I avoided opiods for three years because I'm a recovering alcoholic with 11 years sober. When I was finally diagnosed correctly with RSD and met a competent and compassionate pain mgt doctor he assured me the clinic would monitor me closely. I was at the end of my rope with the pain and it affected every part of my life for the worse. After seven years the RSD has not improved. Every couple years I have had to increase the opiods. At one point I was on a daily dose of 90 mg of Avinza (time released morphine) and four 5/325 norco. I wanted to try and reduce the Avinza in favor or more norco for break through pain. Two years ago I cut down to 60 mg. and increased the norco to five a day. Now the pain is worse with the cooler weather here in the midwest and I'm going to ask my doctor to consider putting me on 7.5/325 norco and stay with five a day. I know better than to tell my doctor this but I currently run out of the norco in about three weeks and get refills every four. I have to hold back a few days supply to take before my appointment because everyone at the clinic is urine tested for what they are supposed to be taking and not taking. I've been keeping a pain diary for the past two months which I find helpful in sharing with my doctor when trying to change my meds. I also recently posted asking for advice from anyone who has experience with Soma. We have to be our own best advocate and a forum like this is helpful. The difference between addiction and physical dependence in the relief of severe chronic pain is well understood by people in our postition. Keep up the good fight.

I was on ms contin for six years. It gave me quality of life. Had recent bit surgery correction in cervical spine, a gift of healing. I am currently being weened off and greatfully. This a causing me no trouble so far. When there cannot be a healing, these meds help you to have a good life and shouldn't be looked at as a negative. I was OK eithor way, and have no fear of getting off them. ginnie

Currently on Soma, 350mg three per day. I take them a half at a time because a) they make me sleepy and b) they work for me when used like that. Good luck. Oh, they can sometimes cause some stomach upset, so be aware. I can't take aspirin or NSAIDS because they hurt me too badly, so...I dunno what your experience might be.

I was diagnosed with RSD 8 years ago after a very bad automobile accident with subsequent surgeries for fractures, etc. I have been on Slow Release Morphine (MS Contin) and Immediate Release Morphine for Breakthrough since I was diagnosed. I can tell you this from what my physicians have told me. Morphine (not Vicodan or any synthetic opoid), but Morphine in it's pure pharmaceutical grade is very close to the endorphins that the human body creates. Because of this, there is not as significant a risk of liver/kidney/pancreas, etc. damage with the pharmaceutical Morphine as there is with the laboratory created opoids. I've taken then for 8 years every day and have never had a liver or kidney enzyme that was elevated or out of normal range. However, I don't drink alcohol and realizing that since I am taking very strong narcotics, I am careful as to what OTC meds I take. Recently my pain management physician placed me on Seroquel at bedtime to help me sleep. It has been a life saver. I immediately began to get the first "restful" sleep that I have had since I was diagnosed. Unfortunately, after only 5 months it is not having the great effect that it originally did and I am only sleeping 2 - 3 hours per day. The only time in the 8 years of suffering from RSD that I felt I was "leveling out" was when I was taking the Seroquel and getting at least 8 hours of restful sleep per night. I am 100 % convinced that good sleep is necessary if you are to maintain any normal quality of life. SO my advice is: Don't take the laboratory produced opoids unless you have to and plead with your physician to give you something that will make you get the sleep that your body needs to get the relief from the constant pain one is in during the waking hours. It isn't purfect, but it is the best that my 8 going on 9 years of trial and error has found. Don't Worry about the effects of Pure Pharmaceutical Grade Morphine on your Organs.....but don't take more than prescribed and don't supplement the medications with anything you haven't researched. Morphine has been around for many, many years .... and you don't hear doctors requiring CMP panels every 90 days that you take Morphine. The same can not be said about the laboratory "newer" opoids. GOOD LUCK! WITH RSD YOU NEED IT!

Hello, I am fairly new to Opiods. I have been prescribed to no avail Percocet, Opana, Exalgo, and MS Contin. I am currently using Fentynol Patch every three days.

My problem is this: I keep calling my doctor when these medications don't work and I feel he is getting angry with me. All of the drugs prior to the Fentynol did not work for me, I got minimal relief and maximum side effects. NOW, after being on the patch, it isn't working at all on the third day. It works very well for two full days and then STOPS...I told this to my doctor and he got very short with me and told me to come to the office in the AM tomorrow. Trouble is, I feel like a pain in the *** but MY PAIN wins every time.

