Un-comfortably numb. Is this right?
August 16, 2013 12:41 PM
Stupid question filter: how are (prescribed) narcotic painkillers supposed to make you feel? Is painkiller a misnomer? Do they really reduce / relieve your pain?
Question about the intended effects of opiates and other prescribed pain medication:
I've been saddled with several chronic, degenerative health issues that generate a lot of pain (yes, it's as fun as it sounds!). At the same time, I have a raging allergy to or intolerance of prescribed narcotics.
Doctors have tried everything to give me some relief - unsuccessfully. For those of you who might ask, the list includes: Vicodin, Percocet, Endocet, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Codeine, Morphine (yes, I'm aware that some of these are probably trade names for the same thing) and on and on.
No help. My reaction to all of these medications ranges from "general sick feeling" with dizziness, headache and light vomiting to blinding headache that lasts for days, hallucinations, and oh-god-when-can-I-get-up-off-this-bathroom-floor?
Oh, and the pain remains. Always.
(Needless to say, I do not keep taking them. They make me feel horrible and I give up after a couple of pills. And no, you can't have the leftovers.)
All of this is background to explain the following: I have no idea how painkillers are supposed to make you feel. They've only ever made me feel sick-er.
This week, my doctor gave me a prescription for Tramadol for back pain, something I've never tried before. The results - not too bad. I feel fuzzed out, itchy, only mildly nauseous, with a headache I can tolerate.
But the pain remains.
I mentioned this to a co-worker today, and he said that this is how narcotic painkillers work. They do not block or eliminate pain... they just make you "high" enough to forget about it for awhile. That fuzzed out feeling is supposed to distract me from the pain, he says.
For those of you who have utilized these medications for pain, is he right? Do you actually obtain any relief at all? or is that not the goal?
Thank you!
Question about the intended effects of opiates and other prescribed pain medication:
I've been saddled with several chronic, degenerative health issues that generate a lot of pain (yes, it's as fun as it sounds!). At the same time, I have a raging allergy to or intolerance of prescribed narcotics.
Doctors have tried everything to give me some relief - unsuccessfully. For those of you who might ask, the list includes: Vicodin, Percocet, Endocet, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Codeine, Morphine (yes, I'm aware that some of these are probably trade names for the same thing) and on and on.
No help. My reaction to all of these medications ranges from "general sick feeling" with dizziness, headache and light vomiting to blinding headache that lasts for days, hallucinations, and oh-god-when-can-I-get-up-off-this-bathroom-floor?
Oh, and the pain remains. Always.
(Needless to say, I do not keep taking them. They make me feel horrible and I give up after a couple of pills. And no, you can't have the leftovers.)
All of this is background to explain the following: I have no idea how painkillers are supposed to make you feel. They've only ever made me feel sick-er.
This week, my doctor gave me a prescription for Tramadol for back pain, something I've never tried before. The results - not too bad. I feel fuzzed out, itchy, only mildly nauseous, with a headache I can tolerate.
But the pain remains.
I mentioned this to a co-worker today, and he said that this is how narcotic painkillers work. They do not block or eliminate pain... they just make you "high" enough to forget about it for awhile. That fuzzed out feeling is supposed to distract me from the pain, he says.
For those of you who have utilized these medications for pain, is he right? Do you actually obtain any relief at all? or is that not the goal?
Thank you!
That is not my experience. That is, my experience with things like laughing gas at the dentist where I sort of am aware that something is hurting/feeling uncomfy, but I do not mind. When I take painkillers there is a combination of the pain getting a lot duller (if it's a sharp pain) or lower down on the "1-10" scale if it's another sort of pain. Sometimes, especially with things like headache or muscle pain, the pain goes away entirely. Often it remains but in a sort of less-obnoxious way. And, on top of that, there's a fuzzed out feeling which makes it easier to stop concentrating on the pain and get other things done or relaxing enough while in pain to do important things like sleep.
My experience with pain was that my anxiety about pain (sore teeth sometimes) was one of the things causing me acute discomfort. Like, not knowing what was hurting or why made me sort of nutty about it, worrying it was going to get worse, worrying that it was never going to go away. However, I have also been lucky enough to have mostly experienced pain that goes away which has sort of informed how I've dealt with new pains. So, no, that experience does not match mine.
posted by jessamyn at 12:48 PM on August 16, 2013
My experience with pain was that my anxiety about pain (sore teeth sometimes) was one of the things causing me acute discomfort. Like, not knowing what was hurting or why made me sort of nutty about it, worrying it was going to get worse, worrying that it was never going to go away. However, I have also been lucky enough to have mostly experienced pain that goes away which has sort of informed how I've dealt with new pains. So, no, that experience does not match mine.
posted by jessamyn at 12:48 PM on August 16, 2013
I had Percocet for a shoulder operation. Yes, it makes the pain go away. It makes you see double and feel like a lump and I hated it but took it because my partner said "the less you react to the pain the less you will aggravate the surgery sites and that will speed your healing".
