Posted by greenhornet on April 9, 2005, at 13:08:57
In reply to Re: Flip-Codeine » greenhornet, posted by flipsactown on April 9, 2005, at 10:05:50
FST,
I am sorry --I do owe you an apology. You are right about chronic pain, I'm afraid that in my "passion" I overlooked your situation. Please accept my apology. I hope things continue to go well for you. You seem to have good insight into, and an understanding of your problem.
It is also good to hear from someone else who has been married 30+ years. My husband and I will celebrate thirty eight years soon. GHGH,
>> In my case, I was not taking Codeine to "feel better" mentally, I was taking it to feel better physically. Chronic low back pain, from 2 failed back surgeries, numerous injections to the spine, having had tried many different treatments, including acupuncture, TENS unit and biofeedback, I had no choice, but to take narcotics, mainly Codeine, to get some pain relief.
>
> I had tried for over a year to go without any medications or talk therapy and that nearly cost me my marriage. When I came close to being physical with my wife, I decided to seek psych therapy, which I have to say saved my marriage. My therapist of over 10 years had recommended I take Prozac. I was very hesitant at first because of all the bad press I had read about. Fortunately, I tried Prozac and in less then 3 weeks, I realized I was feeling like my normal self, a happy-go-lucky guy with a wonderful wife and three sons. I have now been married 32 years to the same woman, who put up with me when I was in constant physical and mental pain.
>
> Bottomeline: Chronic physical pain is very real which from my research, usually results in depression. Apparently, chronic pain uses up certain chemicals in the brain, like serotonin, which in turn causes depression. Without having had tried narcotics with regular talk therapy, I would not now be still, happily married. Again, this is my own personal experience.
>
> FST
>
> > This entire discussion makes me want to weep! Using opiates to "feel better" is not all that much different than the rest of biopsychiatry. For over twenty years of my over sixty years of life, I too was a prisoner of "psychotheraputic" treatment. At the time it seemed the right thing to do. After all, I am a nurse/therapist and my husband a physician.
> > Slowly, over the years, through my own experience and that of those around me (clients and coworkers), it bergan to dawn on me that I was not reallly facing up to life, not taking responsiblilty for my own behaviour, and was running from reality through drugs (prescribed) and "therapy"....
> > I have posted most of this before and it usually get lots of really angry responses from folks who are just sure that; "Well, that worked for her, but "I have" or "I am" or what ever. That's called "I Disease" people! Put the stuff down, and take charge of your own life! I finally did and what a difference! The whole world is a different/better place. Stop letting the American Psychiatric Association label you and call it "illness" and trying to fix what "ain't really broke" to begin with!!
> > It was two decades of not feeling emotions that simply fed into my not learning how to deal with them. Every time you get off medicatioon you "relapse"?? That's what I though too, until until the whole debacle with first Effexor then Lexapro. What have people (myself included ) experienced there? Painful, often prolonged withdrawal - not relapse. So what does the physician do? Give out another drug!! But you can live through it (the withdrawal), and you can live without dumping chemicals into your body. I finally am able to live that way.
> > A therapist from another culture once shared this with me:
> > "Of course Americans are depressed -- you are raised to believe that you are entitled to the good things in life and that pain is to be avoided at ALL cost. Then when tough times hit, you are surprised and becoome "depressed"
> > In some other cultures the people grow up EXPECTING pain and suffering, so when it happens there is no big shock, and the "good things" are seen as rare and not a way of life.
> > I have been drug free for a year now and it's wonderful. Try it, you might be amazed. GH
> > PS Coming off took me over a year -- do not rush it! By the way,in those twenty-plus years, I took something like twenty-five psychoactive substances, antidepressants, stimulants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics - the whole pharmacopea, So please, don't tell me I don't know what I am talking about..
> >
> >
> >
> > Paulbwell,
> > > > > You take 60mgs 5x a day=300mgs?
> > > > and find pain relief better than Oxy?
> > >
> > > Yes on the dosage. Initially, like the first couple of months, Oxy was superior in pain relief. After that, pain relief dropped down to the level of relief I was getting with Codeine.
> > >
> > > > -No Euphoria/stimulation from Oxy?
> > >
> > > None
> > >
> > > > -Apparently Oxycontin is a stimulating Opiod,
> > > > thou I'm guessing when abused, not when used medically, as in your case.
> > >
> > > Exactly
> > >
> > > > If I may ask, what dose of Oxycontin did you use for your injuries?
> > >
> > > Max daily dosage my Paindoc RXed was two 20mg x 4 = 160mg/day
> > >
> > > > Thanks for your relpy
> > >
> > > Your welcome.
> > >
> > > FST
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
poster:greenhornet
thread:479222
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050408/msgs/482022.html