Hi, I am new here and just had a question. I am a 27 year old male that had the unfortunate luck of blowing 5 confirmed and 1 unconfirmed discs out of my back. 2 lower, 3 in my midback and one possibly in my neck. I am prescribed to 180 percocets a month and was just wondering if asking to switch to methadone would be a wise choice? The pain is unbearable at times and I have also read that methadone is used to curb opiate addiction. So my logic in this matter would be that methadone would be the wiser choice, due to the fact that it is used to wean people. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Inpain1

Hi J;
I also have basically the same issues....boy do I sympathise...it hurts like heck, and because you "look" normal, people forget that you are sick! I am on pain management with my doctor. I take Hydrocodone with APAP 10-500. I also take Robaxin (a muscle relaxer). I think that you should speak to your doctor, voice your concerns, be your own advocate. I also find that a neck brace works wonders, I also use a back brace. I wonder if you were denied by Worker's Comp if you have either the basis for a law suit, or maybe you can call your pharmacy and see if they are aware of any programs to help you with cost. I was out of work, and it cost me over $600.00....which was crazy! Now I know that they have some new ideas for helping people with meds. Don't ever feel like a drug addict. If you take your medication for a certain condition, prescribed by a doctor, you have every right to your meds. Doctor's don't want you to hurt either! That is what the drugs are intended for...to help. I know how hard this is...so please don't give up! It isn't easy dealing with chronic pain...but there are a lot of avenues that you can take...even online self help groups....sometimes just talking about it helps. I will keep you in my thoughts....I hope that you feel better! (gentle hug!)

KeepItSimpleStupid

Hey, you don't ASK for a medication. You don't say "Can I have X".
You so it in a way of suggesting. More like. I've done some research on back pain and I was wondering about these drugs and these treatment options.

With a little peamble like "Dr x, the medications that I have been taking for pain don't seem to allow me to function and I'm still in a lot of pain. I've.....options.

Get it.

They make the decision, they create the dosage.

Heck, I've only seen a doc twice and she suggested that I do some searching for medications in this class on the inernet.

I've gotten turned down a few times too. That's a doctor problem. Sometimes their philosophy is down right wrong. Sometimes it's very good.

Remember, "The doctor is your employee". You can generally hire and fire them.

Limolene

Jonathan , I know very well about workers Comp, I've been on it since 1999. I hope you have a good Lawyer! You should ask Neurosurgeon to write that you need a Pain Mgmt Doctor and have your lawyer bring it up at your next WC Hearing. I see a Pain MGT Doctor,Neurologist, chiropractor and Physical therapist and all is approved by my Workers Comp so you should speak to your lawyer. So you're getting the Perc' from a Neurosurgeon... That's OK. You must be open with your doctor and if you're still have unbearable pain, YOU MUST tell the Doctor!!!!! Your doctor is there to help you. I'd tell the doctor that you still have a lot of pain and the percocets are not helping you. You see, I don't know how long you've been taking the perc. After awhile people get a tolerance to these medications. Addiction & Tolerance are different. You will be dependant on it but it doesn't mean that you're an Drug addict! Now I don't know where you are from but they're a lot of Doctors that I call Addictaphobic or Narcophobic and do not like to write narcotics even if people need the medication, and Methadone is very stigmatized but if you find a Good pain DR you shouldn't have a problem. I believe when people are studying and go to medical school to become a doctor, they DO NOT spend much time studying how to treat chronic pain. For Instance, I'm on a very high dose of Pain medication and I am scared to death if something were to happen to me and I had to be Hospitalized. The doctors would not believe what kind of dosage I'm on, at one time, I was on 400 MGs of Methadone a day Plus Morphine Sulphate 30 mgs 4 X a day Plus I take the highest dosage of Xanax and some and other med's If I told the ER doctor that I was on 400 a day, they'd think I was crazy and wouldn't give me that dosage until they spoke to my Doctor, which could take possible a few days and I would suffer and go into WD, and even after they had spoken to my Pain DR, they still would be apprehensive at giving me my dose. In the PDR Phyician Desk Reference, the dosage for methadone I believe says 2.5 mg to 10 mg 3 times a day. If you're not opiate tolerant, 50 or 60 mgs of methadone could kill you. In the news recently , I've read a lot about methadone Deaths. I know that I am getting away from your topic but when a Teenager or anybody gets methadone on the street and they have never used it, They might try a 40 mg Discet and after 45 minutes , they wont feel it so they might take another one and then they OD and die. It takes about an hour to start to feel the effects of methadone, and it is very long acting. OK Jonathan, Back to you're problem, You wrote " Please don't think of me as a druggie" and I do not, and I understand that you might need medications the rest of your life, but you think that asking your doctor for another medication will think he/she will think that there is something wrong with asking... Well it's not at wrong at all. Most of the time It Takes different medications at first to see if it will help you. IMO, Perocets are not very strong for me but as Keepitsimple said the Percocets have a lot of Tylenol which is not good for your Liver. You might want to ask the doctor about an extended Release medication that you would either take every 8 hours or 12 hours. Some medications like that are Oxycontin, Mscontin, Opana, Durgesic(Fentyal Patch) which you keep on 72 hours, I'm not crazy about that, Dilauid, Fentenyl Lolly pops,Avinza,KADIAN® which are (Morphine Sulfate Extended-Release) I would ask your doctor about the drug Soma (Carisopridol) it's a very good musscle relaxant and it helps me sleep,I have very bad insomnia, probably because I've been on sleeping med's 18 years and when you stop taking the meds, you get a rebound effect and you cannot sleep at all. I once detoxed off because one night I couldn't sleep and I was taking my Xanax, Soma, Restoral but in the morning, I took my methadone and it kicked everything in and I kept falling so my mom took me to the ER and when I was coming to, they said that they had an inpaitent program, I figured if I didn't agree to go I would of been committed. I said I would go as long as I got my pain Meds andXanax, they told me I would but I never got my XanaX, they lied to me and I didnt sleep the whole 2 weeks I was in a inpaitent program. I wanted to get out and I told them that I was going to go back on the Xanax as soon as I left the place but they would not release me because I was on a Phenobarbital taper.They did give me my Methadone and Dilauid but they didn't give me my soma or Thorazine, which I take a very small amount at night to help me sleep. When I was there, twp people climed and jumped over the fence. If I was physically able to, I would of done that. Back to Soma, it is not a controlled substance, albeit, I think it should be.Now about pain relief, Medication is not always the anwser! You can go for trigger point injection, that's very simple, they inject a lidocaine solution in the area that's Painful but doesn't last very long. Also you can go for epidural injection, and they inject a steriod type of medication which I think will give you longer relief. There are minimally invasive procedures like I had which was called a disectomy, they need to do a discogram ( a test) to cause you pain to see if it's positive so you can get the disectomy. Also someone mentioned a TEN Unit, Electrical nerve stimulater and now they implant a nerve stimulater in your body and they can adjust the setting to select different places on your body where the pain is. I've been sitting a long time already writting this and I'm in a lot of pain, So Just Talk to your Doctor and don't worry what He or she is going to think. Best Wishes Limo

