Tolerance to Meds
From: MarlaBrownfield (pondecho@gmail.com)
Mon Jul 21 20:26:48 2008
Hi everybody -- I've not posted in a long time because I've been a gypsy
since I lost my condo in 2203 and haven't always had internet access,
couldn't always keep up or be sure I would be able to respond if someone
posted a reply to something I said. I've actually made it the one year
anniversary in my new digs and I like the people here and they like me.
This might work. So I'll have another go at it.
I have taken methadone for pain for seven years. I started 30mg day and
now take 50mg. I have also taken Zonegran for 4 years; was told I would
be fortunate if it was effective for two. Started 200mg day now take
400mg. We are adding Cymbalta this month hoping it will boost because
the Zonegran is not as effective as it once was and the manufacturer can
not reccomend increasing doseage due to liver, kidney damage. I do not
want to increase methadone if I don't have too but if pain/relief ratio
to hours/days becomes too much to handle I will. I have to be very
conscientious of my digestive tract, BMs, urinary tract infections so I
take a regimen of herbals, natural laxatives, Sustenex (Activa in pill
form) to ensure a healthy system. I don't think that's an unreasonable
increase over that period of time. Neither does my doctor.
I have had adhesions and complications due to cysts on ovaries since I
was 16. That's forty years. I have had no surgeries since my hyst/ooph
in 1999 and the "second look" I allowed which did no good whatsoever. I
have been hospitalized once in all that time for an obstruction. I now
live with the pain of adhesions, Fibromyalgia and Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy caused by not getting good pain relief following the surgery
because I was told it was a bowel problem, I was being hysterical, I
should go back and see my shrink, get back to work and suck it up. Pain
is your bodies way of telling you something is drastically wrong.
Relieve the pain until the problem is resolved or you get RSD. It is
now not only in my belly making me in labor like pain every 3rd or 4th
day since Apr 1999, it is in my hands, feet, face and knees and is
trying to creep into the fleshy part of my back where in 2001 a
diagnostic epidural was done and the student missed; another spot for
the RSD to migrate. Such flesh as is left.
Opiods do not cause a high when pain is present and are not dangerous to
people who are in real pain and real pain cannot be faked I don't care
how good an actor a person might think they are. Smash your hand in the
car door and tell me you can fake that. Get kicked between the legs or
go in labor and tell me that can be faked. That's what I live with day
and day out and so do most of us here. After the false labor pains
subside I'm left with the ache; remember the muscle ache? I take enough
medication to take the edge off and yet be able to continue functioning
on this planet ... most days. Each person has to work out for
themselves what that level of tolerance is, what medication combination
is right for them, what tools available (western and eastern regimens of
healing) they are comfortable with. I have explored ... too many to
list here today. From magnets to Reiki, acupuncture to TENS units. I
can't say I've done it all but I've done a lot. Only limited by my
pocketbook.
I support everyone's right to do for themselves as little or as much as
they desire to do. Offering my experience, the tools I've tried, my
choices for me, are not an indication they would or should work for you.
They are offerings. Each person can then choose to pick them up or
leave them lay. Of course our bodies build up tolerance to pain meds.
They build up tolerance to penicillin and you become allergic after
using it effectively for years; to Echinacea and you have to take a
break for a while and then can pick it up again and use it for colds,
flu, UTIs. We have a complicated chemistry inside and every time we add
something whether it's food or medicine or the air we breathe our brain
has to figure it out and try to set up a compensatory package deciding
whether to defend or accept what it's been given. What a miracle it
doesn't break down more often.
There's a lot that goes on here that I cannot relate to anymore and so
I've stayed silent, watching and listening. Pain, medications and the
body's response mechanism I've researched and thought about quite a bit
these past nine years. One more thing, I cannot agree with the
statement someone made that everyone should use what works best for
them. If I agreed with that it would open the world of the original
pain suppresants {whispering} alcohol and marijauna and I don't know
about everyone else but my doctor made me sign a contract and those
"drugs" are a breech of contract. So no can't necessarily use what
works best even if you use it sensibly. Gotta use what you and your
doctor agree upon. And stick to it. My personal favorite; floating in
the pool--weightless, painfree, no worries, no phones, no internet. But
then I'm so pruny I'm not sure my skin will stay on. It all has it's
price. Didn't mean to write a book.
Stay healthy y'all
Body, mind, spirit,
Marla Brownfield
Rantoul, IL
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