5th January 2007
Thanks Marcia...My husband has DDD and has had 2 spinal fusions with no pain relief. Everything has happened so gradually it is hard to know when everything started to go wrong. 2 years agao it started getting bad, but this last year has been the worst. 3 years ago he started on the OXy after 2nd surgery. Spine specialist after last surgury refered him to a pain specialist. Pain specialist kept him on oxy, but introduced antidepressants because of there ability to help block pain. Increased and changed meds over the next year. Then this last year instead of uping the OXy..he added Methadone to the mix. Not sure of all the mg's..but here is what he takes:
OXY 80mg 3 times daily
Methadone I think 20mg twice a day
Lexapro daily
Nortryptilyn
Clonazapam
Seroquel
My husband grows worse daily. About 2 years ago he was mixing alcohol with the meds, and then started doing what I refer to "noding" Eating one second and then a sleep with food in mouth the next. Fall a sleep in mid sentence..etc. He quite drinking and started misusing his meds instead. Running out a week early and having to borrow or suffer. Doc checked his blood and found no oxy at an appointment about 6 months ago and threatened to fire him. So now he seems to take the meds correctly, and is not drinking and is not noding. But he sleeps constantly. I have begged him to just try to get off meds and see if he can get a clear head and see what the real pain level is. From reading I understand that oxy can creat pain just so you will take more. Anyways..he is not functioning in any sence of the word. All week he has been a sleep when I get home at 5:30 and never gets up until I'm at work sometime. Family history....Father alcoholic/ Mother currently addicted to hydrocodone after knee replacment surgury. Brother recovered alcoholic 7 years with AA. Another brother "functioning" alcoholic..so I feel his family has a tendency to be drawn to addiction. My husband swears that he doesn't get a high or buzz of the meds, that they just help with the pain. Thanks for your advise...jaguar
OXY 80mg 3 times daily
Methadone I think 20mg twice a day
Lexapro daily
Nortryptilyn
Clonazapam
Seroquel
My husband grows worse daily. About 2 years ago he was mixing alcohol with the meds, and then started doing what I refer to "noding" Eating one second and then a sleep with food in mouth the next. Fall a sleep in mid sentence..etc. He quite drinking and started misusing his meds instead. Running out a week early and having to borrow or suffer. Doc checked his blood and found no oxy at an appointment about 6 months ago and threatened to fire him. So now he seems to take the meds correctly, and is not drinking and is not noding. But he sleeps constantly. I have begged him to just try to get off meds and see if he can get a clear head and see what the real pain level is. From reading I understand that oxy can creat pain just so you will take more. Anyways..he is not functioning in any sence of the word. All week he has been a sleep when I get home at 5:30 and never gets up until I'm at work sometime. Family history....Father alcoholic/ Mother currently addicted to hydrocodone after knee replacment surgury. Brother recovered alcoholic 7 years with AA. Another brother "functioning" alcoholic..so I feel his family has a tendency to be drawn to addiction. My husband swears that he doesn't get a high or buzz of the meds, that they just help with the pain. Thanks for your advise...jaguar