Having Problems Sticking w/Pain Med Schedule

[NJPain]

I've been prescribed pain meds for so long you would think I would have this problem licked by now.

My back is SO broken and the meds really do help SO much that I find myself taking them earlier then supposed to or, I run out early every month of my break through meds.

I definitely don't think I am under prescribed at all and I do believe it's a mental thing.

When you've been prescribed pain meds for so long, there is no "high" associated with them any more. Like I tell my doc, I exist in a binary state. Either I am in terrible pain and my functionability is extremely low without the meds. With the meds I can get pretty close to how a normal person feels......normal.

I know for a fact that I do NOT have an addictive personality cause I've had plenty of chances to develop addictions over the years. I dated a beautiful girl that smoked so, consequentially I smoked while with her. That lasted for a year and after we broke up, I never picked up a cigarette again.

I drank like a fish all through my 20's and now in my 30's I might drink a 6-pack in a 3 month period....MAYBE.

I smoked a ton of pot in my 20's and it was totally understood that I was going to be a lifelong pot smoker. People older than me said it was gonna happen and I never believed them but, sure enough the "paranoid" thing happened to me too. Obviously it doesn't happen to everyone but I've heard a lot of people say that when they hit their 30's, pot always made them very paranoid. Haven't smoked in years.

Closest thing I ever got to being addicted to anything was probably sex. I was in my early 20's and hooking up with beautiful, I mean beautiful girls often and the sex was incredible. I learned the hard way that it wasn't going to last forever.

Anyway, back to my pain medication. In the beginning I stuck to my schedule fine. A year afterwards I'd say I started come up short at the end of the month. It's weird cause I think it's totally mental cause the meds can only do so much. I don't know how many times I went thru the trouble to take more of my meds and sitting there saying to myself, "this didn't really help me much at all". Like I mentioned previously, I don't associate my meds ever with "getting high" cause with my broken back, it's like I can't feel that way....you know??

The only way I've found to successfully take my meds exactly when I am supposed to is to give my filled up monthly pill dispenser to my dad. He locks them up in his safe and gives me a day's worth of meds at a time.

With my physical situation getting worse every year AND tolerance, I am prescribed a higher dose of meds then when I first started years ago.

I appreciate the time it took for you to read my long *** post so here is the question. Are there any tricks or things you might do........or tricks/things other people you know might do, to make sure you take your meds exactly like you are supposed to????

There's no high associated with my meds and when I take extra I really don't feel like it physically helped me. I hate to admit it but I think it's really mental. I've been into this for a long, long time so I don't think I am over or under prescribed. I hate bothering my father and want to tackle this problem on my own. Well, with your help too. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Diandra]

Hi NJPain,
I want to be helpful and not judgemental but I don't understand it when you say it is a "mental" thing yet you are saying it is not addiction and say your pain is adequately covered when you take your pain meds.

Please reread your statement:
"My back is SO broken and the meds really do help SO much that I find myself taking them earlier then supposed to or, I run out early every month of my break through meds." Don't you think that statement translates to I need more pain coverage? If your pain was well controlled why would you be reaching for the bottle of pain meds unless perhaps the meds are doing something else for you like keeping your calm or also staving off headaches or something like that.

The only other thing I can think of is, I take short acting pain meds(last only 4-6hrs) and my doc wants me on the longer acting pain meds. Long story about why I don't want them. Anyway, if you are on a short acting pain meds, when it starts to reach that 4th or so hour, the pain ramps up a bit and there are often feelings like sweating, feeling a bit of stomach discomfort, headache.....like a little mini-withdrawal. Do you think maybe that is what is happening and makes you reach for the pain meds early? If that is the case, maybe a long acting med rather a short acting med would help you?

My orthopedic doc explained to me that when you are on pain meds for a long time that your own bodies production of endorphins(body's natural pain killing) is shut off. He explained this to me a few years ago when I was getting off oxycontin. He said because I had been on such a high dose of oxycontin for so long, the endorphins are completely "shut off", when I finally got off the oxycontin, my pain would feel that much worse. Maybe that has something to do with why you reach for the meds early?

