Opiates and Massive Headaches
 

Over did it on house chores and finally broke down and took three doses of opiates to get the pain under control again. My body is feeling better, but oh wow the headache that accompanies that damn drug! I can't figure out which is worse, the full body pain or the friggin MASSIVE headache that comes when I take opiates. It is one reason I RARELY take them.

Does anyone else have this issue? Have you found anything to counteract this problem?

Hi Vrae! Boy is it easy to overdo it!! I took a couple doses of demerol yesterday and woke up with a pounding headache this morning. I had to take a fiorinal to get rid of the headache. It happens every time I take the demerol more than once in a day. A lot of the pain meds give me migraines after one dose.

Hope your head is feeling better!

I just reread this and I think, maybe she meant over doing it with chores, or anything like that. Yes, indeed, that is easy.

I get headaches sometimes after taking percocet. Not always though. I've been taking 3-4 a day since I broke my wrist. That along with the neurontin helps the rsd pain to subside. I think the pain is worse than the headache, though I don't like the headache. I take advil too and that sometimes helps the headache. Sometimes I just have to ride it out. I'm going to check with my dr about other meds that may help that don't cause headaches. I'm curious to know how many of you are precribed drugs like percocets on a monthly basis along with nuerontin. I wonder if there is something less addictive that can be just as effective with dealing with the rsd pain. I hope you feel better soon Vrae. Take care my dear. From your rsd friend Renee.

Sheesh, I get a headache every single time, and often they are horrific! Ironic because as I researched this I find that often people take opiates for headaches. The pain I experience with RSD/CRPS is out of this world sometimes, and I play games with myself as to when I will say Uncle and take the painkillers. I have waited too long before taking them and the pain has gotten ahead of me and I wind up in the ER to get it under control.

I don't get a monthly round of opiates. I have them for breakthrough pain. I don't take them daily, but my fear is that some day I will need them daily, and what in the world am I going to do about the headaches? I'm going to ask my doc about this as well as the drug Nanc suggested.

Thanks Vrae. Maybe I don't get headaches all the time because I take advil 3x daily. But then that affects my stomach. So I try to stop taking the advil for a while and then my headaches start again. It's a vicious cycle. I am going to see my pm dr next week for my monthly med check and see about other less addictive drugs to take for my pain if there are any. My rsd pain is really bad without my pain meds and also relentess. I wouldn't be able to get out of bed and function the little bit that I do without them. Thanks again for you info. I hope you feel better soon. From Renee.

Hi Vrae,

I'm so sorry you are experiencing the horrendous headaches that often accompany pain killers. Sure wish I could offer some advice but, I too suffer from these headaches. The one thing I have found is that using them for breakthrough only can make the headaches worse. What I mean is that getting on a lower continual dose the headache dissipates after 24-48 hours. Is there a reason that with full body and so many other things going on that you aren't on something that would give you a more consistent dose? When I was really struggling to stay on top of pain and in tears almost daily .. I finally gave in to adding a more consistent dose through a transdermal patch. I was really reluctant due to my personal views on medications and fear of addiction but, after discussing the effects of wind up pain in and additional side effects in trying to manage it on round the clock pills my doctor convinced me to give the low dose patch a try. Honestly, it has made many things much more tolerable. My moods have smoothed out enough that not only I can tell a difference in myself but my family and friends can also see it in me. It has brought my daily pain from an 8-10 down to a 6-8 and the side effects (headache, nausea and fogginess) went away after a few days.

Didn't mean to go on a tangent but, really think based on what you say that maybe something longer lasting with consistent levels would help you on a day to day basis and keep you out of the ER.

I do hope you the increased pain subsides soon!

Be Good to yourself!
Tessa

Hey Tessa,

There is a reason. Until last month I haven’t had proper insurance or medical care since 2009, when we lost nearly everything. Our business took a really hard hit. With the economy tanking no one would spend money on advertising, or in the consumer realm they were cutting out the expense of videography. My premiums were nearly $1k p/month and we just couldn’t do it anymore. For a long time I went without care, and then my symptoms got so bad that I went on state assisted healthcare, which was a joke. I have been limping along until my husband landed an excellent job last month and I now have a terrific plan. I am so grateful, and at not a moment too soon.

Since last month, I have been trying to build up a team of doctors to help me. So far I have seen my OBGYN, my PCP, and on Wednesday I will see my old pain doc. I have finally gotten a great referral for a Neurologist, but my appt isn’t until January 20 something.

I have tramadol and take that as needed, but not daily. I am on the max dose of Gabapentin daily, Soma daily and Voltaren gel; I love the stuff and almost wish I could bathe in it, and I use MMJ daily. I know there is a LOT of controversy about MMJ but it works for me most of the time. I honestly believe it keeps me from needing tons of pain meds. HOWEVER, when my symptoms flare it’s a horrible time for me from head to toe.

I agree that I need better pain management and I am hoping that some of that will start next Wednesday. I hate Percocet, and Roxicodone for reasons of massive headaches and nausea. If I do take them, I MUST take something like Zofran with it, and I have also added Ibu and rotate with Tylenol. I wish I could say that they keep me from the headache, but they don’t. Not at all.

