Had PN for 12 years now I have been on Morphine Sulfate 30mgs 2x/day and 150mgs Lyrica 3x/day for about 5 years. I have tried other meds, Cymbalta, Trileptal, Neurontin, Amytriptaline, Noratryptaline Oxycodon, Vocodin.... The regimen I'm on now seems to work better than any other I've been on. The problem is that in the evenings when the pain is the worst I smoke marijuana to releive the breakout pain and able to get some sleep.

Recently my Dr drug tested me to be sure I wasn't abusing the drugs and discovered the marijuana. The result is they are weaning me off the morphine which she said they were going to do anyway because someday I will need more morphinme and new studies show that chronic pain patients do not really need their pain meds (I am still wondering if thats a joke one me somehow). I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience and how it went. I'm very scared about this change as you can imagine.

Can anyone relate?

Chronic pain management is a disaster.

I weaned off fentanyl and oxy. I got sick of the run around every month to get the meds. They give it out and they taketh away....I got sick of encountering a hassle when I needed a refill and my own doc was not there and I had to deal with a different doc.

No doctors want to prescribe pain pills or controlled substances.

As for not needing their pain meds....well.....uh, I can't agree with it. I am in a lot of pain. I limp by on vicodin. But it beats dealing with the system.

Until a doctor is really sick, or in pain, they do NOT understand the experience of living daily in this kind of pain.

It takes tremendous courage to get out of bed.

You may be better of smoking the weed....at least you have your dignity!

(This thing about MJ being illegal for medical use is sooo stupid.)

Marijuana is not liked for mixing with pain meds. Most doctors will not allow it. And for methadone, that combo has the potential for causing DEATH (by long QT syndrome stopping the heart).

With morphine it is just a drug interaction. Marijuana may enhance opioid actions up to 4 times. Doctors don't like that, as it may lead to respiratory depression reactions.

Or, even a third? Sometimes that's what you need to kick butt to get good evaulations and thus treatments?
You do not need to take any one doc as 'THE WORD' of what's wrong with you! Go get other takes on your problems? Please???? and maybe one of those docs could be the 'ONE' to help you! Trust me, I've gone thru eight of them [neuros] and decided on one and, two! They have saved my life? I could be dead by now if not for them! So If I seem a bit rabid about this aspect? Do understand, that IF I'd gone with the very first docs's estimation of ME? I would be toast!
BUT I didn't give up. And I am grateful to some very very great docs who got me off the 'toasted' list! 's Truly... don't give UP! I'm still walking w/treatments and grateful for every single step!
Hugs and hope to all but especially to you! - j

I have seen a few neuros been involved with a pain clinic nothing has helped but thanks for your rewspon se I will keep trying because the alternative is not good!

The run around is exactly what you get. It seems to me there should be a better way. It's the ones that cheat the sytem that ruin it for those of us who need the help. I have been cursed with this thing and it's at least nice to know that I'm not alone.

*** And here's my problem with that attitude. It assumes we (patients) cannot make informed choices for ourselves. My doc started me on morphine at a time she knew I smoked medical marijuana. 8 weeks later she's stated her intention to no longer prescribe opiates. I have read the studies on the MM effectiveness. Show me the studies that describe the risked interactions. Then let me decide. If you want me to sign a waiver, fine. I sign so many releases and waivers any more, what's 1 more at my age.

CB

[QUOTE=Chrissym56;656738] It's the ones that cheat the sytem that ruin it for those of us who need the help.

*** Not necessarily:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/16/...iref=allsearch

*** See my Cowboy vs Kaiser thread for my experiences. Very similar.

Cowboy

I have to agree. I'll sign any waiver they give me. I've lived a long life and I don't want to live the rest of it in misery. I won't do anything to intentionally harm myself, but if some side effect occurs, so be it.

Today's society is soooooooo focused on protecting oneself against oneself. If that is so, then let's outlaw high sodium foods (high blood pressure); fast foods (saturated fat/obesity/heart disease); alcohol (alcoholism/liver disease); sugar (diabetes); etc, etc, ad nauseum.

My father, a pharmacist, used to say that if aspirin was developed today, it would have taken the FDA years to approve it because of known side effects, if it was approve at all.

Of course, they approved acetaminophen, when, if mixed with alcohol can cause liver failure.

Go figure.

BTW, Kaiser mishandled my spine injury after a vehicular accident, which eventually led to a 2 level discectomy. Their diagnosis??? Pulled muscle. No xray, just, it'll get better, bye bye.