Hi Michele. Have you found a dependency on it?

That's my reaction too. Feel great, just lie there for hours, and seem to have no repercussions, either.
I'm now taking 1/2 Restavit an hour or so before bed, and then another half when I first wake. I still wake every 2 hours or so, but I don't stay awake for long.

Peter, you know I don't know if I am dependent it on it or not. I didn't take any last night, but I did take Tylenol PM 3 of them because I ran out of the lunesta. If I didn't have something to put me to sleep, the pain creeps in on my feet and now it shoots down my back...... kind of uncomfortable, so I sleep alot on my sides. Have you thought about taking a tranqulizer? I hope you can find something that will let you sleep for longer than two hours.

Take Care,
Michele

Hi Michele, I suppose it's a case of do what you have to do to get by.
There isn't a perfect pain treatment available, so what do you do? If that's all you can take, then addiction is probably the least of your worries.
Personally, I'm going to avoid tranquilisers and such, at least for now. I think you get too groggy on them. Bad enough without!!

Peter,

I tried Tramadol once and not for long. But only because it wasn't touching my pain. When I went back to my PM and told his as much, he said he was having a lot of patients complain that it just wasn't working for them..so he understood. But, anyway, I take ONE .5 of Klonopin a day but I cut it in half. Once in the am and then again right before I go to bed. And it does just lull me to sleep. And then I take just ONE Vicodin too; cutting it in half was well. I know it doesn't sound like much but it works for me.

Hi Kathie, I think you have done very well to work out the minimum medication that you need. I envy you!

Peter,

LOL! Please don't envy me. I STILL have some pain but I choose to ignore it. I know that sounds odd because my Vicodin script is written for one every 4-6 hours. And trust me, when it gets bad, I will usually up it or do whatever it takes; heat, ice, meds, PT, shots, etc. For the most part having distractions helps. At other times, yes, I need more.

The thing is; I was on handfuls of meds a few years ago before any fusions. I was soooooo sick from all of them. For some reason, or so they say, I am just hypersensitive to a lot of them. And my stomach is or was so ripped up from years of various meds that I just don't want to revisit that again. I was so happy to finally find a combo that worked and at low doses. However, I have to say injections are what really keeps the doses down. And I don't get them all the time...just when warranted or when something new pops up.

There may come a time when I will have to switch up or go to something stronger. But for now I just take the two. I see my PM today btw and have my long list of questions ready too.

I used to take Tramadol too and I hated it. It didn't help past he first month. I am seeing a pain mgmt Dr for the 1st time April 9th....how did your appt go? What did they put you on?

Kristin, I saw the pain management doctor for my back, because I have a bulging disk and a degenerative disk, back on the 13th for a cortisone shot. That shot landed me in the hospital on the 18th of March. I was in their for 5 days. 12 other people got sick from the same shot. The health dept. is investigating. I heard the medicine was bad. Anyways I go back to the pain management doctor on the 9th of this month also. This time I am going to see him for my neuropathy in my feet. I just can't stand when my lyrica and cymbalta doesn't work, because then the burning stabbing pains really hurt my feet. Whatever I get I hope it works. Let me know how your appointment goes.

Michele

The thing with drugs is that they usually have effects on the body, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes both.
If a drug has the ability to affect you in a good way, then it must also have the potential to affect you in a bad way. They can be very powerful agents.
And we all differ in our reactions to them, so there is no clear cut method for doctors to follow to alleviate pain in all patients.
A lot of trial and error, unfortunately.
Whoever designs an effective pain relief with minimal downsides will make a fortune. It is so sorely needed.
A lot of people also refuse to take any drugs, and try to battle on as if that was the 'right' thing to do. I'm sure they wouldn't deny proper treatment to their child or other loved one, but for themselves it's a no. Can't really understand it.
Some like us though have realised that to live we have to have some relief.
Now you have to find the drug and concentration that works for you. Hopefully you are almost there.
My daughter also has extreme drug sensitivity, and tries them at about 1/6 strength or so.
How did you get on with the pain doc, Kathie?