hi allen
just read that you are going off the meds now.

i was on heaps of medication for just over a year and decided i wasn't going to live on meds like this and stopped them just like that. one day i was on them the next i stopped.

you are nearing the finalisation of the withdrawal symptoms now. it takes about 2 weeks for the worst part of it. you're in day 8 so what i suggest is you don't take the vicodin at all. i know it sounds cruel but do yourself a favour and stop them all, even the painkillers. once you've past the withdrawal symptoms you can then guage how your pain is. at the moment you are very very stressed so the pain level will increase.

if you're still at work, i don't know if you work, but if you are now's the time to take sick leave or normal leave days.

you'll get through it.

One can never compare ones own ability to withstand pain to another's , or what one person can endure in life to another person's ability - we are all different human beings on this earth - that is what makes us unique.
We are all born with different genes for tolerating pain and different life experience to draw from when confronting life's new experiences.
I would never judge another person until I walk a mile in their shoes( and since that will never happen I will not) nor will I claim that my experience is the one that they should choose.....
Having said all that gobbledygook
Allen for now ....BE strong and do whatever is right for you !!!!!!!!!!!!
I do hope that you find a great doctor and that you and he/she can come up with a game plan that is right for your future.

If I recall you have not been doing well of late .
Cold turkey cannot be the reccomended course of treatment for a patient with a weakened system.That is just not kosher in my book.
Hang in there .

Much peace and I hope you find that doc fast!!!!!!!

GnP

How are you doing? I sure hope you are having some luck at finding a Dr. soon.

There is no way I could go off of my little dosage of Methadone so I know what you are going through. I just put a pain patch on awhile ago because my Methadone isn't doing the job for me today. I'm just dealing with one lousy spot of pain today but it's driving me up the wall. I will most likely take extra Methadone here soon.

I have been thinking about you and I do hope that you get the right help you need soon. I have been there so I know what it's like. Finding the right Dr. is like striking gold without a goldmine full. It's seems almost impossible. I can say that I saw over 50 Drs. in the time I was trying to find the right Dr. for what I was going through.

I really get angry over these PM Drs. I sometimes wonder why they are called that. They are so reluctant to help anyone unless it's an easy case. They just donot want to deal with hard cases like we are.

I hope you are doing better today, let us know.

Ada

PM Dr's are afraid of lawsuits - What it has all boiled down to is the insurance industry charging them a small fortune for coverage and people trying to scam the system - It ruins it for LEGIT cases like ours here...We're the ones who get the shaft AND suffer from it all.

I would think that if there is a DOCUMENTED pain condition that the Dr's would HAVE to provide the medication - Some code of ethics or something...AND it should be that - something somewhere should say that Dr's could not remove the patient from the meds without a FULL - DOCUMENTED - SUBSTANTIATED RECOVERY.

Hi all!

Well im still alive, but boy what an ordeal! I still have a headache, and real weak, but the withdrawal pains are subsiding. The RSD pain is back as bad as ever, but my brain hasnt had time to make a lot of new receptors yet. Im not sure how long that takes either.

One real good thing is that I WAS a smoker. WAS

I havent found a doctor yet, although I did go see a primary doc. I wont go see him again though because he fell asleep on me!!! He also was not into any kind of pain meds, or muscle relaxers, not even something to help with withdrawals. Totally a sleepy jerk!!!

At about day 14 I caught the flu, OMG!! It was terrible! Today is the real first day im able to walk around fairly easily. Dont catch the flu during withdrawals LOL.

I made a friend on another forum dealing with withdrawals, and addictions. He is a vascular surgeon on the east coast, and from what I understand one of the top in his field there. He saw my website, and was intrigued by the photo of the blocked femoral artery. He is going to help me out if he can. But being in cali makes it a bit harder to do. Still it is very nice of him, and you never know.

Well it is time to get something to eat, I love that! EATING! My stomach feels like the grand canyon LOL. Food really tastes good too

Allen I pray you will get the treatment you need. You have been threw alot and I must say you are the MAN, you made it this far never give up alot of people look up to you and your fight. I hope I have your will power when I need it also. I feel good things will come your way soon.

flippnout

Allen - congrats on kicking the nicotine - that is awesome!

sounds very interesting about the doc .{vascular surgeon- not "sleepy doc"}

did you see Roz's info thread on Off meds?
maybe some off her topics will work for you

hey there Allen!

Soooo good to hear that you're pulling out of this; amen to what flippinout said, you are so admired - and before you protest (I know you will!) - giving up smoking? While going through cold turkey?

Sorry about the sleepy doc; I think the Big Clip Board in the Sky has a note attached saying "Allen gets the lemon"

That doctor friend could be a very valuable connection - nothing like having friends in the right place - regardless of location, they all know eachother, or know someone who knows a particular other someone. Unlike the rest of us with our 6 steps, docs seem to be only 2 steps away from everyone on the planet (in the Kevin Bacon game) So, ya never know.....

Better luck next time - glad you got the taste buds back (what are they? I still smoke... )

all the best

allen i have been thinking of you alot...i am so glad to hear from you..send that sleepy dr some toothpicks in the mail with a note telling him to use 2 of these on each eye before every patient...what a jerk!!
i know there is a good dr out there to help you..sounds like the calif. doc maybe of some help..they say some do have some good connections.....
congrads on not smoking...they are my sanity sticks these days....
keep on truckin .....always sending you strength and good vibes...stay strong.. moonstar---linda

WOW!!!!

I almost fainted when I counted that number!!! LOL

Things are lookin good, just a little weak still, headache, and the Dragon Burn! Wish that would go away with the withdrawals

You all are soooo supportive. I really used the words you all gave me, and the great advice too

Still lookin for a doc, but have really developed a great relationship with the vascular doc. He is really a neat person, and interested in humanity. Not very often you find that kind of doc, they mostly are money oriented. Tooooo bad he is soooo far away from me LOL.

Well Im about to pass out here, finally getting more than 2 hours sleep, about 4 to 5 now. Seems like a lot after a month of a couple hours hahahaha!

Big hugs to all!!!

By the way, still smoke free tooo. Another passout declaration!