Can we Discuss Pain Meds For a Bit?

[LovableGluttons]

I have another kidney stone. My wonderful urologist is giving me a week to try to pass out before we go for lithotripsy.

So he gave me a prescription for pain medicine.

I admit I have issues with taking it.

Yes, this hurts, but.....

I do not like the side effects and especially feeling out of control.

I've made stones since I was a teenager, even surgery to remove parathyroid adenomas hasn't stopped the stones.

So, instead of taking those pills, here I sit at 2 am with a heating pad.

Do any of you do this too?

I'm an RN and would definitely tell my patients to take them. I sincerely don't think other people, on average, are so hung up like I am.


Sheesh!

 

[KitKat_Tink]

Pain meds suck.

I hate the feeling of being 'out of control' and woozy.

I have ovarian cysts and chronic migraines so I've dealt with quite a bit of pain meds.

I've realized that sometimes I have to get over the hatred I have for pain killers just so I can go to class or work.

My least favorite is the narcotics. The want to fall asleep and rooms spinning gets old quick.

So yeah, I use the heating pad or ice pack or dark room to try to fix any pain I'm in first. Usually with little luck.

I honestly wish there was a better way to relieve chronic pain.

 

[ratherbeatdisney]

i passed a stone about 2 weeks ago. i passed another about a month before, the first one i had no pain pills, it sucked big time, there is not much you can due to take away that type of pain. The 2nd one i went to the ER and they did a catscan and confirmed it was a stone, they prescribed me percocets and i absolutely took them and it took the pain away about 90%, it made it totally tolerable. maybe you have an allergic reaction or something, i dont feel dizzy or weird at all on any type of pain pills. When i was at the ER for the 2nd one they gave me a shot of both Fentanyl and later on Morphine before i left, they wiped out the pain completely. Maybe you should ask them to try a different type of pill, because you should be able to get relief from that type of pain, there has to be something you can take. Maybe vicodin, or vicuprofen or something. I hope you feel better ! I feel your pain !

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

I take nothing, I do deal with chronic pain 24/7 with needing knee replacements, spinal issues, fibro, bad and painful legs...and it goes on and on. and yes I have had stones.
I hate taking pain meds. They never get rid of the pain, you can always feel it, and does not matter how much they give you!!! So I go natural, I swim, do massages..etc. I have to admit, I have been up all night due to pain, and can barely walk right now. No clue what to tell you. I use heat a lot! hot baths etc... good luck!

 

[Jey12]

Nurses are the worst patients aren't they?

I'm sorry for your stone. I've never had that happen but I hear it is very painful. So

Now for the tough love. You know as well as any other medically minded person that it's best to stay ahead of the pain. Once you get behind it's more difficult to catch up. That by being in pain other parts of your body are compromised. If you fall behind in controlling pain that once you decide to take the pain meds, and it sounds like you will eventually, you will need to take at least twice the dose to get to where you should already be. Losing sleep reduces your body's ability to heal and again compromises other parts as well. So although you don't like the feeling you have on these meds you can be making matters worse in other areas by ignoring the reccomended dosing of the meds. The pain meds can help your body relax and possibly pass the stone sooner or avoid surgery. Now if the pain meds aren't working to control the pain you need to talk to your dr. to either switch to something that will or explore other options to stop the pain.

I'm sure you know all of this, but sounded like you just needed to hear it.

 

[livie1205]

I live with pain...everyday of my life.I hate the meds but I could not like my life in pain like that so I stay ahead of the pain and deal with it.It does not make me dizzy or woozy...not even high (since been on for a long time) but the same dose that worked a year ago works now so that is a good thing.I know people hate them because some can get hooked but if you take them right you will not.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Thanks so much to all of you.

I know I'm not the only person out there that gets caught in that pain and medication loop.

Too bad kidney stones aren't valuable, so there would be a good reason for having them.

 

[LuvOrlando]

not everyone who needs pain meds is an addict, or will become one even if they are potentially habit forming and even if they take them for a long time.

I've had migraines sinceI was 10. I get about 10-15 a month. when I was a kid I got Alka Seltzer and Motrin. It didn't work so my life was largely unlivable. OnceI hit my late teens I started taking Motrin in what I now know was unsafe quantities out of desperation. I tend to think this contributed to my development of both stomache and intestinal ulcers.

I was given Fioricet the first time what I was 19 and it changed my life making it livable. I think the stigma associated with pain medication is unimaginably cruel because it causes people like me to feel bad and it causes people like you to endure pain silently.

