Chronic Pain, Anxiety & Meds.
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I've been on oxycontin 80s for yrs. A new pain mgmt doctor says I'm taking too much and has also refused to prescribe ativan 1mg 2 per day. I have been on a rollercoaster ride with meds being changed. I was given Zanaflex and Topamaze. Will these meds help me? Oxycontin dropped from 160mg 2xday, to 1 tab 3xday, no anxiety meds. Also changed Soma to Zanaflex. I didn't sleep much before this change, now not more than 2hrs a day. HELP!! A lot of yrs. of pain. I can't work anymore. I've raised a family, been a wife, raised Foster Children (My Children too). I love them all. I'm now a GrandMother that hasn't been there for her Grandbabies. I realize that I am new to this site so please understand that I don't usually complain about what I face in life. But here on this site someone like me May reach out to me. Because YOU Know what living this kind of life is about. My family and friends mean well but don't get it.. Be strong, keep ur head up ect...I know Right.. LOL. Thank you for listening. I don't know what to do any more. I'm so tired.

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Every doctor I saw said I was taking too much Oxycontin. I was gradually on 80mg x3, with a 2 year old with 3 spinal surgeries at that point, now I am up to 7 surgeries at 3 levels.

Have you tried Suboxone? It is truly a miracle drug. It works better for chronic pain than anything I have tried. 1mg = 15mg of morphine. They have been using it in other countries for pain management for years. I also get 1 mg of Klonopin x3, Ambien 10mg at night, Flexeril when I need it. My pain level is a 0 when doing nothing, and when needing to do things, I take little breaks to sit for a second. But the pain is bearable compared to being on Oxycontin and not being able to do anything.

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Net, I know exactly what you are going thru. I've posted on this site in the last couple of days under the heading: 'CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS' PLEASE READ THIS. It has information that is directed at folks like you. I assume since you have been taking oxycontin for a while that you have insurance. You need to get with your ins. company and get a list of Dr's within the distance you are willing to travel, which in my case was ALASKA, (luckily I live in Dallas so there are plenty of Dr's to choose from) and also for pain Dr's that use the Spinal Chord Stimulator or the Intrathecal Morphine Pump. These are valid treatments for chronic pain. They both require a long term commitment. I actually have both. But the stimulator is no longer operating. However, the pain pump is doing wonderful, although it takes months, sometimes years to titrate the dose up to a therapeutic level, so they don't kill you in the process. They will increase it about 10% every few months as needed. I'm not there yet, and I've had it for 15 months. The Dr who implants the pump should continue your oral meds and decrease them slowly as the pump is increased. I don't know what your pain source is, but this information is something you will probably have to find on your own. You obviously have access to the internet which is your best tool. I would give you my email address but I'm sure you understand why I can't. I'll get a notification when you respond to my response. Good luck. You are on my prayer list. My wife passed away at 43 due to debilitating pain from three different diseases that required more medicine you were on before. I have Diabetic Nerve pain, along with Crohns Disease. A double whammy. So I know what it's like. Sometimes even your family won't believe you on how severe your pain is. It's not like a broken bone, gunshot wound etc that is visible. And it's even harder to convince a Dr sometimes. The addicts and drug seekers have really ruined it for us. I know they are trolling this site and I don't care. I've stated before, they need to be in a rehab, not on here trying to find a new way to feel high. That's why I don't give out my email. Again, good luck.

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Dear Net; I don't believe you mentioned where you live - I'm in L.I. N.Y. and go to a Dr. who is compassionate and does prescribe both pain meds and meds for anxiety. However with all of this insanity going on lately that has hurt so many persons with pain problems, or anxiety or both - cutting back on narcotics, cutting back on the strengths seems to have become the norm rather than not. Many of us with chronic severe pain have to deal not only with the pain and it's effects on our lives-now we must deal with being treated like criminals for having pain in the first place! I would love to see one of these witholding "doctors" suffer with no help and see how quickly they would change their little minds! One sad thing in my life is that without much support we often integrate into our psyches what others think of us. My tolerance is so high that I will not even put in writing the amount of meds my body can take without being pain-free that I wonder if I would be believed-even on this site! I can picture myself with decreasing respirations and still feeling pain. Of course chronic pain sufferers become addicted to their meds-unfortunately the types of medications we must take to get any relief are addicting and have tolerance raising built-in. This is the nature of the pain paradox. My Dr. recently put signs all over the office re: you must take a U/A or you will not see the Dr. and the like. This is to weed out pt.'s who fake pain or anxiety and then sell their meds because they really ARE scamming the Dr.'s I know several people who do this. It's quite unfortunate as it makes a hard painful life that much harder. And Net - your Ativan dose is extremely small-more suited for someone very frail and elderly. Your new Dr. is either scared of liability or has very little understanding of pain problems or even thinks he is "helping" you. I personally would rather give up a few years of my life than live it with less quality than I have now. God Bless and keep us posted.

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Most drs are not longer precribing high doses of these pain meds for their chronic pain patients. You can only go so far in the dosing. The FDA recommends 120 Morphine or Morphine Equivelent daily. As far as the anxiety meds go, the stats seems to suggest that a lot of patients have been dying from combining anxiety and pain meds. It will be dificult if not impossible to find a new dr who will continue you on the same meds you've been on and at the same doses.

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Net, God bless you!! I'm so sorry for what you're going through, I understand all too well, as I have suffered with chronic pain since the age of 27, am now 45. Where do you live? I live in Alabama, and have the best PM doctor anyone could ask for. If you live near here, I can provide you the name of my Doctor. It sounds like your new doctor doesn't care to understand your pain, you need to switch to another that does, if possible. I know that's easier said than done, but hope to hear back from you. You are in my prayers!!

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