It's my understanding that neurological sources of pain are not affected by opiates, though. I don't have very much to back that but there will likely be other posters who can discuss it.
posted by jet_silver at 12:48 PM on August 16, 2013
It's my understanding that neurological sources of pain are not affected by opiates, though. I don't have very much to back that but there will likely be other posters who can discuss it.
posted by jet_silver at 12:48 PM on August 16, 2013
When I have taken Vicodin (after surgery), it makes me very sleepy and leaves me with constipation for three days. I still feel some pain (probably not as much as I would without it). Some people don't react to opioids the way they are supposed to, I guess.
It's gotten to the point where if I am given the choice, I opt out of the Vicodin. (Sorry, Dr. House.)
Pain management is a difficult beast. Feel better!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 12:49 PM on August 16, 2013
It's gotten to the point where if I am given the choice, I opt out of the Vicodin. (Sorry, Dr. House.)
Pain management is a difficult beast. Feel better!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 12:49 PM on August 16, 2013
I've recently been prescribed painkillers for the first time, and for me they do take away the pain. But they also leave me feeling really, really depressed after a few hours, so I don't like using them at all. A friend of mine says they take away his pain, and also give him euphoric feelings. I suppose everyone is different, is the take-away.
posted by jbickers at 12:51 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by jbickers at 12:51 PM on August 16, 2013
Some painkillers actually provide relief, usually for mild aches and pains. Ibuprofen actually makes my aches less painful.
With morphine, I still experience the pain, but it goes from being an experience, to just a physical sensation.
Like, all of the emotions and consequences associated with normal pain (I feel beat down, discouraged, afraid to move and make it worse, dreading how long it's going to go on, worried it won't ever get better, feeling as if the pain is crowding out other thoughts and experiences)...those go away. Instead I feel "That foot is sending obnoxious pain signals to my brain, but whatever, I'm more interested in this other stuff over here."
It still hurts my body, but it doesn't hurt me (as much).
posted by Ausamor at 12:52 PM on August 16, 2013
With morphine, I still experience the pain, but it goes from being an experience, to just a physical sensation.
Like, all of the emotions and consequences associated with normal pain (I feel beat down, discouraged, afraid to move and make it worse, dreading how long it's going to go on, worried it won't ever get better, feeling as if the pain is crowding out other thoughts and experiences)...those go away. Instead I feel "That foot is sending obnoxious pain signals to my brain, but whatever, I'm more interested in this other stuff over here."
It still hurts my body, but it doesn't hurt me (as much).
posted by Ausamor at 12:52 PM on August 16, 2013
I had oral surgery yesterday, and am totally high on Vicodin right now.
The pain in my face is dull, achy, and feels far back in my mind.
The pain that I normally deal with in my feet, from persistent corns, is nonexistent.
I am experiencing general bonhomie and a slightly dizzying disconnect from reality. I should not drive or operate other heavy machinery right now. To my knowledge this is a typical reaction to narcotics. From where I'm at right now, I can easily imagine nausea or increased dizziness as a slightly more severe side effect.
posted by carsonb at 12:54 PM on August 16, 2013
The pain in my face is dull, achy, and feels far back in my mind.
The pain that I normally deal with in my feet, from persistent corns, is nonexistent.
I am experiencing general bonhomie and a slightly dizzying disconnect from reality. I should not drive or operate other heavy machinery right now. To my knowledge this is a typical reaction to narcotics. From where I'm at right now, I can easily imagine nausea or increased dizziness as a slightly more severe side effect.
posted by carsonb at 12:54 PM on August 16, 2013
Vicodin makes me feel like I have to stretch and grind my teeth. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Every time I do something stupid and injure myself and end up in the emergency room, some well meaning doctor or nurse talks me into it, and sometimes it helps me not concentrate on the pain, but it makes me feel so constricted and like my body needs to move (which, given the sorts of injuries I usually incur, is not a good thing) that I try to discontinue it as quickly as possible.
posted by straw at 12:54 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by straw at 12:54 PM on August 16, 2013
I've heard that it depends on the cause of the pain. "Nerve" pain isn't really affected by narcotics, but they can help you care less. Other kinds of pain will be lessened. I haven't had to deal with "nerve" pain myself, but a neighbor had a terrible incident with pinched neck nerves which made her hand hurt continually for weeks/months (it may still be going on, she's a stoic), and I learned something about it then.
In the past couple of years, I heard, there have been a couple of new painkillers specifically for nerve pain that could help.
If I were in your shoes, and if I had the patience, I might look for a comprehensive list of painkillers and make sure I'd systematically tried each one, or at least a sample from each family of painkillers. Yes, I'd make a spreadsheet. But if I were in pain, I might not really have the focus for this...
posted by amtho at 12:57 PM on August 16, 2013
In the past couple of years, I heard, there have been a couple of new painkillers specifically for nerve pain that could help.
