Posted by bulldog2 on April 25, 2010, at 12:35:07
In reply to update from unlikely, potential opoid-seeker ;-), posted by floatingbridge on April 24, 2010, at 17:44:32
> So I'm off for x-rays and more lab tests. Physiatrist seems smart, competent, and interested in actually figuring out what's creating pain.
>
> For now, in holding pattern of low dose, preemptive vicodin. Yesterday had a terrible flare-up. Four tabs (the most ever taken in one day) barely dented it--and created cognitive dulling to boot. No high there.
>
> Doc says what I take right now is "chump-change". That made me laugh. Said something interesting that I thought I'd pass on regarding pain meds. He described a negative reinforcment pattern: when one has a pain flare, they say (subconsciuosly), okay, I get to take my pain meds. (A danger, I suppose esp. if pain is not managed successfully.) Very interesting to me. This guy is no pusher.
>
> An important tangent: my mood has been really good. I might freak out about autoimmune testing, pain, seeing yet another and another doctor, however, bounce-back time is swifter.
>
> go figure. let's hope it lasts.
>
> (And if you're thinking it's because I'm high as a kite, I'll say this: when I have my health issues managed, go off low-dose vicodin, and if my depression worsens, I'm getting my shrink to restart the vicodin. If it works for me, med category is secondary.)The euphoria vanishes very soon after starting therapy. Anyone that chases euphoria will end up on huge doses.However one can maintain that almost impercitable mood lift on the same dose for a while. Sometimes it does take a little tampering with the dose to get good pain control.
For me good pain control means not obsessive thinking about the pain or wrestling to try and control it. You finally get to get on with life without struggling with pain issues!
poster:bulldog2
thread:944908
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100425/msgs/945021.html