If people were more comfortable with the subject better conversations would take place with Dr's. First, I think the medical community is heavy handed with pain medicine. They tend to give really high doses which make people sick AND foster dependance which makes no sense to me. Most of the time 1/4 or 1/2the pill is enough so I wish DR's would say that but they usually don't. I bet if you took a smaller portion of the pills you were given you could get the relief without feeling so out of it. The second part that bothers me is that people don't make follow up calls to their Dr's saying "medicine a isn't working for me can I try something else." because they are so afraid of looking like addicts.

I feel really bad for all of you who are suffering and want to encourage you to have serious conversations with your Dr's about alternative meds and different doses. no one needs to live like you describe when alternatives are available

 

[lovetoscrap]

Add me to the list. HATE taking anything stronger than Ibuprofen or Naproxen. I hate that "look at the pink unicorns" feeling, being dizzy and for me most of them make me nauseous. I am having surgery in a week and and the part I am dreading most is the recovery when I will have to decide between pain or being dopey and pukey. And I really hate that my kids have to see me in that state-- it upsets them.

My husband knows that if I ask him to find me one of the "good drugs" in the cabinet then I am at a level of pain that is beyond belief. And my doctors know that I won't take them unless it is that bad. I went to Pain Management and the first thing I said was that I don't want any loopy drugs. (didn't last long there-- they said there wasn't anything they could do for me )

For some types of pain I absolutely LOVE my TENS machine. Frankly I have no idea why they don't routinely try it before narcotic and/or muscle relaxants for many types of pain. Well, actually I do have an idea but it has to do with drug company money and power. I am currently dealing with a hip issue that they would normally throw drugs at, but as long as I use the TENS machine when it flares up I am fine. No side effects and I am able to continue all normal activities. I think that everyone should be issued one and the meds should be a last resort, not the first.

I went through and just threw out bottles and bottles of pain meds a few months ago (in the recommended way, in the cat litter). I really don't have any concept of how people can want to get high and how you can enjoy that out of control loopy feeling.

 

[disfan07]

I HATE pain meds. The OTC stuff does nothing for me. Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Aspirin, etc do not work. Vicodin doesn't even work for me. The only 2 pain meds that work for me that we have tried are morphine and percocet. I had to get over my refusal of pain meds VERY VERY quickly this past summer when I had brain surgery. I was on a continuous morphine drip for 7 days and I was on percocet for 8 weeks. I am currently on percocet for PMS and cramps. My pain is so bad during the first 48 hours that I ended up in the ER where my GYN gave me morphine for the pain and sent me home with a percocet perscription for those first 48 hours. I absolutely hate having to take it but I realized that taking 1 or 2 percocet is much better than vomitting from the pain or just shaking so badly from the pain that you want to curl up and die.

My doctors all know that if I am requesting pain meds, than I need them. And usually, it is at the point where they can tell that I am in serious pain adn they are the ones who tell me to take it ebcause I dont like it at all. I figure though, that I dont have to be a hero and try to take the pain. if I need the meds, I now take them. I dont wait until I am almost in tears and throwing up anymore.

 

[supercarrie]

I have also dealt with kidney stones for years, and had a failed surgery to locate the parathyroid adenoma which they believe causes them. There is a current debate amongst my doctors here about whether they should re-operate.

I have been through pain medicine after pain medicine and hate the nausea and "high" that I get when I am on them.

OP, have you read the book "No More Kidney Stones"? My mom bought this book for me and it very clearly explained how to avoid getting stones, once you know the type you are forming. I'd assume you are forming calcium oxalate stones if you have parathyroid issues? The advice is quite sound, and my urologist supports the practices in the book, because, as he has said over and over, even once the parathyroid issue is fixed, the fact that I've had repeated stones pretty means I will have a strong chance of forming more in future.

 

[livie1205]

Add me to the list. HATE taking anything stronger than Ibuprofen or Naproxen. I hate that "look at the pink unicorns" feeling, being dizzy and for me most of them make me nauseous. I am having surgery in a week and and the part I am dreading most is the recovery when I will have to decide between pain or being dopey and pukey. And I really hate that my kids have to see me in that state-- it upsets them.

My husband knows that if I ask him to find me one of the "good drugs" in the cabinet then I am at a level of pain that is beyond belief. And my doctors know that I won't take them unless it is that bad. I went to Pain Management and the first thing I said was that I don't want any loopy drugs. (didn't last long there-- they said there wasn't anything they could do for me )

For some types of pain I absolutely LOVE my TENS machine. Frankly I have no idea why they don't routinely try it before narcotic and/or muscle relaxants for many types of pain. Well, actually I do have an idea but it has to do with drug company money and power. I am currently dealing with a hip issue that they would normally throw drugs at, but as long as I use the TENS machine when it flares up I am fine. No side effects and I am able to continue all normal activities. I think that everyone should be issued one and the meds should be a last resort, not the first.