If I were in your shoes, and if I had the patience, I might look for a comprehensive list of painkillers and make sure I'd systematically tried each one, or at least a sample from each family of painkillers. Yes, I'd make a spreadsheet. But if I were in pain, I might not really have the focus for this...
posted by amtho at 12:57 PM on August 16, 2013
I take Percocet somewhat regularly and Tramadol occasionally. Sometimes they cut the pain entirely, and sometimes they merely dull or soften it -- it ceases to be so sharp, ripping, stabby, or throbbing and becomes more of a vague ache or ongoing twinge.
Because I tend to take a very small dose of Percocet, it doesn't always make me drowsy; sometimes it actually makes me chatty. Other times it does make me a little drowsy and fuzzy (but pleasantly so), so unless things are really bad I only take it at night. Tramadol ALWAYS makes me fuzzy and drowsy, but only with a kind of total blankness.
posted by scody at 1:01 PM on August 16, 2013
Because I tend to take a very small dose of Percocet, it doesn't always make me drowsy; sometimes it actually makes me chatty. Other times it does make me a little drowsy and fuzzy (but pleasantly so), so unless things are really bad I only take it at night. Tramadol ALWAYS makes me fuzzy and drowsy, but only with a kind of total blankness.
posted by scody at 1:01 PM on August 16, 2013
Ausamor, your description of chronic pain: "I feel beat down, discouraged, afraid to move and make it worse, dreading how long it's going to go on, worried it won't ever get better, feeling as if the pain is crowding out other thoughts and experiences" brought tears to my eyes.
That is exactly how it is. That is my day, every day. Thanks for summing it up so eloquently. And feel better soon.
To all of you expressing concern and wishing me well, my heartfelt thanks. I'm getting through each day and I haven't given up. That's a lot.
And to all of you sharing your pain stories, my thoughts are with you.
I'm already getting better insight into the "typical" painkiller experience. Thanks for sharing.
posted by falldownpaul at 1:03 PM on August 16, 2013
That is exactly how it is. That is my day, every day. Thanks for summing it up so eloquently. And feel better soon.
To all of you expressing concern and wishing me well, my heartfelt thanks. I'm getting through each day and I haven't given up. That's a lot.
And to all of you sharing your pain stories, my thoughts are with you.
I'm already getting better insight into the "typical" painkiller experience. Thanks for sharing.
posted by falldownpaul at 1:03 PM on August 16, 2013
Do you have red hair? I read that some redheaded folks lack something (a gene? cannot google it right now) that is needed to metabolize narcotics. Now that I typed that out it sounds like an urban myth.
posted by futz at 1:13 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by futz at 1:13 PM on August 16, 2013
Narcotic painkillers do reduce pain for me. My father, however, is allergic to opiates and he hallucinates, feels nauseous, and just generally feels like shit if they give them to him. He has had some success with Tramadol, but it just dulled the pain for him rather than making it go away completely. What did work for her were patches - he had a joint injury and they gave him skin patches to apply directly over the painful area. I do not recall if they contained narcotics or not, but I don't think they did, and he didn't have any sort of systemic reaction to them. They were the only thing that actually made his pain go away completely.
posted by bedhead at 1:14 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by bedhead at 1:14 PM on August 16, 2013
Here's an article with a strategic perspective on treating pain, and which says it discusses new advances. Unfortunately, I can't find a date on it, but maybe it will give you some ideas.
You don't say what kind of pain you're experiencing, but here is an article specifically about nerve pain options.
Here is a long list of pain medications and classes. The article has four pages - page four looks better than page three.
Another, shorter list that probably won't be useful to you, but will help assure all bases are covered.
posted by amtho at 1:16 PM on August 16, 2013
You don't say what kind of pain you're experiencing, but here is an article specifically about nerve pain options.
Here is a long list of pain medications and classes. The article has four pages - page four looks better than page three.
Another, shorter list that probably won't be useful to you, but will help assure all bases are covered.
posted by amtho at 1:16 PM on August 16, 2013
Anecdotally, this seems to be a varies-by-the-person thing. I don't think they really kill/numb the pain for anyone, but for some they seem to relieve the pain in blissful "I-don't-care" haze.
I must be wired differently, because all the times I've been prescribed opiates for pain (percocet after knee surgery when I was 18, vicodin after getting my wisdom teeth out), they've just made me feel horribly nauseated and uncomfortable. I don't think I lasted a day on either; I stopped the painkillers and moved to relatively high doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen (you can mix those two!), which were FAR better for my pain management, and without introducing the horrible nausea.
Chronic pain is perhaps a different beast. I don't have any insight there. I'm sorry that anyone has to deal with that.
