[pinehurstcharlie]

what pain med do you take that really works but you dont' feel like a zombie ? I want to ask doctor for one and wish i had a clue as to what to ask for that I've heard from other's rather than him just give me one that he thinks will work as he is the one so far that has given me the ones i don't like and sometimes i think the dose is rather high for me to start with but maybe for later as i can tolerate it better. I would like something doesn't have to build up in your body but when the pain is so bad and I have to have something to take the edge off.

[Dr. Smith]

I think it might be best to just tell him that - be open & honest. Asking for specific pain meds without being asked can be dicey if you don't already have a good relationship with your doctor; it could be construed the wrong way.
http://chronicpainrecovery.com/Artic...our_doctor.asp

If the dose is too high, I think it's good to say so. Your doc should be glad to make an adjustment, and it will go toward establishing a good/better relationship.

Doc

[ger715]

Originally Posted by pinehurstcharlie

what pain med do you take that really works but you dont' feel like a zombie ? I want to ask doctor for one and wish i had a clue as to what to ask for that I've heard from other's rather than him just give me one that he thinks will work as he is the one so far that has given me the ones i don't like and sometimes i think the dose is rather high for me to start with but maybe for later as i can tolerate it better. I would like something doesn't have to build up in your body but when the pain is so bad and I have to have something to take the edge off.

I have been taking Oxycontin which is released gradually over a number of hours. I also take Oxycodone (Percocet) which is for breakthru pain. This is when the pain gets too bad and need a relief which occurs in a very short time. These have not caused the zombie syndrome in me. I am quite alert; but everyone reacts differently. I have been taking these for over three years. The dose has been upped gradually because eventually your system gets accustomed to what you are taking or the pain has increased. In my case, both are the reason. The breakthru...Oxycodone (percocet) remains pretty much the same and I am allowed a specific max amount per day and take when I need it.

But, Doc is right....your doctor might think you are asking for these drugs for reasons other than why you want them. It all depends on your relationship with your doctor as well.

Gerry

[pinehurstcharlie]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

I think it might be best to just tell him that - be open & honest. Asking for specific pain meds without being asked can be dicey if you don't already have a good relationship with your doctor; it could be construed the wrong way.
http://chronicpainrecovery.com/Artic...our_doctor.asp

If the dose is too high, I think it's good to say so. Your doc should be glad to make an adjustment, and it will go toward establishing a good/better relationship.

Doc

Oh he knows that neither my husband or myself like to take presciption drugs , i'm very honest with him and today he decided on another to try. As he said with this disease it is a lot about trial and error till you find the right fit and everyone is different in what works for them .

[pinehurstcharlie]

Originally Posted by ger715

I have been taking Oxycontin which is released gradually over a number of hours. I also take Oxycodone (Percocet) which is for breakthru pain. This is when the pain gets too bad and need a relief which occurs in a very short time. These have not caused the zombie syndrome in me. I am quite alert; but everyone reacts differently. I have been taking these for over three years. The dose has been upped gradually because eventually your system gets accustomed to what you are taking or the pain has increased. In my case, both are the reason. The breakthru...Oxycodone (percocet) remains pretty much the same and I am allowed a specific max amount per day and take when I need it.

But, Doc is right....your doctor might think you are asking for these drugs for reasons other than why you want them. It all depends on your relationship with your doctor as well.

Gerry

oh he knows me and that i'm not wanting anything to take unless i've just got to, i'm not on any meds except nexium and i'm 60 so i think i'm ok so far. lol

[Agirlandhertort1]

I totally understand where you're coming from Pine. My neuro only wants to try antidepressant after antidepressant, and that is something I'm not comfortable with.

Firstly, it does nothing to address the cause of my neuropathy, and I'm not a fan of treating the symptoms only. Secondly, I have a small toddler to care for everyday, and I can't afford to be a zombie. It's not a safe lifestyle nor is it one that I care to endure. Lastly, my neuro seems to think he is also a psychologist, and IMO, he is not qualified to provide proper dx or scripts. I wouldn't go to an orthopedic surgeon for an eye exam .

I want something that helps me at night, since that is the only time I take medication. I refuse to care for my children in an altered state, so most days I just suffer through it.

I'd love to know if anyone has had success with a drug that does not induce an altered state. Best of health to you!

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by pinehurstcharlie

Oh he knows that neither my husband or myself like to take presciption drugs , i'm very honest with him and today he decided on another to try. As he said with this disease it is a lot about trial and error till you find the right fit and everyone is different in what works for them .

From a layperson's POV, I couldn't agree more.

Ger has a good point about pain meds. Sometimes the groggy/foggy/zombie feeling is temporary as your body adjusts to the med - anywhere from a few days to a month. OTOH, it's also always a case of benefit vs. risk (or side effects). For some people, relief is worth putting up with a lot, and that's an individual choice/decision.

Doc

[Susanne C.]

I found that anti-depressants (Effexor) produced that zombie like feeling, as well as dilating my pupils so that I couldn't see. I was unable to stay on them long enough to see if the side effects passed, and uninterested in trying others after that. Gabapentin does not have any effect on me at all as far as altering my consciousness but it does control most of the burning, at least until recently. Oxycodone actually relieves enough of the pain to allow me to carry out my responsibilities, I am able to care for my family and home, even teach high school English part-time, with it. Without it I would be too distracted by the pain to do anything. if it has any effect on my personality it is a positive one. I am more energetic, which is counter-intuitive and illustrates the point that these drugs affect everyone differently. The only thing is that I do not drive if I take oxycodone, but I drive very little because of my condition anyway.