I went through and just threw out bottles and bottles of pain meds a few months ago (in the recommended way, in the cat litter). I really don't have any concept of how people can want to get high and how you can enjoy that out of control loopy feeling.

OMG I have trying to get my tens machine FOREVER!! I dont know what the hold up is...they keep sending me to dif people and they say "oh we dont have those go here" uggg does it help that much?

 

[livie1205]

not everyone who needs pain meds is an addict, or will become one even if they are potentially habit forming and even if they take them for a long time.

I've had migraines sinceI was 10. I get about 10-15 a month. when I was a kid I got Alka Seltzer and Motrin. It didn't work so my life was largely unlivable. OnceI hit my late teens I started taking Motrin in what I now know was unsafe quantities out of desperation. I tend to think this contributed to my development of both stomache and intestinal ulcers.

I was given Fioricet the first time what I was 19 and it changed my life making it livable. I think the stigma associated with pain medication is unimaginably cruel because it causes people like me to feel bad and it causes people like you to endure pain silently.

If people were more comfortable with the subject better conversations would take place with Dr's. First, I think the medical community is heavy handed with pain medicine. They tend to give really high doses which make people sick AND foster dependance which makes no sense to me. Most of the time 1/4 or 1/2the pill is enough so I wish DR's would say that but they usually don't. I bet if you took a smaller portion of the pills you were given you could get the relief without feeling so out of it. The second part that bothers me is that people don't make follow up calls to their Dr's saying "medicine a isn't working for me can I try something else." because they are so afraid of looking like addicts.

I feel really bad for all of you who are suffering and want to encourage you to have serious conversations with your Dr's about alternative meds and different doses. no one needs to live like you describe when alternatives are available

THANK YOU!! It hard to explain this to people....your right, not everyone that takes them are addicts...like I said before I have NEVER had to increase my dose since I started taking them and for some like me I would be 34 and spend the rest of my life in awful pain without these meds and that is no way to live....and yes I have tried EVERYTHING and so have the drs.I have 3 kids and I need to be able to take care of them.I do not get that "high "feeling...I guess its because my body is use to them, and physical dependent is not the same as being a addict, two very dif things.I would not suggest anyone live like this but sometimes there is no other way and people should try to understand more.I am on a very mild med compared to alot of chronic pain people and asked my dr NOT to put me on anything stronger so I can take care of my family but even the mild med works alot.When I wake up in the morning I can not move without crying,can not stand up, its very bad...I am only 34 and I have the rest of my life to deal with this...I have never shared this on this board but I felt strongly about this and wanted people to know the other side.

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

Add me to the list. HATE taking anything stronger than Ibuprofen or Naproxen. I hate that "look at the pink unicorns" feeling, being dizzy and for me most of them make me nauseous. I am having surgery in a week and and the part I am dreading most is the recovery when I will have to decide between pain or being dopey and pukey. And I really hate that my kids have to see me in that state-- it upsets them.

My husband knows that if I ask him to find me one of the "good drugs" in the cabinet then I am at a level of pain that is beyond belief. And my doctors know that I won't take them unless it is that bad. I went to Pain Management and the first thing I said was that I don't want any loopy drugs. (didn't last long there-- they said there wasn't anything they could do for me )

For some types of pain I absolutely LOVE my TENS machine. Frankly I have no idea why they don't routinely try it before narcotic and/or muscle relaxants for many types of pain. Well, actually I do have an idea but it has to do with drug company money and power. I am currently dealing with a hip issue that they would normally throw drugs at, but as long as I use the TENS machine when it flares up I am fine. No side effects and I am able to continue all normal activities. I think that everyone should be issued one and the meds should be a last resort, not the first.

I went through and just threw out bottles and bottles of pain meds a few months ago (in the recommended way, in the cat litter). I really don't have any concept of how people can want to get high and how you can enjoy that out of control loopy feeling.

I wished my TENS helped!! I have like six of them just sitting here, they fitted me for another one when I got kicked out of a pain clinic, because I did not have any opiates in my system!! I refused to take the patch!!

I go holistic even thou it just is a temp fix!! it helps....

 

[lovetoscrap]

OMG I have trying to get my tens machine FOREVER!! I dont know what the hold up is...they keep sending me to dif people and they say "oh we dont have those go here" uggg does it help that much?