I hope you feel better!
posted by sportbucket at 1:19 PM on August 16, 2013
I must be wired differently, because all the times I've been prescribed opiates for pain (percocet after knee surgery when I was 18, vicodin after getting my wisdom teeth out), they've just made me feel horribly nauseated and uncomfortable. I don't think I lasted a day on either; I stopped the painkillers and moved to relatively high doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen (you can mix those two!), which were FAR better for my pain management, and without introducing the horrible nausea.
Chronic pain is perhaps a different beast. I don't have any insight there. I'm sorry that anyone has to deal with that.
I hope you feel better!
posted by sportbucket at 1:19 PM on August 16, 2013
Sorry for thread-sitting, I know it's discouraged, but I just had to answer this one -
@ Futz - LOL...yes! I do have very red-dish hair (strawberry red/blonde). Got it from my mother, who's all red head.
But - mythbuster alert!- my mother is also a hardcore alcoholic and prescription drug addict. Never slowed her down any.
Meanwhile, I can't even drink. Hate the taste, hate the sensation, it goes right to my head and I immediately feel sick. Given how her addictions have destroyed everything, I'm not complaining here, I'm blessed.
Thanks for the interesting suggestion though, I'm going to read up on this!
posted by falldownpaul at 1:27 PM on August 16, 2013
@ Futz - LOL...yes! I do have very red-dish hair (strawberry red/blonde). Got it from my mother, who's all red head.
But - mythbuster alert!- my mother is also a hardcore alcoholic and prescription drug addict. Never slowed her down any.
Meanwhile, I can't even drink. Hate the taste, hate the sensation, it goes right to my head and I immediately feel sick. Given how her addictions have destroyed everything, I'm not complaining here, I'm blessed.
Thanks for the interesting suggestion though, I'm going to read up on this!
posted by falldownpaul at 1:27 PM on August 16, 2013
I hope this doesn't take the thread too far afield, but just wanted to suggest that mindfulness techniques can also help manage -- not solve, but manage -- chronic pain and the emotional upheavals that come with the territory. Here are a couple of options from Jon Cabot Zinn, who is a leader in this field, but if you visit those Amazon pages you'll see some other suggestions. I wish you the best.
(Also, if you're interested in a literary meditation on severe chronic pain, I found Alphonse Daudet's In the Land of Pain, written in the 19th century as he was suffering from tabes dorsalis, a particularly awful late form of syphilis, to be very insightful and moving.)
posted by scody at 1:35 PM on August 16, 2013
(Also, if you're interested in a literary meditation on severe chronic pain, I found Alphonse Daudet's In the Land of Pain, written in the 19th century as he was suffering from tabes dorsalis, a particularly awful late form of syphilis, to be very insightful and moving.)
posted by scody at 1:35 PM on August 16, 2013
It can depend. For me, opiate stuff is like being in a haze of love. You're sort of distantly aware that, say, your leg hurts but you're totally blissed out otherwise, it hurts but it's on the other side of a wall the way you can hear your neighbors talking next door at the apartment. Nitrous like they use at the dentist, you're aware of things moving but nothing hurting. For example when I got my wisdom teeth out I could feel them doing things and I'd feel some things that made me say "I probably don't want to know what that is", but it didn't hurt. It was as pleasant as two people using serious metal tools to yank teeth out of your skull could be, I suppose, you know? Stuff like muscle relaxers always make me feel like a stereotypical beatnik all lounging around totally relaxed and chill, so even if there's a bit of muscle pain left, who cares, man? I'm in Coolsville. On the other hand, taking me down is like taking down a bull elephant, you have to use a really big dose of whatever to get me under, so I usually wind up totally zonked when it kicks in.
Vicodin, on the other hand, dulled my surgical pain tolerably well but made me throw up so bad that I decided living with the pain was easier than Exorcist-class puking every few hours.
Generally speaking, sometimes it's like throwing a switch to "Off" and sometimes it's like moving a dimmer switch down.
I know you've probably heard "Have you tried weeeeed?" a million times before, but I do know some people in chronic pain it's worked for, especially the ones that have problems with opiod painkillers.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 1:36 PM on August 16, 2013
Vicodin, on the other hand, dulled my surgical pain tolerably well but made me throw up so bad that I decided living with the pain was easier than Exorcist-class puking every few hours.
Generally speaking, sometimes it's like throwing a switch to "Off" and sometimes it's like moving a dimmer switch down.
I know you've probably heard "Have you tried weeeeed?" a million times before, but I do know some people in chronic pain it's worked for, especially the ones that have problems with opiod painkillers.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 1:36 PM on August 16, 2013
Opiates don't seem to do anything for me--except that hydrocodone combined with promethazine seems to sometimes, not always, kill migraines for me. I definitely don't get the high. My doc agrees that it's possible I'm a nonresponder, apparently it's in the way your liver (I think?) metabolizes them.
