Quote:
Originally Posted by Dew58
Good News, my meds and dl arrived today by overnight mail from my hubby! I am so happy and relieved to be able to get back on my reg. med schedule.
I know some of the prev. med is still in my system;however, I am aware of how my body is becoming awake. It is scarey and at the same time, I like the idea of not having a med that is mandatory for me to feel low pain and somewhat normal. I am reminded that I am not able to be med free...makes me sad. 
Dew |
My neighbor ( a nurse practictioner) provided me with an article about ketamine and its effect on our body's drug tolerance - it actually reverses the way we have come to need more and more of a substance to remain painfree. The article was titled "Recent Advances in Pharmacotherapy for Cancer Pain Management," and was in Cancer Practice magazine. My neighbor used to work for an oncologist before going back to graduate school for her masters.
When I read the article I was amazed at the availability of ketamine for cancer patients, even on the homecare level. It appears that they can get it anywhere, anytime. The article discusses that is a powerful pain reducer for them, and it greatly reduces their need for opiods and morpine. Compare that to how RSD patients can only get ketamine in just 20 or so locations in the US. Most of us now have such high needs for meds (such as yours - level II narcotics, and myself - I've advanced to a 50 mcg patch of Fentanyl along with at LEAST 4 percs a day) just to stay comfortable, and we are so young, and continue to develop tolerance to them. At the rate I am going, in a year I figure I'll probably have about 4 or 5 50 mcg Fentanyl patches stuck all over my stomach and back to get the same pain relief. And like you, I've had to go a weekend, when I was in really terrible pain, without adequate meds because of an admin asst.'s asinine attitude and incompetance at my doctor's office.
I'm would never say that cancer and RSD are comparable - ever. But why is there such a huge difference in the availability of the ketamine for the two parties? How strange. And what a difference it appears it would make in our need for the stronger meds.
I say that because you and I got sick at about the same time, so we are early in the RSD disease process. From what I understand, those of us that haven't been sick for too long have the best shot of getting pain relief from ketamine.
I too am so sad that I am able to med free. But I am also ANGRY that I have tried very hard to get access to ketamine, and haven't yet been able to get it, because of a variety of factors. We should all be able to try those things that may help us to become more independant and live better lives.
Take care, Sandy