My pain level has definitely lowered today as my muscles settle down from being over worked a couple of days ago. It’s amazing… like tonight I was “tossing laundry” (lol) and my arms get weak just folding a load of clothes. Ridiculous.


Anywho, thanks for the good advice Tessa! I really appreciate it!

Oh Gosh.. I can so relate!! I'm so glad your husband has come out on top again and can provide you with much needed insurance; what a blessing!

BTW.. I've discussed MMJ with my provider and they are okay with me using it but, for whatever reason don't themselves write the scripts for it. If things get much worse, I'm going to give it a shot!

If I may suggest a couple of things that make a little dent in my pain that might also help you based on what I've read recently from you. Medicated compound cream is even better than volteran gel.. Brown's Pharmacy makes one with Ketamine and Baclophen (sp?) which I use like a bath ;) on all limbs 3xper day. Butrans is the patch I am on.. I started at 5mcg/hour but once my arms became symptomatic we have increased the dosage to 10mcg/hr but, I only add the second patch when I can't get pain under control by other means. The patch gave me the same headache as other pain meds for about 2 days, nausea/vomiting lasted almost a week and the fogginess about the same. By the second week I didn't even notice I was on 24 hour med control except that my level 10 pain was much less frequent and my moods (directly related to pain levels) was markedly improved. Physically I was able to do more, sleep also improved from waking nearly every hour to sleeping for 2-3 without waking. Sadly as symptoms spread sleep isn't as good anymore :( The other thing I can't live without is the lidoderm patches.. without them intimacy would be even more difficult. lol.. they aren't sexy but they sure help with sensitivity for long enough to make it enjoyable :) sorry if that was TMI.

Oh the muscle aches.. my legs feel like I ran a marathon every single day ugh! I feel for you.. wishn' for a better tomorrow for all!

Tessa

Freebird36
 

Yes i too get major headaches from opiates but since i stopped taking them my
pain is less and no headaches. I found that the opiates increased my pain when they start to ware off so what you do is take another then another and its just a vicious cycle. Hi i am Mike i have crps of my entire right side started from RSI milking cows have had for seven years now i am from New Zealand i am 36 divorced not long after i got crps just looking for others who understand what i am going through. Hope what i said helped in some way

Hello Mike - Welcome to the group and thanks for sharing!

Welcome!
 

Hi Mike from New Zealand! Thanks for the response and welcome to the group! So sorry to hear that you too have this damn monster. You've found a good spot in this group as we really do understand what you're going through and the support is amazing.

Thanks so much for sharing Tessa! You really strike me as a pretty together gal and I envy that. (If you're faking it, don't stop, I enjoy it! lol) I am SO TRYING to get "IT", all of "IT" together (lol). Right now I am muddling my way through. My plan, yep I have one (lol), is to get the biz wound down and it could take years to get my house in order again from the sheer slow pace of it all. While I work on that, I must find a way to get my health, pain and weight under control. I pass a mirror and don't even recognize myself. :rolleyes: Enough of that, what I am trying to say is, thank you for all of the wonderful advice! :hug:

Oh.. thank you.. I often wonder if I should post at all .. Thank you!!


Lol.. always be real!! I never took the comments as negative in any way especially with regard to your husband! The reality is we are also hangn’ by a very ‘thready’ shoestring and have been since my accident precipitated this whole mess. I think at last count our medical bills were nearing 1.7M (12 surgeries, 35+ days in the hospital, 16 weeks laying in a hospital bed in my living room and I think somewhere near 256 doctor’s office visits to treat the many different body parts that were injured… lol.. yes I completely understand as does my husband, it is a huge responsibility to take on the weight of what we were once accustomed to financially. I commend all those who act in this manner graciously!! BTW – I wasn’t sharing the above to minimize your situation the truth is, we are all facing our own Gigantium (lol is that even a word?!) pile of bills and no matter what the size if the funds are there they cause huge stressors! Thank goodness we have somehow managed not to lose everything but, we have obviously had to give up many of life’s pleasures along the way and at times that does cause guilt and/or resentment that if left unaddressed can really wreak havoc on a marriage. I’ve learned this the hard way!

Haha, I’ve actually sat in the office of an MMJ place and even though it was legit, it still felt ‘seedy’ so I snuck out.. that was several months ago! I should just do it, I have never been against it and even partook on a few occasions just for pleasure so I honestly don’t know why I am even hesitant. I guess mostly it stems from reading somewhere that some doctors won’t prescribe medications if you are supplementing with MMJ even in the legalized states. Thankfully my doctor is okay with it.. but what if I have to change? Ugh.. IDK

I personally wouldn't discount the compound cream just because of your past experience with it. It will be a small amount and isn't processed the same via a cream as it would be through IV or otherwise. I still use the volteran only because I find that switching things up keeps it working better for longer. Sometimes I have to stop a certain medication for a few days to re-up its effectiveness My doctors promote that and say it is a common occurrence with neuropathic pain to become tolerant of meds no matter how it is administered, I hope your team will work with you on this as well.