My husband gets itchy when taking them, which is a sign you shouldn't so he no longer takes Tylenol-3, and a friend, on the other hand, projectile vomits. So lots of different responses!
posted by telophase at 1:39 PM on August 16, 2013
My husband gets itchy when taking them, which is a sign you shouldn't so he no longer takes Tylenol-3, and a friend, on the other hand, projectile vomits. So lots of different responses!
posted by telophase at 1:39 PM on August 16, 2013
Some painkillers knock me out and some take away the pain. I took something (Tramadol?) after having very minor but very painful surgery for an ingrown toenail, and it made me feel GREAT! I realized very quickly why I had to show ID and they only gave me 14 pills.
posted by radioamy at 1:40 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by radioamy at 1:40 PM on August 16, 2013
A few suggestions -
1. Some drugs can enhance your sensitivity to pain meds. Naltrexone and suboxone might work that way. I'd see a pain specialist to try low dose formulations of those alternating with your regular pain meds.
2. If you have a metabolism problem for synthetic narcotics, you might try a) other routes of administration, like a fentanyl patch or injected drugs, or b) try "natural" narcotics (like opium... you can make poppy tea) or do some research on which ones are metabolized by different liver enzymes than the standard narcotics. I dunno the answer, but a pain doctor with a Ph.D. might be able to help with the metabolism issue.
3. Marijuana could help with your nausea, though honestly I think that's sort of a shot in the dark.
posted by htid at 1:42 PM on August 16, 2013
1. Some drugs can enhance your sensitivity to pain meds. Naltrexone and suboxone might work that way. I'd see a pain specialist to try low dose formulations of those alternating with your regular pain meds.
2. If you have a metabolism problem for synthetic narcotics, you might try a) other routes of administration, like a fentanyl patch or injected drugs, or b) try "natural" narcotics (like opium... you can make poppy tea) or do some research on which ones are metabolized by different liver enzymes than the standard narcotics. I dunno the answer, but a pain doctor with a Ph.D. might be able to help with the metabolism issue.
3. Marijuana could help with your nausea, though honestly I think that's sort of a shot in the dark.
posted by htid at 1:42 PM on August 16, 2013
I had occasion to be given a large-ish IV dose of Dilaudid, in addition to some pain pills of some kind (Vicodin? I dunno). When asked if i 'still hurt', I replied: "Yes, but I don't care."
The next day, after having my gall bladder out, I still hurt, but very differently, a lot less, and the morphine drip made it go away.
So, my own anecdote - ymmv, depending on what's wrong, and how you, as an individual, respond to the drug/drugs in question.
My heart goes out to you, and I hope can find a way to some relief soon.
posted by dbmcd at 1:55 PM on August 16, 2013
The next day, after having my gall bladder out, I still hurt, but very differently, a lot less, and the morphine drip made it go away.
So, my own anecdote - ymmv, depending on what's wrong, and how you, as an individual, respond to the drug/drugs in question.
My heart goes out to you, and I hope can find a way to some relief soon.
posted by dbmcd at 1:55 PM on August 16, 2013
Not sure if it's mentioned elsewhere, but I wanted to recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn's Full Catastrophe Living. He developed mindfulness techniques specifically to help chronic pain. For most people it ends up being a last resort, but it can be surprisingly effective. If all else fails, grab his book and maybe look into mindfulness-based pain reduction seminars based on his work.
posted by amileighs at 2:01 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by amileighs at 2:01 PM on August 16, 2013
Do you have red hair? I read that some redheaded folks lack something (a gene? cannot google it right now) that is needed to metabolize narcotics.
For what it's worth I'm a redhead/strawberry blonde and vicodan and percocet work for me in the expected manner -- the pain goes away/is substantially reduced and my mental state is hazy and happy.
posted by Cocodrillo at 2:02 PM on August 16, 2013
For what it's worth I'm a redhead/strawberry blonde and vicodan and percocet work for me in the expected manner -- the pain goes away/is substantially reduced and my mental state is hazy and happy.
posted by Cocodrillo at 2:02 PM on August 16, 2013
I have a problem with anything that intoxicates me and alters my equilibrium ("goes straight to my head"). I can't drink much alcohol, I can't smoke, and more than a small dose of any opioid painkiller makes me nauseated unless I lie still. However, when I really need it, strong painkillers do the job for me very nicely.
In addition to making me feel some combination of foggy, warm, sleepy, energized, happy, and carefree, opioid pain meds (like all that you've listed) do physically silence my pain - the pain is actually gone, not just smothered in drug-feelings. I've had some pretty painful incidents over the last few years, including several surgeries, and the right amount of strong painkillers, when I can tolerate them, actually do make things that used to hurt stop hurting.
If you can tolerate the Tramadol, great, but it's a relatively slow-active painkiller, so try to take it on a more regular basis. Don't wait to start hurting again (or, in your case, caring about the pain) before you take another one. Maybe with more of a circulating dose built up, they'll start working better.
