Thanks a lot. I bookmarked the page.

I like the pager idea. Some are just pagers and some are pagers that also carry some pills too. I don't know if it would be a good idea to drag around my pills, constantly tempting me. Won't know until I try I guess.

I think you are over anylizing this

I take mine (Vicodin) when I need it. That's it. No schedule, no stress. Sometimes I need it when I wake up. Other times I need it after work. At times I need it when I wake up in the night. On bad days, I need it both morning and night if I've had an exceptionally physical day. Sometimes I break it in half...other times I take the whole thing. Sometimes I add Zanaflex and Celebrex...occassionally I add a beer

I just take it when I need it. I think if you ask your doctor about this, he'll agree. It's not about a schedule...it's about need. Take what you need when you need it and don't worry about it....

Hope this helps

If I took my meds when I needed them, I would always run short!! I take what I am told, and stagger it so I am covered on my worst times. it never makes my pain go away, just dulls it so I won't scream...but when I was taking them all at once to get the best coverage it made me forgetful and that is why I now stagger them! I have a Timex pill box that someone can have if they want to pay to have it shipped...did not work for me!
Good Luck!

According to the many doctors I've seen, the pills work twice as well when used as a pain-preventer rather than a pain-killer. It's a whole lot easier to prevent pain than to treat it. That's because most pain meds work by blocking pain receptors in the brain. If you block them sooner, there are less of them to accept the pain signal. If you wait until most of them are already agitated, it makes it much harder for the pain meds to work.

Makes sense Idealist.

I take two types of meds. Meds I do take on a schedule (baseline pain med) and also breakthrough meds as needed. I find myself taking an extra baseline med halfway thru waiting to take my next dose. DEFINITELY no high associated with it and helps only a little with my pain. It's like a mental thing, it like, mentally pacifies me or something.

I'm definitely NOT mentally pacified at the end of the month when I am a few days short. I'd hate to be co-dependant on my father cause they are the only months I have them all the way to the end of the month.

Obviously, occupying more of my time doing things would keep me from sitting around stewing about my pain meds but with my broken back it's so hard to be active which sucks cause I used to be extremely active.

I agree.

I guess what I mean, as time wears on, and the chronic situation becomes daily life...I have a suffering point. Like when I can't move. If I was allowed to have what I need, I'd take them more often. If I had what I needed, I wouldn't have to break them in half and get half the relief. When the pain is insufferable, I take a cocktail until I get to a state of just okay and functional. When I am at my best I try not to take as much to save for those times I need them more.

Basically, I'm in the same boat as all of you. I need more but since I can't get more, I have to figure out a way to get through the month. I don't stress about it until the end of the month when I'm down to a few. Then they are like gold and I'm choosy about when to take them. It's these times I take more of the zaneflex and anti-inflammatories hoping the days pass quickly.

The bottom line is that doctors are **** about the medications. Vicodin has not ruined my life and put me in a state of addiction. It's given me the ability to get on with my life. Doctors don't understand this. They think we want the high (what high?) and don't consider the beifits.

Remember when hospitals started using a button for morphene so the patient could deliver medications as they needed? Seems to me they found that the patient did not take more in the long run. Just less more often. I guess that's what I try to do.....

My doctor told me to get up out of my chair, walk, exercise...something. I tried PT and it did nothing for me. Nothing. I started with the exercise ball and it seemed to help. Then I got back to work and I hate to admit it, but getting up out of my chair and walking HAS improved my situation. It's hard to start doing these things as it dosen't seem to make sense. I still hurt. I'm still stiff. I still can't lift 20 lbs. I'll never be what I used to be, but I've found other ways to streanthen my back.

Today, just now, I mopped my floor. It needed it badly. Then I felt it. A bad twist. That's all it takes. I'll be miserable for days for this. How dose one stop living? Stop doing? Stop WANTING to do things? We don't. I just keep going...I have too.

Best to you
J

Speaking of rehabilitaion, I went to the local hospital that has an attached rehabilitation center for physical therapy. Went there to get info. I might sign up for some PT, gonna have to pay for it myself but I just want to do things the right way. I figure I'll let the PT's show me the proper way to workout, then I can cut them loose and do it on my own. I always seem to hurt myself when I try to workout on my own.