How do I explain to him that I can't help what I am feeling? I don't want to bother anyone with my troubles, I just want relief......

That's all folks.

I love her "soft hugs"!

Thanks, loretta! Love you too!

Michael Mac,
I too am on the patch and had started it on a three day cycle and I noticed that the later part of the 2nd day that the adhesive part of the patch was cutting my skin. By the third day the patch either would fall off or I had to take it off because it would hurt my skin so much. Either way if the patch managed to stay on for three days I noticed a significant difference in my pain levels as it didn't provide as much relief. I noticed that the directions also call for the 3M Tegraderm patch cover. I had to purchase the Tegrederm cover from the pharmacy and they were slightly expensive but the difference was night and day with the pain relief. The 3M patch makes the patch stay adhere to your skin which made the patch work the full time. (30 covers lasted two to three months because one cover can cover 3-5 patches because they are so large.)
But even with the 3M cover I had to go to every 48hrs because the patch cut my skin. My Dr changed the script to every 48hrs and said that my skin appears to be allergic to the which is why it was cutting my skin and why it didnt work for me on the third day. Sorry for the length and hang in there.

Dear Michael,

I was on Fentanyl for about 9 months. At the end I was changing my patches every 2 days, per doctor's orders. Dr. Getson of Marlton, NJ changed some of my scripts, and the timing of the Fentanyl was one of the changes that he made. He said that it doesn't also work well for RSDers on a 3 day cycle, that most of us need to change them after 2 days.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you, sorry for your pain.

You might also want to consider Methadone instead of opiods if you continue to not get any relief. for some it has been a godsend. You can't take them together, though - it has to be either one OR the other.

Sandy

i have been wanting to start a thread asking about painkillers for a while, and whether i was going to end up addicted.

i am currently taking 600mg gabapentin (neurontin) 3x daily, and oxycod/apap 5-325 1-2 pills 4x daily. i have been afraid of getting hooked on the oxycodone and have only been able to get one doctor to prescribe it as it is. i have been on the oxy for about 2 months. i had this prescribed by my physical therapy doctor, and when i went to my PCP for a referral to the barrow MS Clinic, and also to refill my oxy prescription, she pulled out a list of how many times i had been prescribed painkillers and treated me like a junkie and said i wasn't getting any more. needless to say i will never see that dr or visit that clinic again.

i have been trying to take only the bare minimum as far as the oxy, but sometimes taking 1 pill does not do it for me, as i have a lot of pain in my right hand especially, and my right side in general, as well as back and neck pain, and now an extremely painful right hip...

i just recently started with a new PCP and she also did not want to prescribe any painkillers but at least she was nice about it and referred me back to my physical therapy doc (i needed the referral for the therapy anyway).

plus it seems like everyone in my personal life thinks i shouldn't take oxy or i'll definitely be hooked quickly...

Clarkstar,
It sounds like the PT Dr understood your condition unlike the other dr's that you have recently seen. Unfortunately there are so many Dr's that have never heard or treated a CRPS case. Have you mentioned your current circumstances to the PT Dr that was treating you? Put a message with that Dr and make him aware of the current circumstances and I would think either they could refill or refer you to a Pain Management Dr or someone that is used to treating a chronic pain condition. They are familiar with your case so I would think they would help you.
As far as the people in your life that thinks you shouldn’t take the medicine, I'm not sure what to say. I'm sure they have your best interest at heart but they don’t have to live with the pain. For me, I reached the decision to take pain killers when I knew I no-longer could handle the pain while performing day to day life. I wanted to live some of my life. As far as addiction, I think someone addressed this already but a study showed only 1-3% of pain patients become addicted. I really hate taking meds, but I really have no choice because I would have no life without taking them. With the meds I was able to finish my MBA in one year, hold a job in one of the top 100 public accounting firms for 2.5 years and basically have a life. Without my meds I would be stuck in bed or a wheel chair. Pain medicine is exists to give people their life back when all else fails or until something works for you. Hang in there and I hope your meds issue / treatment plan is resolved in the near future.
Sarah