Though, as others have mentioned, these types of meds won't touch certain kinds of nerve pain. If neuropathy is the cause of the pain, there are totally different drugs that are meant to treat that.
posted by WasabiFlux at 2:12 PM on August 16, 2013
In addition to making me feel some combination of foggy, warm, sleepy, energized, happy, and carefree, opioid pain meds (like all that you've listed) do physically silence my pain - the pain is actually gone, not just smothered in drug-feelings. I've had some pretty painful incidents over the last few years, including several surgeries, and the right amount of strong painkillers, when I can tolerate them, actually do make things that used to hurt stop hurting.
If you can tolerate the Tramadol, great, but it's a relatively slow-active painkiller, so try to take it on a more regular basis. Don't wait to start hurting again (or, in your case, caring about the pain) before you take another one. Maybe with more of a circulating dose built up, they'll start working better.
Though, as others have mentioned, these types of meds won't touch certain kinds of nerve pain. If neuropathy is the cause of the pain, there are totally different drugs that are meant to treat that.
posted by WasabiFlux at 2:12 PM on August 16, 2013
pain killers make my pain disappear for the most part (jaw surgery, appendectomy, epididymitis). the big exceptions being a pulled tooth and a recent sinus infection where i learned what real pain is.
i second htid in saying that i know there exist drugs you can take in combination that boost effectiveness; synergy. also, you might be able to take an anti-nausea medication. i was injected with heavy doses of Scopolamine for Meniere's Syndrome and it really helped with the nausea. i know that it can be combined with Morphine to ease childbirth but i'm sure it really knocks you out. i also second seeking out a Pain Management specialist who is trained to deal with situations like yours.
good luck and i hope you find some sort of relief.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 2:18 PM on August 16, 2013
i second htid in saying that i know there exist drugs you can take in combination that boost effectiveness; synergy. also, you might be able to take an anti-nausea medication. i was injected with heavy doses of Scopolamine for Meniere's Syndrome and it really helped with the nausea. i know that it can be combined with Morphine to ease childbirth but i'm sure it really knocks you out. i also second seeking out a Pain Management specialist who is trained to deal with situations like yours.
good luck and i hope you find some sort of relief.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 2:18 PM on August 16, 2013
It definitely differs from person to person. For me, percocet and darvocet didn't really do anything for the pain, but did make me not-care about the pain. I had morphine at a recent ER visit, and wow that definitely seemed to remove the pain. Or made me so utterly warm, snuggly and happy that I didn't notice it, I can't tell. For me, ibuprofen is the best painkiller, that actually removes pain.
posted by Joh at 2:34 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by Joh at 2:34 PM on August 16, 2013
When I was having horrible toothaches, the amount of relief I got from vicodin really depended on when I took it. My toothache tended to be unbearable at night, hardly noticeable during the day. If I took vicodin before the pain amped up, I felt warm, woozy, and painless- though I could feel the bad tooth/nerve throbbing away in my mouth. If I waited too long sometimes it seemed as if the vicodin did nothing to ease the pain. I didn't take them all day because I did not like how ill I felt on my train commute to university. It really seemed as if I had to preemptively take the pill for it to have any effect. I'm not sure vicodin would have worked at all for me if I had been in pain 24/7.
I also don't much care for opiates at night because they dull pain enough that I can sleep in the same position all night, and then wake up with the stiffest, sorest neck/arm/back whatever. I should probably set my alarm to wake me a few times a night if I have to take them again for some reason.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:48 PM on August 16, 2013
I also don't much care for opiates at night because they dull pain enough that I can sleep in the same position all night, and then wake up with the stiffest, sorest neck/arm/back whatever. I should probably set my alarm to wake me a few times a night if I have to take them again for some reason.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:48 PM on August 16, 2013
I took tramadol for a painful pulled/sprained muscle a couple weeks ago, and it didn't really help with the pain, it just made me feel fuzzy and zombie-like. I took it once, disliked the fuzziness so much I stopped. It only made me briefly nauseous. Naproxen didn't totally stop the pain either, but it did help and I was taking it more for the anti-inflammatory properties than anything else.
In my experience, painkillers work for stuff like most headaches, toothaches, menstrual cramps, etc, but don't do as much for a persistent issue like an injured or tense muscle. Like, when I get tension headaches that originate in my neck muscles, painkillers take the edge off, but nothing entirely works and I just have to sleep it off or otherwise get the muscle to unknot. No idea where your pain issues originate, but in my experience, anything muscle tension/injury-based responds best to alternating heat/cold and massage in conjunction with painkillers.
posted by yasaman at 3:18 PM on August 16, 2013
In my experience, painkillers work for stuff like most headaches, toothaches, menstrual cramps, etc, but don't do as much for a persistent issue like an injured or tense muscle. Like, when I get tension headaches that originate in my neck muscles, painkillers take the edge off, but nothing entirely works and I just have to sleep it off or otherwise get the muscle to unknot. No idea where your pain issues originate, but in my experience, anything muscle tension/injury-based responds best to alternating heat/cold and massage in conjunction with painkillers.
