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QUESTION:
I am a 51 year old male that has had back problems for many years. This
really hasn't been a major problem until recently when i needed a
spinal fusion. That surgery has made things worse and my pain has
intensified, I had it done on 6/30 L-5 S-1. My Orthopedic doctor wants
me to stop taking vicodin. He explains that the effectiveness will go
away from frequent use. I dont know how I am supposed to live with the
pain. It isn't fair. I need help locating a decent doctor that will at
least listen and give me hope.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ANSWER:
here's my stab - My site is going up soon with all of "Keens' info"
and much more - soon it will be a subscription service, but for now, for those
who get this message, it is free -
But I will boot any recreational users off if they are discovered!
www.rxmedfind.com/members
(PLEASE keep this only to this group - I don't need it cross posted to
rec.drugs, etc...) As for the badness of anyone profiting from a site like
mine - the cost of keeping the info up to date and reliable *is* a full time
job, and like many of you who have a family member or are a chronic pain
sufferer, an income *is* necessary for full time work - I wish you all very
well and hope to see you on my site.
Not even worth replying to - except to say you didn't scare me off, simply
repulsed me with your psuedo-suave BS, and I can tell that all your motives
in life are totally altrustic, right? And I'm probably supporting your
sarcastic ass with my tax dollars - either that or you sell it as you think
is a noble way to make a living. Don't bother about reply, as I am done
talking to you.
True. As will the high. And maybe the other side effects. But maybe
they'll get worse. I can't take hydrocodone because of intestinal upset,
but codeine is still ok for me.
My doc says that if the codeine stops working, just take a week off and
it'll work fine (and the high will be back, too) again. Since vicodin is
also a "natural" opium derivative, it probably works the same. In
addition, there are a whole bunch of other opium derivatives that may
work. They are "highly idiosyncratic" (that's scientific/medicalese for
"we don't know what the hell we're doing").
You may want to doctor shop. I'm assuming you're in some sort of HMO or
PPO and need a PCP to do the referrals. When you make your initial call,
ask up front about pain medications. And if he says he's uncomfortable,
find out exactly what that means. I had one for whom uncomfortable meant
that he wouldn't prescribe them.
Use your medical plan's provider list and your phone. Call and explain
your problem and ask whether the doctor is interested and able to help
you. Ask specifically about pain medication, and specifically narcotics or
opiates. You won't get the doctor on the phone, but if the
receptionist/nurse hesitates or hems and haws, you've got a big clue here.
Then in your first office visit, you'll find out what the doctor thinks.
Do it NOW, before your current prescription runs low.
You also should look into alternative treatments. Acupuncture has really
helped me. I am a strong believer in mint tea (that's mint leaves, not
mint flavoring in tea leaves) and chamomile. To be honest, I think that
just relaxing the muscles a little reduces the pain, not because the
muscles are causing the pain, but because the additional tension on the
pain center increases the pain.
One thing that really helps me is eliminating all stressors. (But not to
the point that I kick the kids out of the house permanently.) Well,
really, as many as possible. It took me years to really accept that I am
disabled, and that my family also needs to make some sacrifices. We're
fortunate that my wife makes enough to afford a cleaning lady. That means
that I can lie down a lot (I have chronic pelvic pain syndrome and that's
my positional relief position).
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