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| New Back Pain Medication User seeks Information... |
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Question:
I started using pain medication in July(7.5 hydrocodon).
I am 59 and have had lower back pain for many years.
I finally went to my doctor and asked from medication and she gave me
the prescription for the pain. 60 A MONTH OR ONE EVERY 4 HOURS.
For the first few months I was amazed how much better I felt!
But, I used up a 6 month prescription in 4 months.
I asked her to increase the amount and she said that she would.
I should just call in when I had used up what she had perscribed.
I did and the new prescription was for 2 a day and 60 a month.
I guess she wants me to take less.
Maybe she is worried that I will become dependant.
In the past,
I had learned to live with the pain, pretty much.
But, after taking the medication and feeling so much better.
I wonder if I should even try to get her to increase the prescription.
I am trying to take one a day and find that I feel pretty crappy all
day, except for the 4 hours that the hydrocodon is working for me.
Little pains that I was aware of before taking medication, but
accepted, are much worse now.
I count the hours till time to take the pill.
If I decide to not take any pain medication, how long will it take for
my body to start producing it's own endorphins (or what ever) again?
I have been taking 2 to 5 of these pills a day, for the past 5 months.
Anyone have any suggestions or advice?
Answer:
I don't know anything about how long it would take for you to tolerate the
pain as you did before. I went a long
time at one point without pain meds even though I was suffering with back
pain. But it seems once I stared going to a competent Doctor and learned there
was nothing wrong with being on meds 24/7 if I chose to, there was no
looking back.
For years doctors were skeptical to give pain meds, they would label you a
drug addict, weak, lazy, not man enough to tolerate the pain on and on,
but times changed in my opinion about mmm 8-10 years ago. There was a
willingness to help people tolerate pain with opiates, and other helpful
meds so we began to have a choice in the matter.
And that is where you really hit home with me, I suffered a long time and
took it to be necessary, and when I began taking meds ( and still to this
day) there was a sence of guilt over having to take meds to the degree that
I have to now. Still in the back of my mind I think I will one day go back
to tolerating the pain, and not having to use all those meds to get thru the
day.
Often I wonder was it because the meds were available that I got started
on taking them as I have, or was it the pain became so bad? Answers to that
are not with me right now. I still respect the power of the meds I take,
how easy it could be for someone like myself to use them beyond what they
are prescribed for. By that I mean to let them help me with my other
problems other than physical pain. I don't mean intentionally just thru
long usage and not being conscious of there effects and dangers for abuse.
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