posted by yasaman at 3:18 PM on August 16, 2013
I take oxycodone fairly regularly for shoulder pain (degenerative issues related to too many years of competitive volleyball). My take is that they don't remove the pain so much as send it more to the back. The pain just becomes less of a problem. In my experience, opiates can make you feel lightheaded and fuzzy (in an entirely great way, as far as I'm concerned), they can definitely make you feel nauseous and queasy, they will make you constipated if you use them for extended periods. They can also make you itchy.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:20 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:20 PM on August 16, 2013
Painkillers, both prescription and over-the-counter, don't do anything for my chronic psoriatic arthritis pain or pinched nerves but they do help for specific, temporary pains like menstrual cramps or acute muscle injuries.
posted by Jacqueline at 3:35 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by Jacqueline at 3:35 PM on August 16, 2013
Have you tried Ketorolac? When I broke my leg and have to have surgery, all the opiate narcotics made me feel woozy and gross and sick to my stomach. It's funny, too, because when I'd taken them for more minor pain, like wisdom teeth, I quite enjoyed them. But somehow the combination of them + dehydration + depression + serious pain = misery. Ketorolac, however, is an NSAID - an anti-inflammatory in the same family as over-the-counter pain meds, has no discernible mental effects, and was a LIFESAVER for me, noticeably lessening my pain while leaving me clearheaded. I'd ask your doctor about it.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 3:39 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by pretentious illiterate at 3:39 PM on August 16, 2013
The redhead thing is not an urban myth, oddly enough: Anesthetic requirement is increased in redheads. But it doesn't have anything to do with drugs like vicodin and oxycontin. Sevoflourane is the inhaled anesthetic they gave my kiddo when he had his ear tubes put in.
posted by selfmedicating at 5:10 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by selfmedicating at 5:10 PM on August 16, 2013
This might seems like a stupid suggestion, but have you read the relevant wikipedia article? Different kinds of pain need different kinds of treatment. Different pain killers work in different ways.
I too would suggest seeking out a specialist in both your particular syndrome, and/or a pain management specialist. The best way to reduce pain is to treat whatever is causing it.
(and yes, the redhead thing is restricted to anesthetics, not painkillers. at least the way I've heard it.)
posted by gjc at 5:51 PM on August 16, 2013
I too would suggest seeking out a specialist in both your particular syndrome, and/or a pain management specialist. The best way to reduce pain is to treat whatever is causing it.
(and yes, the redhead thing is restricted to anesthetics, not painkillers. at least the way I've heard it.)
posted by gjc at 5:51 PM on August 16, 2013
I wasn't going to weigh in but since the OP is in fact a redhead, yes, that can in fact affect sensitivity to pain medications including opiate medications, not just inhaled anesthetics.
The reason is that the genetic mutation that causes red hair also changes the way the brain senses pain. So overall, redheads' bodies are more sensitive to some types of pain (require more inhaled anesthetic during surgery, require more local injected anesthetic during smaller procedures) than the average person with a different hair color, which results in them requiring more medication. But intriguingly, they are less sensitive to "stinging pain on the skin" produced by capsaicin.
Meanwhile, dizziness, nausea, and itchiness are all common side effects of narcotic pain medications (although the extent to which they occur varies from person to person). The itchiness is due to histamine release triggered by the narcotic drugs and can be treated with antihistamines like Benadryl.
You might be interested to know that research suggests that if you stay on a constant dose of the narcotic drug, the human body generally becomes tolerant to the nausea/vomiting side effect in about 1 week. However, if the medications do not work well for you in relieving pain or making it tolerable without other frustrating side effects, that might not be very useful. I would definitely agree with trying to get a referral to a pain management specialist who could try different non-narcotic medications with you.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:34 PM on August 16, 2013
The reason is that the genetic mutation that causes red hair also changes the way the brain senses pain. So overall, redheads' bodies are more sensitive to some types of pain (require more inhaled anesthetic during surgery, require more local injected anesthetic during smaller procedures) than the average person with a different hair color, which results in them requiring more medication. But intriguingly, they are less sensitive to "stinging pain on the skin" produced by capsaicin.
Meanwhile, dizziness, nausea, and itchiness are all common side effects of narcotic pain medications (although the extent to which they occur varies from person to person). The itchiness is due to histamine release triggered by the narcotic drugs and can be treated with antihistamines like Benadryl.
You might be interested to know that research suggests that if you stay on a constant dose of the narcotic drug, the human body generally becomes tolerant to the nausea/vomiting side effect in about 1 week. However, if the medications do not work well for you in relieving pain or making it tolerable without other frustrating side effects, that might not be very useful. I would definitely agree with trying to get a referral to a pain management specialist who could try different non-narcotic medications with you.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:34 PM on August 16, 2013
And to answer your question, when I have taken prescribed oxycodone (Percocet) for short term issues, I have none of the side effects you experience.
