26th May 2005
Oh Joan,
I can understand your sensitivity about taking medications for your pain, especially as your son is a recovering drug addict (so is mine). I also have chronic pain from severe nerve damage in my spine. Over time, it has lessened quite a bit (it's been almost 3 years), but in the beginning, I needed whatever would work to lessen the pain and not make me feel "loopy". :)
I found that whatever I was prescribed would be "sucked up" by the pain and I didn't get a buzz. Yes sometimes I was aware of the pain, but it didn't seem to matter as much. Gradually I lessened my dosages ( I guess testing myself to see if I was really getting better or it was just the drugs), and am now not on any drugs (granted I rest a lot during the day and can't hold a full time job yet either).
I hope and pray that you can find something to make your own physical pain more tolerable. There's an amazing array of options out there, and not all of them are opiate derivatives. There are the SSRI's (anti-depressants) that calm the central nervous system, the anti-epileptic drugs (Neurontin, Dilantin, etc) that calm the hyper-firing of damaged nerves, there are anti-inflammatories for bone and joint problems...there is a huge choice. If your doctor can work with you to find the right one for your specific pain, there are also subsidized drug assistance plans in the U.S. to ensure folks who can't afford their prescriptions can still get them.
Alternative non-prescriptive supplements such as glucosamine for example have helped at least three people I know to greatly alleviate their knee joint pain.
My thoughts and prayers are with you that you find something to alleviate your physical pain because you deserve that. :) No one should have to live with intolerable pain.
My best wishes to your son also in his recovery.
Nellie
:)
I can understand your sensitivity about taking medications for your pain, especially as your son is a recovering drug addict (so is mine). I also have chronic pain from severe nerve damage in my spine. Over time, it has lessened quite a bit (it's been almost 3 years), but in the beginning, I needed whatever would work to lessen the pain and not make me feel "loopy". :)
I found that whatever I was prescribed would be "sucked up" by the pain and I didn't get a buzz. Yes sometimes I was aware of the pain, but it didn't seem to matter as much. Gradually I lessened my dosages ( I guess testing myself to see if I was really getting better or it was just the drugs), and am now not on any drugs (granted I rest a lot during the day and can't hold a full time job yet either).
I hope and pray that you can find something to make your own physical pain more tolerable. There's an amazing array of options out there, and not all of them are opiate derivatives. There are the SSRI's (anti-depressants) that calm the central nervous system, the anti-epileptic drugs (Neurontin, Dilantin, etc) that calm the hyper-firing of damaged nerves, there are anti-inflammatories for bone and joint problems...there is a huge choice. If your doctor can work with you to find the right one for your specific pain, there are also subsidized drug assistance plans in the U.S. to ensure folks who can't afford their prescriptions can still get them.
Alternative non-prescriptive supplements such as glucosamine for example have helped at least three people I know to greatly alleviate their knee joint pain.
My thoughts and prayers are with you that you find something to alleviate your physical pain because you deserve that. :) No one should have to live with intolerable pain.
My best wishes to your son also in his recovery.
Nellie
:)