[R8RJenn]

Hello! I am new to this so I hope I am doing this the right way!

Anyway, the question I have is do you think my dr is prescribing to many medications... I am on dilaudid 2mgpills 4 times a day , dillaudid suppositories up to 4 times a day for break through pain. 30mg oxycodone pills 4-6 times a day, the fentanyl patch 75mcg(every 2 days I use a new patch) those are all the opiates that I am on. I am on quite a few other medications as well. I am worried about addiction. I seem to have a very high tolerence to pain medication. Are most people prescribed this many pain medications? Please help.. any info would be helpful

Thanks

[Robert_325]

Jenn ... I don't know your actual medical history but you're obviously taking lots of medication. Can you provide some more details as to why the drs are prescribing all of these meds and which other ones? God bless.

[seantheman21]

Hey jenn I am not a Dr but a patient as well, thes meds are as close to legalized heroin as you get, they are very addicting I cut my hand needed stitches gave me 5 Vicodin and now have herniated disc, its a everyday battle with the meds to take in moderation so be careful, please let us know why you need the meds and why your in pain we would all love to help you the best we can.

[R8RJenn]

thanks for the reply.. the condition I have is RSD and I have severe nerve damage in my legs and feet. I am also taking Neurontin and Ultram and lidoderm patches and temazepam and amitriptyline, those are the other medications I am taking from my pain dr. I do have other medications I take from my primary Dr. however they are unrelated to this condition...any advice would be helpful

[seantheman21]

Originally Posted by R8RJenn

thanks for the reply.. the condition I have is RSD and I have severe nerve damage in my legs and feet. I am also taking Neurontin and Ultram and lidoderm patches and temazepam and amitriptyline, those are the other medications I am taking from my pain dr. I do have other medications I take from my primary Dr. however they are unrelated to this condition...any advice would be helpful

Jenn pain sucks I have a hernitated disc and have to take soma and percocet every 4 to 6 hours but the stuff that you have is just plain dangerous, The Diuladin and the oxycontin is just like eating or injecting Heroin and only 2% of Heroin users can kick it, I dont mean to scare you but there are pain meds out there that work just as good just not that potent be careful taking these along with the Benzos(Temeazapam) if you have any other questions let me know

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by R8RJenn

thanks for the reply.. the condition I have is RSD and I have severe nerve damage in my legs and feet. I am also taking Neurontin and Ultram and lidoderm patches and temazepam and amitriptyline, those are the other medications I am taking from my pain dr. I do have other medications I take from my primary Dr. however they are unrelated to this condition...any advice would be helpful

Jenn .... I am somewhat familiar with this condition .... not an expert but I know enough about it to know that it's impossible to answer your question about the drugs you're on strictly based only on what information you've provided. I do have some specialized immune system/central nervous system education and background.

Has your condition progressed to where you have any paralysis on either or both sides of your body? Was your condition brought on by illness or injury or do you know? This can be a very painful condition, there can be much more involved than the people reading on this forum understand. You're dealing with a complex situation.

Are you experiencing lots of burning with your pain? Is the spine affected at all? Tell me what background info you can about your condition and I will tell you what I am able to share. That is the best I can do. I wouldn't dare make a call about your meds without knowing more. God bless.

[brezabeck]

Jenn,

I have taken Neurontin and it rotted my teeth and did not help my pain. I took it for 1 year 2001 to 2002. I had ok teeth, but in 2009 I have 4 teeth left in my head literally. My dentist has assured me it is from the neurontin. Do what you need to do, but please be careful.

I also have chronic nerve pain in my left leg from a lower back surgery and I take 80mg Oxycotin 3 times a day and percocet for break through pain. It sounds like he's a quack to me. I understand pain, but it sounds like he is
giving you way to many drugs at one time. I would try one drug at a time and see what happens. That's just me. Please be careful with all those drugs. they could cause an overdose.

Brezabeck

[Donna618]

I think it's hard for any of us to really say without knowing so much more of your medical history, but yes it really does sound like you are taking a heck of a lot of opiates. Sounds like you don't entirely trust your pain management docs judgement? In that case would it be helpful to go to your primary with those concerns and see if he or she wants to at least review the meds you are on and give you a second opinion, or maybe even switch you to a different pain management doctor? If you more or less do trust your pain management doctors judgement, then you might want to review your meds with him or her and ask if there is anything you could cut out or cut back on, or adjust up even, but so that you are taking less pills during the day. I do think you need the advice of a health professional on this instead of us on a message board, even though we mean well and want to help.

[sat69]

Hello Jenn ~

I said OMG when I read your question ~ My doctor had me taking 3,600mg of Neurontin a day for 2-3 yrs (it might of been a little longer) I was also taking it for the same reason you were taking it..(leg/nerve pain) I had to stop taking it due to insurance issues...and the Neurontin itself would of cost me $1,200.00 for a 3 month supply.

I had regular dentist appointment for the normal wear and tear... then all of a sudden I had developed a cavities between each tooth...ALL of my teeth are rotting...my dentist told me that it is a VERY VERY common situation for those who have to take a lot of medications etc...and that pts end up having to pull all of their teeth out and getting dentures...she didn't state any specific med...yet that the doctors that prescribe the meds don't tell the pts what could happen...Lately, I've been very depressed about my teeth...and there is nothing I can do...at this time...I do not have dental insurance nor the funds...to fix them.

May I ask why you had to pay so much in fixing your teeth so far??? Is that the rate I'll be looking at too?

Jenn ~ I feel your pain...!! I hope I've help you a little... Let me know if I can help further...

Take care and Have a great day !!

sat

[sat69]

I'm sorry...I was trying to post to the thread: question...Jenns Pain...??? Not sure how to undo and post to the correct thread...

[CPer]

Hey Jenn,

That definately is a lot of meds. Usually docs put people on 1 long acting (i.e. your fentenyl patch) and then 1 short acting(i.e.dilaudid or oxy). Now it's not that odd to have the dilaudid in both pill and suppository form in case you cannot take the pill you can take the suppository. But if I'm not mistaken, you are on both at the same time, in addition to a high dose of oxycodone.

Now that being said, dilaudid has a low rate of bioavailability meaning it doesn't last long so if you have a high tolerance for pain, and you need pain meds, what are you going to do?

Do you need all the meds every day? Have you tried using either the dilaudid or the oxy? This is where it can get kind of complicated.

In the pain management world, we get dependant on our meds. Meaning if they were abruptly stopped we would go through withdrawl. Some people thinks that makes us addicts, it doesn't, all it means is we are physically dependant on the medication. There are many medications out there that say not to stop abruptly because of what could happen if you do.

Pain patients can become addicted. When this happens, the person is taking more meds than are prescribed so they run out early and have to call the doc for early refills. Or they will lie and say someone stole their meds or they dropped them down the sink, etc. They think about the meds all the time, and they take them for the high they get rather than just for pain relief. They will go to more than one doctor for meds and usually use multiple pharmacies.

If you are doing none of those you are most likely OK. Just know that you are on a high dose of meds and over time will need more. But if they are helping you have a better quality of life and you are able to do some of the things you enjoy, than they are helping you. I think where some people also get into trouble is they are taking a high dose of meds but they still do not help, they are still not able to have a good life with their pain at a reasonable level. In that case it may be time to reevaluate and look at other options in addition to the pain meds since they are not working. For myself, it took awhile for me to get titrated to the right dose, but I haven't had an increase in over 5 years. I still have bad days, but I am able to do so much more than I used to.

I hope this helps!
Cper