It relieves my moderate to severe pain somewhat, but not completely, but it does not make me feel drowsy or woozy in any way, and I have never felt good or "high" after taking it, even at the maximum recommended dose.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:37 PM on August 16, 2013
It relieves my moderate to severe pain somewhat, but not completely, but it does not make me feel drowsy or woozy in any way, and I have never felt good or "high" after taking it, even at the maximum recommended dose.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:37 PM on August 16, 2013
Redhead, same experience (we're cursed in some ways). I tell docs no opioids... There's just no point. The side effects are worse than the pain. These are a surprising number of ways to get red hair - 9 at the last count. I only have one, and the hair on my head has browned almost completely. A better test than 'red head' is 'naturally red hair, anyplace, ever'.
I hear ketamine isn't an opioid and hospitals use it for folks like us. That's my gameplan if I ever really need it. Visualization techniques get me through everything else (used to get chronic migraines, small doses of amitriptyline helped resolve them). Mine is to get a glass or clear bottle full of water and to 'project' the pain into the water. One of these days that water is going to boil darn it. Because I'm old friends with pain I just greet it like a friend and let it radiate through my body. Then try to focus the radiance into the water. It's absolutely freaky how well it works.
posted by jwells at 9:37 PM on August 16, 2013
I hear ketamine isn't an opioid and hospitals use it for folks like us. That's my gameplan if I ever really need it. Visualization techniques get me through everything else (used to get chronic migraines, small doses of amitriptyline helped resolve them). Mine is to get a glass or clear bottle full of water and to 'project' the pain into the water. One of these days that water is going to boil darn it. Because I'm old friends with pain I just greet it like a friend and let it radiate through my body. Then try to focus the radiance into the water. It's absolutely freaky how well it works.
posted by jwells at 9:37 PM on August 16, 2013
Vicodin makes me feel like warm, liquid gold is flowing through my veins and absolutely made my pain from a scraped cornea (which felt approximately like I'd been stabbed in the eye & had acid dumped into it) go away. So it works for me.
posted by empyrean at 9:54 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by empyrean at 9:54 PM on August 16, 2013
Following a serious accident and surgery, I have been on many of the same pain killers. When you are managing your pain by taking what is needed on the right schedule, you should expect to feel less pain and sometimes this is just because you're high.
My surgeon was actually not much help when it came to pain management. I was referred to a doctor that specifically focuses on pain management.
Other than adjusting or changing my pain meds, my pain management doctor also had me try the following:
Acupuncture really helped--I was taking muscle relaxers so strong my eye prescription changed but only acupuncture stopped my crazy muscle spasms.
Therapy pool--I found a pool in my city that is for physical therapy. Imagine a jacuzzi the size of a swimming pool for exercising in. AWESOME.
Variety of things to address inflammation--including regular icing, these crazy Chinese patches called Yunnan Baio, etc
A gizmo called a Tens Unit that somehow interrupts the pain signal going to your brain. This description may not be scientifically accurate but it was one way of dealing with pain without narcotics. It has four electrode thingies that attach to a thing that gently shocks you. Trust me, this actually lessens pain even though it sounds crazy.
I am not allergic to pain killers but they make me very, very depressed so I sympathize with you.
posted by dottiechang at 10:46 PM on August 16, 2013
My surgeon was actually not much help when it came to pain management. I was referred to a doctor that specifically focuses on pain management.
Other than adjusting or changing my pain meds, my pain management doctor also had me try the following:
Acupuncture really helped--I was taking muscle relaxers so strong my eye prescription changed but only acupuncture stopped my crazy muscle spasms.
Therapy pool--I found a pool in my city that is for physical therapy. Imagine a jacuzzi the size of a swimming pool for exercising in. AWESOME.
Variety of things to address inflammation--including regular icing, these crazy Chinese patches called Yunnan Baio, etc
A gizmo called a Tens Unit that somehow interrupts the pain signal going to your brain. This description may not be scientifically accurate but it was one way of dealing with pain without narcotics. It has four electrode thingies that attach to a thing that gently shocks you. Trust me, this actually lessens pain even though it sounds crazy.
I am not allergic to pain killers but they make me very, very depressed so I sympathize with you.
posted by dottiechang at 10:46 PM on August 16, 2013
One more thing, I also had the prescription pain relief patches mentioned by bedhead. They felt so gross but they totally worked, if you're desperate for pain relief is is worth asking about. I do not remember the name. They were about the size of an index card, coated in gel and the pharmacy had to special order them.
posted by dottiechang at 10:52 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by dottiechang at 10:52 PM on August 16, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stowaway at 12:48 PM on August 16, 2013