Discussing Opioids with Doctor

[MelissaAnne]

I'm in need of some advice. The doctors I go to are very hesitant to prescribe me opioids, no doubt due to the opioid epidemic. My doctor at Mayo said that "opioids aren't good for anyone" but I think I bet to disagree as I've read some of the other threads in this forum that point to some people gaining quite a bit of relief from their symptoms and actual improvement by using opioids.

I take Tramadol but on bad pain days, it doesn't even tough the pain. I'm tired of living with pain and having no access to pain relief - but when I have doctors who don't want to prescribe me opioids...I don't know what to do. I've tried low dose naltrexone and it worked for awhile, but then stopped. I've tried Lyrica (did nothing). I've tried a number of meds for my migraines with no results. My neurologist says that I just metabolize meds differently than most people - and thus I'm a bit of a puzzle.

Sometimes it just feels like my body is thrumming with pain - kind of like vibrating guitar strings if that makes sense? And during those times, opioids relieve that.

But how do I ask my doctor for pain meds without looking like I'm a drug addict - because that's how they make me feel! My rheumatologist will not prescribe me opioids. Any ideas?

 

[lyran]

Did you try taking LDN 2-3 times per week instead of daily? For me, my body gets used to it and it stops working if taking daily.

 

[MelissaAnne]

Did you try taking LDN 2-3 times per week instead of daily? For me, my body gets used to it and it stops working if taking daily.

When I tried it, I took it daily.

 

[Seadragon]

Problem with opioids is development of tolerance and dependence. Also apparently they can make you feel euphoric so people get addicted - well some people do.

Doctors in UK can't prescribe opioids unless for terminal cancer etc.

I too have the type of pain you describe as "Sometimes it just feels like my body is thrumming with pain - kind of like vibrating guitar strings if that makes sense?" Yes it does feel like that to me me too sometime, good description.

No solution sadly.

 

[Manjushri]

From a UK perspective, Amitriptyline and Naproxen wouldn't raise a GPs hackles if you've not already tried them; and Nefopam is an underknown non-opiod painkiller to some GPs. To go above the codeine and tramadol tier into the morphine/tapentadol/oxycodone tier here you'd need to see a specialist of some sort.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefopam

 

[heapsreal]

I don't really understand why there's like a crackdown in many countries on treating chronic pain, unless they know you're going to die in the next 6 to 12 months. I understand there's people without chronic pain that will abuse the system, so they should look at fixing that issue without it affecting chronic pain patients.

There's alot of people I know use to manage their chronic pain issues with low dose otc codeine products. Then they got banned. But prior to the ban the pharmacies had a register they would put people on and supposedly if they bought too much, the situation would be investigated. Either to see if you were under treated for chronic pain or an addict.

The ban happened anyway so now people go to the drs and many just wanted the low dose codeine product but end up on something stronger from the dr. Most pharmacies don't even stock the low dose stuff anyway. There's even talk of making paracetamol a prescription item.

I think it's all about control. It's not just medicine but everything. A women recently here in Australia got fined a $1000 for using her mobile phone, snapped on the many camera's along the roads across Australia. The photo showed she had her phone tucked in her bra. She wasn't even handling it. If you had a pocket on your shirt it would be ok.

I predict that within 10yrs if they catch you taking one hand off the steering wheel, you will get fined. You will need a prescription for paracetamol, aspirin and metamucal. Food will be rashened out with dockets for McDonald's, pizza hut etc.