Quote:
Originally Posted by SeattleDDC
I can't imagine this is my life for the next 30-40 years. Now I'm wondering about opiates. I told the doctor that I really didn't want to take opiates because I was afraid of what they'd do to my liver. He said they wouldn't affect it. I checked online and found something that said the liver damage is caused by the Tylenol in the opiate, not the synthesized opium. If you don't take a dosage too high on the Tylenol side you should be okay. Any thoughts on this? At this point, I'd be willing to do anything to get any kind of relief. Thanks for your help.
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Typically there will be choices that can be made across different kinds of opiates/pain relievers when it comes to the addition of tylenol, etc. For example, there is a fairly effective pain reliever called Tramadol (or Ultram) which can be combined in pill form with tylenol and it is then called Ultracet. So, in the case of tramadol, if you are worried about taking too much tylenol you ask your MD to prescribe the ultram version.
I found Ultram to be helpful with small fiber neuropathy but after about a year, the effect was wearing off (I became tolerant to the dose). So my pain management MD switched me to a low dose of time-release morphine (called avinza). We chose that particular drug because it was covered by my insurance whereas others were not. It has also been effective for me.
So my perspective is that the experience of opiates for pain management is positive (meaning that there are some side-effects but the pain relief makes it worthwhile). If you can find a workable alternative great, but if not, it is not the worst thing in the world.