I have had use of one 2x-- the 2nd one they let me rent to own so now it is mine! Both times I had to go through a Physical Therapist. The second time dr wrote a script for the TENS and sent me to the PT place. They decided to start me on PT instead. I went a few times, was really unhappy with them (really awful PT place) and finally said Look, when am I getting my TENS? They were clueless. Apparently no one bothered to really pay attention to my order-- which by the way was NOT for PT-- and so never ordered it.

I got it within a few days and never went back to them!

I wished my TENS helped!! I have like six of them just sitting here, they fitted me for another one when I got kicked out of a pain clinic, because I did not have any opiates in my system!! I refused to take the patch!!

I go holistic even thou it just is a temp fix!! it helps....

Where/what type of pain do you have (if you want to share)? TENS works best for localized pain due to muscle/tendon type of things. I assume that you have been shown how to use it, where to place the pads and how to figure out the frequency and intensity? Have you tried different size and brands of pads? Mine has all that stuff with variable settings. Personally I just like a continuous/constant stream (not sure exactly what call the output). I think the variable ones are more for a therapeutic outcome. I just want the pain to go away!

The 1st time I had one as for bursitis in my hip. Without it on I couldn't even stand up. With it I could do anything I wanted. It was a simple machine with one constant stream and I had 4 pads and it was easy to use.

The one I have now was for my foot issues. It doesn't work as well there because of the anatomy of the foot and the way you have to place the pads-- can't really walk around. But I have used it for the intense pain that would have me taking "the good drugs" if I am just going to be sitting.

Currently I am having an issue with hip and it will completely lock up on me. The pain is the worst thing I have ever felt if I try to straighten it. DH thought he was going to have to call an ambulance the first time it happened. After a check with my dr that nothing major is wrong (just messed up because of the way I walk due to the feet issues), the next time it happened as soon as I started screaming DH slapped the TENS pads on and turned it up until it reached a level where I could straighten my leg. Got it pretty high that time! But it worked. I used it on my hip for our 14 hr drive to and from WDW last month. Without it I wouldn't have been able to sit in the car like that. After just an hour my hip was in so much pain.

I have also stuck it on my back when I slept funny and kinked something. Dr probably would have given me a muscle relaxant but a day or two with the TENS and I was fine with no down time because of it.

 

[LovableGluttons]

I have also dealt with kidney stones for years, and had a failed surgery to locate the parathyroid adenoma which they believe causes them. There is a current debate amongst my doctors here about whether they should re-operate.

I have been through pain medicine after pain medicine and hate the nausea and "high" that I get when I am on them.

OP, have you read the book "No More Kidney Stones"? My mom bought this book for me and it very clearly explained how to avoid getting stones, once you know the type you are forming. I'd assume you are forming calcium oxalate stones if you have parathyroid issues? The advice is quite sound, and my urologist supports the practices in the book, because, as he has said over and over, even once the parathyroid issue is fixed, the fact that I've had repeated stones pretty means I will have a strong chance of forming more in future.

OMG! I am so glad you posted!

The kidney stone thing is so ridiculous. I was put on several different regimens to help prevent stone formation without success. I had 15 months without stones after my parathyroidectomy, but ended up with gastric ulcers as a result. I get lithotripsy every 3 to 6 months to try to clear them out before they can travel down my ureters. It was working pretty well until this last two weeks when the one stone my urologist could not reduce with the litho decided to move.

I have a pretty high serum calcium level which is leaving my urologist and I thinking my trending parathyroids are now the culprit. Just two months after my parathyroidectomy in 2002, my pth began to rise again. I won't let them back in my neck again.

I love Pyridium! It's usually all I take to manage this until one of those stones gets stuck.

I have multiple endocrine neoplasia, which is the cause of this craziness. No malignancy, just a lot of frustration, adenomas, and angiolipomas to fit into my hectic life.

If a TENS unit would work for this, I would love it! Pain relief without sedation would be a dream come true!

My parathyroidectomy was done by Dr. Glenn Peters at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Since my early 20's, I couldn't wear necklaces, I thought due to just having a large neck. I had huge adenomas. I passed my first stone when I was 14, so they had 20 years to grow.

My neck size hasn't changed, but the stone formation is definitely speeding up.

 

[lovetoscrap]

If a TENS unit would work for this, I would love it! Pain relief without sedation would be a dream come true!

.

I doubt that a TENS would work since this is pain inside the organs/system. I think it is mostly for musclosketal issues. But you could ask the dr and see what they say.