Response:
: : : To you, and to anyone else who may read this, what are your doctors’ : : attitudes toward your use of Fioricet/Fiorinal and Tylenol #3? : : My neurologist won’t prescribe anything addictive (although he’s missed : the fact that the caffeine in my Norgesic Forte is addictive), so he : won’t prescribe any of those. : : This is fine with me, since I’m a recovering alcoholic. : Your neurologist is behind the times. His attitude about addictive medications is perfectly aligned with my own. : What are commonly called : "narcotics," but more correctly called opioids, because they are : morphine-like, have been found to be safe and non-addictive for more : than 99% of "chronic pain" sufferers! For chronic pain, these are the : most natural of all drugs — after all our own bodies produce morphine, : just not enough to handle _all_ the pain when we develop a severe : chronic pain condition. [snipped the rest] It is clear that we have had different experiences and therefore look at some things differently. I’m sorry you’ve had the bad experiences that you have had. We have different needs, and therefore we have made different choices. Good luck to you, and take care! Priscilla
Response:
Dear RED — My heart goes out to you. This is a place you can always come to for information, for comfort or to vent your frustration with being in pain. Marnette
Response:
: To you, and to anyone else who may read this, what are your doctors’ : attitudes toward your use of Fioricet/Fiorinal and Tylenol #3? My neurologist won’t prescribe anything addictive (although he’s missed the fact that the caffeine in my Norgesic Forte is addictive), so he won’t prescribe any of those. This is fine with me, since I’m a recovering alcoholic. Priscilla
Your neurologist is behind the times. What are commonly called "narcotics," but more correctly called opioids, because they are morphine-like, have been found to be safe and non-addictive for more than 99% of "chronic pain" sufferers! For chronic pain, these are the most natural of all drugs — after all our own bodies produce morphine, just not enough to handle _all_ the pain when we develop a severe chronic pain condition. This is one of the newest findings on the treatment of chronic pain. There are some important things to be considered, and treatment of chronic pain with round-the-clock opioids should be the last resort. But many of us _have_ reached the end of the rope. I have two neurologists, and a rheumatologist, all of whom have urged my primary care physician to keep me on MS Contin (Morphine Sulfate continuous, that is, long-acting) as well as high doses of Talwin Nx (a Demerol-like drug) round-the-clock. Because of this treatment, for the first time in 19 years, I am actually _functional_, and that is the goal for treatment of chronic pain. I have severe cluster headache (since ‘77) as well as neuralgic headache (from a damaged nerve in my head, same side as cluster headache site — have had surgery). I also have very severe fibromyalia syndrome (FMS), which is pain in _all_ the muscles, and completely disabling when exacerbated, and the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) which always accompanies the FMS. In addition, I have a very painful sacroiliac joint — some degeneration, and a great deal of inflammation (for this I take 2400 mg Motrin per day, in addition to the opioids). In other words, I have _pain_ throughout my body every moment of every day. But, here’s the kicker: I am _not_ depressed, thanks to the mellow high of the opioids. I am not on any dangerous medications anymore, although I take 74 pills per day (many are vitamins, minerals and other supplements) and have a healthy heart, kidneys, liver, etc. I do have a condition that is worse than any pain I can think of. It is called akathisia. It is a neurological condition caused by the antidepressants they tried in the ’80s for the headaches. The doctors continued using the antidepressants, as well as some phenothiazines (such as the Trilafon in Triavil) after this symptom appeared in mid’83. I was put on every antidepressant in the PDR at that time, through Prozac, which was the very newest. The akathisia became so severe that I was writhing with it day and night. It is a condition, like restless legs syndrome, but somewhat different, and harder to treat. It causes my legs to writhe, prevents sleep, causes me to contract all my poor sore muscles, and affects the functionality of my mind, cutting off short term memory altogether, almost like an absence seizure, and not allowing me to keep a single thought together. This means that I cannot sleep, I certainly cannot sit (akathisia means "the inability to remain in a sitting position"), and I can do nothing productive, because I temporarily lose the use of my mind. Many heavy-duty medications have been tried for this, and I still have to resort to one, once in a while. But the opioids have been the best treatment for this, too. I now actually sleep, and only have one or two "attacks" of the akathisia a day now. I apologize for the length of this, but I think it is important for all of us to be aware of the dangers of antidepressants (even if they call them SSRIs, like Prozac, Zoloft, etc.), and the benefits of opioids. I have printed material on the results of research showing that regular, round-the-clock use of opioids, even morphine, is safe for _chronic pain_ sufferers. E-mail me directly, and I will be happy to share more information on what I have said here. I just can’t stand to read post after post with so much failure, anger, and what I consider malpractice, described. We are in pain. We are people in pain, not numbers or cases. It’s time we were treated appropriately. If we are armed with the facts, we can challenge our doctors to do better, or find better doctors, and find, if not cures, at least lives, lives that allow us to function again. It’s there! We can get it. <hugs to all — I’ve been there. Pain hurts! We have a right to say so, and be heard. I feel for every one of you. RED
Response:
: To you, and to anyone else who may read this, what are your doctors’ : attitudes toward your use of Fioricet/Fiorinal and Tylenol #3? My neurologist won’t prescribe anything addictive (although he’s missed the fact that the caffeine in my Norgesic Forte is addictive), so he won’t prescribe any of those. This is fine with me, since I’m a recovering alcoholic. Priscilla
Response:
I’m swallowing ibuprofen or ketoprofen by the multiple doses (6 tabs each time) and that just doesn’t cut it.
I know the feeling. Before getting with my current neurologist I ended up giving myself tylenol poisoning. Not fun!! To you, and to anyone else who may read this, what are your doctors’ attitudes toward your use of Fioricet/Fiorinal and Tylenol #3?
My neurologist was giving them to me with three refills and 50 dosages a script until just this last week. When I went to go get them he had changed the prescription to only 30 pills and no refills. I think that is just his way of monitoring how many I am taking but who knows. Ihave to go see him next week and I will end up asking him about it. Karen
Response:
Hi David, You are indeed fortunate that your Dr. is so understanding. My Dr. was only understanding up to a certain point, then cut me back, & referred me to a neurologist for a 2nd opinion…Have been without any Rx pain meds for two weeks & still have another week before the appt; I’m swallowing ibuprofen or ketoprofen by the multiple doses (6 tabs each time) and that just doesn’t cut it. To you, and to anyone else who may read this, what are your doctors’ attitudes toward your use of Fioricet/Fiorinal and Tylenol #3? Take care, Tom Tuel
Response:
I guess that I am very lucky in one respect….I have a doc who is not afraid to prescribe pain meds for me…As a matter of fact he is always quick to ask me if I am running low…or I just have to ask him…. I take it this is not the norm ??? That is very unfortunate…Migraines are a horrible thing to live with…Pain meds make it bearable !!!
No David, this is not the norm….I could have written your post five months ago, but my doc of 14 years just sold his practice and the group that took over has said "we don’t prescribe those drugs"…and in the last six weeks I met a few more who suscribe to that philosophy…. watch the tolerance though…. Jonathan
Response:
I guess that I am very lucky in one respect….I have a doc who is not afraid to prescribe pain meds for me…As a matter of fact he is always quick to ask me if I am running low…or I just have to ask him…. I take it this is not the norm ??? That is very unfortunate…Migraines are a horrible thing to live with…Pain meds make it bearable !!!
