[Debby]

Lowering my dose of morphine has pretty much stopped the awful new symptoms I was having........whew!!....... and I am really really glad. I feel like I have dodged a gigantic bullet of RSD spread. I came on here a few months ago stating I was having new RSD symptoms of awful burning sensations starting on my scalp & ears & spread down over the rest of body unless I hit it with extra morphine & oxycodone immediately. (This burning was exactly like when RSD started in both of my feet on 11/03.) I would also break out with bright red blotches all over where the burning erupted. My PM team decided that maybe if I was able to lower my morphine it might just ease these episodes off due to the fact that the way the brain works my body was making more pain receptors. Well I am now into my 3rd month of lowering my pain meds & I have only had 2 episodes of the burning since April 24th. And the last having been May 21st.

I have lowered my dose down 25mgs. When I saw my PM doctor on 5/26 he suggested I lower it another 15mg starting with my 10pm dose for one week, then the afternoon dose the next week for a week & then the morning dose the 3rd week. He didn't say I had to do this, just that I could try it. So starting Sat I am going to do just that. If I can lower it that much more I will have gone down a total of 40 mg every 8 hrs. Wish me luck........... I am just really greatful that this has worked for me so far. I wanted to share this with everyone in hopes it might be something they might want to discuss with their doctors to see if it might help them with any new burning they are having. Do NOT try this on your own. You need your doctors approval to try this. One would think that increasing my morphine would have been the logical course of action, but for me that would have only made matters worse I think. Also it would lower my respiration even more than it already has been.

My doctors are suppose to be contacting a sleep clinic for me to see also if I a CNS sleep disorder from the high dose of morphine that I take. Lowering my meds can help for this to be under better control also if I do have it. I am truly hoping I don't though.

DebbyV

[Wilbyfree]

Hi Debby,

I wish you all the best of luck!!! I am so glad to hear this, I too recently have reduced my pain medication more than half and my pain level is just about the same. I am also five weeks post op from bone graft, fusion and nerve surgery to my left foot. Of course the first week the pain was unbearable so I had to take the full dose of medication. But then I decided to challenge the pain due to the intensity of the causalgia and surgery to try and reset my pain receptors. I am pleased with the results. I am taking Oxycontin 20 mg in the morning and two vicodin for breakthrough. The causalgia has only shown itself a few times since the surgery.

I do think the less medication you take, especially the high dose narcotics, the better off you are. Now, I am still in a wheelchair I am not able to bear weight on it yet, so that for me may be a different story, but I have a total mind set to come out of this less pain and less medication. Thanks for sharing your good news, it gives me hope that I can do this and so can you.

Good luck and God Bless

Jeanie