I could not agree more about the danger of neurologists and pcps prescribing anti-depressants. They are very powerful drugs with many more side effects than opiates and at least as much addiction potential. Many people do experience pain relief from them, and they may be more effective for this purpose than for their primary one. Their effect needs to be closely supervised, however, and rarely is.

A low dose Percoset to take the edge off the pain at night may be worth trying. For myself, I do not take them at night as they keep me awake. I have Valium for nights I cannot sleep but the gabapentin mostly covers that so I take them very rarely.

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Agirlandhertort1

I totally understand where you're coming from Pine. My neuro only wants to try antidepressant after antidepressant, and that is something I'm not comfortable with.

Firstly, it does nothing to address the cause of my neuropathy, and I'm not a fan of treating the symptoms only. Secondly, I have a small toddler to care for everyday, and I can't afford to be a zombie. It's not a safe lifestyle nor is it one that I care to endure. Lastly, my neuro seems to think he is also a psychologist, and IMO, he is not qualified to provide proper dx or scripts. I wouldn't go to an orthopedic surgeon for an eye exam .

I want something that helps me at night, since that is the only time I take medication. I refuse to care for my children in an altered state, so most days I just suffer through it.

I'd love to know if anyone has had success with a drug that does not induce an altered state. Best of health to you!

With antidepressants, altering the brain's chemistry is the whole idea. Not to produce a euphoric state/high, but to balance the imbalance that causes depression. If/when antidepressants are being used off-label for other purposes like pain, it can get a little trickier.

Even if you were to go to a psychiatrist (the "experts" with antidepressants) it could still take many many tries to find the right balance of meds, whether for depression, pain, or whatever they're being used for, but as psychiatrists usually have the most experience prescribing these meds, they may get better results quicker (not that they necessarily will). Trial & error (maybe better to think of it as trial & desired result) takes just that - several/many tries. That's also one reason there are so many antidepressant meds - everyone's brain chemistry is different, yadda, yadda...

If we're talking about controlling pain, a PM doctor (often anesthesiologists) might have a better handle on meds & combinations, but that could involve many tries too.

For PN, a neurologist who specializes in PN would have the most experience with the meds (whichever meds they are) in treating PN.

We all want to treat the cause rather than the symptoms, but when the cause can't be found, treating the symptom is the only option than suffering. And in many cases, even when the cause is known, there is no known treatment other than to treat the symptoms.

I'd love to know if anyone has had success with a drug that does not induce an altered state.

What kind(s) of meds are we talking about for what purposes? And what is your definition of an "altered state"? The answers may be academic; meds affect different people differently, so what's been successful for one, or several, won't necessarily be successful for all.

There may be a solution for you, but it may take some time and some tries to find it. Nobody likes being/feeling like a guinea pig, but there are no "one-size-fits-all" medications. This is/can be true for depression, pain, infections, PN, and most other conditions because medicine is an empirical (rather than exact) science.

Doc

[pinehurstcharlie]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

With antidepressants, altering the brain's chemistry is the whole idea. Not to produce a euphoric state/high, but to balance the imbalance that causes depression. If/when antidepressants are being used off-label for other purposes like pain, it can get a little trickier.

Even if you were to go to a psychiatrist (the "experts" with antidepressants) it could still take many many tries to find the right balance of meds, whether for depression, pain, or whatever they're being used for, but as psychiatrists usually have the most experience prescribing these meds, they may get better results quicker (not that they necessarily will). Trial & error (maybe better to think of it as trial & desired result) takes just that - several/many tries. That's also one reason there are so many antidepressant meds - everyone's brain chemistry is different, yadda, yadda...

If we're talking about controlling pain, a PM doctor (often anesthesiologists) might have a better handle on meds & combinations, but that could involve many tries too.

For PN, a neurologist who specializes in PN would have the most experience with the meds (whichever meds they are) in treating PN.

We all want to treat the cause rather than the symptoms, but when the cause can't be found, treating the symptom is the only option than suffering. And in many cases, even when the cause is known, there is no known treatment other than to treat the symptoms.



What kind(s) of meds are we talking about for what purposes? And what is your definition of an "altered state"? The answers may be academic; meds affect different people differently, so what's been successful for one, or several, won't necessarily be successful for all.

There may be a solution for you, but it may take some time and some tries to find it. Nobody likes being/feeling like a guinea pig, but there are no "one-size-fits-all" medications. This is/can be true for depression, pain, infections, PN, and most other conditions because medicine is an empirical (rather than exact) science.

Doc

So glad for this thread as I don't feel like I"m the only one that doesn't know a combination or a certai drug that does "wonders" without bad side effects. My doctor said if i knew one or he invented one we would both be millionaires as there just isn't one out there like what I'm looking for no pain and no side effects. I truly think for me doing the supplements, exercise and diet is going to be the best thing for me to do , it might take time but in the long run I feel I won't be causing problems for the rest of my body with the bad side effects of all these drugs they want to hand out like candy .