Inpain1

I think that everyone has really good information....you might want to try :
CreakyJoints.org - Your Arthritis Homepage as well...it is an online group with a lot of information about different types of help...whether you are into herbal or etc.... It is basically a forum for arthritis sufferers...but they delve into other questions as well.
I just thought that maybe it would help.
:-)

Limolene

Hi Inpain1 This is the 3 RD time I tried to post and I lost it, so here is my last time.
On the AOL Message Boards they have some pain Boards. AOL used to have Moderaters of the boards but AOL got rid of them. There is a board called Back Medication, Treatment and procedure and this Woman Lippy used to Moderate the board, her link are Lippy

Lippy's Spine Line

Spine Links Galore

Former Community Leader, still volunteering


Back Pain: Medications, Treatments & Procedures - AOL Message Boards and the other Board, which might be empty now is


Pain Relief & Management - AOL Message Boards

There is also a Workers Comp Boards

Perhaps this might be helpful to Jonathan and inpain1

Workers' Compensation Issues - AOL Message Boards

jonathan_1980

limeolene, thanks for the input. You know what, I am going to go to my doctor and tell him that I know my body and I know the amount of pain that I am in. I forgot to mention he is a really great guy. But I am also going to go on the point that someone made about the tylenol being bad for the liver. This is just something that I am going to have to do. I am thankful for the help that he has given me and he is very cooperative with my lawyer as far as that goes. He has put in a second request for pain mngt. The thing that kills me is I have never done drugs, and that is my main concern is to be treated like one. But I feel that if I dont ask then I will never know. So I think that is what I am going to do. One other question, I just went Apr 22. Should I go ahead and try to get an earlier appointment (my next is not until May 20th) and just try to cope or should I call and try to get in. I dont want him thinking that I am eager to get powerful narcotics. What do you guys think?

jonathan_1980

Thanks to all, and if anyone has anymore advice let me know. You guys have been great.

KeepItSimpleStupid

You can ask " I would like to come in if there is a cancellation. I can usually be there within x time".

jonathan_1980

cool deal, you have been a great help, along with everyone else. I believe that I have the confidence to go and talk to him man to man and just be honest. Whatever happens will happen. Wish me luck and I will keep you guys posted. You have all been great. And thanks to all for not calling me a "seeker" like I have seen so many others called on differnent threads. I just hope this all works out. Im hurting so bad now, I may have to go to the E.R and see if they can give me a shot of something.

KeepItSimpleStupid

It's how you ask that matters. Be sincere. Do your homework and ask questions. Don't dictate. Don't go there like a dog with your tung hanging out and you'll be fine.