If you don't want to have your father hold them anymore, maybe make them more difficult to get so you have more time to think about what you are doing(like stick them in a pair of clean socks at the bottom of your clothes hamper or in a pair of shoes in a shoebox at the top of your closet. Digging them out may be such a hassle you will think twice about it? I don't know... just a thought.

Sorry for your troubles but, do try and have a Happy 4th of July. You are not alone NJPain, many of us struggle with pain dosing/taking issues of some sort.

Take Care,
Diandra

[NJPain]

The thing is, if I had this problem in the very beginning of being prescribed pain meds, it would obviously be an addiction problem or dependant problem but like I said, I've been on them for so long, I never ever get feelings like that from the meds I take, due to the fact I've been on them so long. I'm sure people here in the same situation can attest to that.

So, I don't get high from them and I really don't feel a HUGE help with my broke back (since I'm already taking them as prescribed) when I take extra........then why do I take extra???

I do believe in the fact that my body's physiology has changed which kinda scares me. Any other possible ideas on how to get a handle on this please advise.

[stef80]

I was wondering if you are on any of the antidepressants for pain since for me they definitely make painkillers work better and faster....
I am on effexor (the generic but just easier calling it that) for depression since i didn't find it helped any for pain but definitely helps keep me somewhat sane...
But i have been on amitriptyline (generic of elavil) and it definitely helps painkillers work....and that helps with the whole insanity that chronic pain give you....:eek:
well it does for me....i don't know what i would do without those meds and my cats....they definitely help me keep sane....
But yeah i have found that the amitriptyline definitely helps out with sleep and also making painkillers work....
and also muscle relaxants help too....:rolleyes:
so those are my tricks....not sure if you are on them and not sure if you have tried them but figured to put this in just in case....
and also have you talked to your doc about upping the dose??
probably a stupid question but just thought to put that out there too....
and if you can handle the pain meds on an empty stomach, that always works too....
but then i usually end up nauseous and can't do anything but have a nap...
but figured to put that out there too...
well i hope this sorta helped...
take it easy and take care
can always vent to me (i am housebound a lot lately <too much>)
so i love more reading material...
just if you need to vent about docs or anything....i definitely know how that is....when i broke my back everyone thought i was just a wimp and addicted to codeine (i broke 3 vertebrae and was in excruciating pain for over a month and no one thought to listen to me and then 2 years later just coincidentally had an x-ray of my lower back <since i knew it was crooked, wanted to see how crooked> and there it showed one crushed and 2 fused together)
yup i am still bitter that no one believed me....
anyway.....just figured to let ya know you have a sensitive ear (or rather eye) here...
take it easy and take care
hugs
:cool:

[Leeaelle]

Hi ~ I've been a chronic pain patient for 21 years so I know all about meds and how you get used to them, etc. :rolleyes: Its a royal pain.

You say that WITH your meds, you feel pretty "normal" (whatever that is). LOL. So obviously, as you said, the meds are helping you. Can you explain how you feel or what you are thinking when you take the EXTRA meds? The ones that make you run out at the end of the month??? Is it out of boredom? Now try to be honest here, but is it in HOPES of perhaps getting that ONE high??? Just what do your think the reason is?

An "addiction" IS basically a "mental" thing. It's a psychological thing ~ a craving of mind and body. You think about the drug constantly and can't wait to take your next dose, so the addict takes more than he/she should. It's a 'have-to' thing and not a 'want-to' issue. The addict feels he/she doesn't have a choice. Just about their only thought revolves around their drug of choice. I'm NOT saying that YOU are an addict, but I'm just describing what addictive behavior is.

If you can figure out the reason why you take the extra meds when your current meds seem to be keeping you relatively comfortable, you'll have your answer. Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee