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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
Has anyone had any experience using Opiates to manage their mental health problems?
Has anyone had any really terrible experiences using Opiates?
Does anyone know of any doctors in Clinics anywere in the world that are currently prepaired to use opiotes?
Posted by Phillipa on December 17, 2006, at 20:12:57
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
No don't they use buph? Love Phillipa
Posted by JerryPharmStudent on December 18, 2006, at 6:34:03
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
> Has anyone had any experience using Opiates to manage their mental health problems?
>
> Has anyone had any really terrible experiences using Opiates?
>
> Does anyone know of any doctors in Clinics anywere in the world that are currently prepaired to use opiotes?I have severe treatment resistan depression and have been on every med, ECT, VNS, therapy - you name it. After 15 years I findally found some exscellent fortos at teh University of Minnesota who were willing to try using an opiate along with my other meds. I take hydrocodone 5mg 4x daily and it has been a lifesaver. I have been on it for over 2 years without tolerance or abuse. It has been the only thing keeping me alive at times.
How did I convinnce the doctors to try it? I showedd them some clinical studies using opiates. And I just told them the truth - that in the past when I had been on Vidodin for pain that it greatly reduced my depression.
After so many failed meds and procedures - they deicded to try it saying "We've got to hit as many receptors as possible - including the opiate receptors."
And liek I said - NO tolerance or need to increase my dosage after 2 years. Fortunately I found these doctors at a big teaching meds school - and the doctors and residents were not at all afriad to try off-lable and/or experimental treatments.
Finding a private practice doc to Rx opiates is a diffferent story. They may be all for it but won't do it because having a patient on an opiate greatly increases their malpractice insurance. So they don't want to have to pay higher premiums at the expense of your health. Unfortunate.
Try to find a teaching hospital - one that also does a lot of reasearch. The University of Minnesota was my holy grail.
Good luck
Posted by blueberry1 on December 18, 2006, at 17:35:15
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
I've never tried opiates. I do remember feeling great when I had a bad cough and the doctor gave me a cough syrup with codeine in it.
At remedyfind.com where people rate their medication experiences, most drugs get about a 6 or 7 out of a possible 10. And though tramadol isn't a pure opioid, it scored a 8 for depression and anxiety. People who have tried every antidepressant imaginable found success with tramadol. With it the waiting is 2 to 3 hours instead of 3 to 4 weeks.
Opiates and addiction. Opiates and tolerance. I wonder if doctors have ever heard of prozac poopout? With each dose increase it doesn't work for long? I wonder if they have ever heard about effexor withdrawals? Zyprexa withdrawals? Hey, all these drugs have a sort of addiction, or bodily dependence, and opiates aren't the only ones viscious to get off of.
Overall I have heard more positives over the years about opiates than anything else. I think they need to be treated with respect though.
Posted by chrgomez10 on December 18, 2006, at 18:38:02
In reply to Re: Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by blueberry1 on December 18, 2006, at 17:35:15
Blueberry:
Im glad you are doing well. Have you noticed any anticholinergic effect from hydrocodone?? Any difficult in focusing or impaired memory??
Thanks
Posted by chrgomez10 on December 18, 2006, at 18:39:50
In reply to Re: Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by chrgomez10 on December 18, 2006, at 18:38:02
sorry that was for JerryPharmStudent
> Blueberry:
>
> Im glad you are doing well. Have you noticed any anticholinergic effect from hydrocodone?? Any difficult in focusing or impaired memory??
>
> Thanks
Posted by liliths on December 18, 2006, at 18:57:01
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
I've been on hydrocodone 7.5mg 2x daily for about the past 4 years.. it definitely has anti-depressant effects for some people
I was really fortunate that my pdoc was willing to augment my ADs with them when I told him of my experiences. I noticed they helped me focus, energized me and basically allowed me to actually do something, instead of sitting around frozen. They let me feel more willing to live
there is a lot of data supporting their use.. you can try talking to your pdoc.... it certainly can't hurt. I would suggest doing a google on psycho-babble for some of the recent threads
what other meds are you currently taking?
Unfortunately for me, I'm being forced off them by a governing agency in order to obtain my license as a massage therapist. The experience is killing me... not being forced off the meds per se (though the depression isn't my life's dream either), but that someone CAN force me off them, as well as drug test me to make sure I'm not taking them
it's THAT, that's really making me unwilling to continue living. Sorry for getting off track
Also, consider looking at buprenorphine. My pdoc was totally unwilling to prescribe it but that doesn't mean yours won't
the research on it is far more recent as well. Our pseudoname made a page with tips for people who were interested in getting their pdocs to consider it
Good Luck!!
namaste,
lilith> Has anyone had any experience using Opiates to manage their mental health problems?
>
> Has anyone had any really terrible experiences using Opiates?
>
> Does anyone know of any doctors in Clinics anywere in the world that are currently prepaired to use opiotes?
Posted by Phillipa on December 18, 2006, at 19:04:37
In reply to Re: Opiates-Experiences Opinions? » Tom Twilight, posted by JerryPharmStudent on December 18, 2006, at 6:34:03
Jerry boy don't I know it. Here I am with nothing ad wise that has worked, I break my arm they give me percocet. I took one at bedtime and my husband said I was laughting. Now at the age of 60 who cares if they are addictive. Heck the benzos I've been on for over 35years for panic are becoming tolerant and I'm totally miserable. But I wonder where else I could go? I asked or told my GP how I felt and he said well they are addictive that's it end of conversation. Love Phillipa
Posted by dmlvt on December 19, 2006, at 7:58:49
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
Before I was diagnosed with depression, I had been fighting a long term problem with chronic headaches. It's still a problem for me, but I've gotten some relief recently through acupuncture. My primary care doc at the time thought that it was an issue with repeat sinus infections. The antibiotics never seemed to help, but hydrocodone (Vicodin) helped tremendously.
At the time, I was working in a very stressful work situation and the vicodin made my days go amazingly well. I never felt the need to increase the dosage and I didn't think I developed a tolerance, but my usage was limited to a max of 6 months straight. I had multiple periods of time where I used it for 2-3 months.
I will admit that I was happy every time the doc agreed to one more refill. I don't think I realized it then, but the headaches were giving me an excuse to take a medicine that was helping my then-undiagnosed depression.
Regretfully, my primary care doc retired and my new PCP is adamantly opposed to opiate usage. He works with lots of patients who are addicted to various meds and street drugs, and doesn't like the fact that my pdoc has me on ritalin and ativan. So, there is no chance that he would ever give me vicodin for depression.
dmlvt
Posted by kerria on December 19, 2006, at 16:29:26
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
Hi TomTwilight,
i've had to take opiates- oxycontin, because of terrible sharp constant pain. i've been on the same dose for almost two years now. It definately makes physical living possible and it's helped PTSD but not the DID. i still live in parts and am having an impossible time trying to find a t who can help me.It helps with the ptsd because otherwise i feel like i was just experiencing current p.a. and s.a. the pain is in a place of my body that's so triggering. i still become upset sometimes and forget to take meds in time and have severe pain and am upset but at least there's a way to get out of most of the pain.
i don't think i would have made it if the pain wasn't treated. i still have pain even with the meds but it's bearable and intermittent- not constant which is torture to go through.
That's not healthy for anyone- but especially those of us that suffer with severe ptsd and DID.
When you have DID there are little ones inside and it's too hard for them to manage being in pain.It helps both disorders to take opiates for pain. i tried the other meds like elivil and so many- neurontin and cymbalta, lyrica and others. They had so many side effects and didn't have any effect on the sharp constant pain. They also caused so much confusion and tired drowsiness that i wasn't able to function. It's hard enough to funtion- i have to keep things as normal as possible- i have so much switching - going from part to part as it is. Having meds that work for pain are a godsend and i'm so thankful to the dr who is treating me. i would be a terrible mental and physical wreck and in bed everyday if he didn't treat me. Now the meds don't work as well and i had to give up doing a lot of physical things i want to do because of the pain afterwards.
i'm having surgery for the nerve pain next month and i hope it will work- i'll be happy to be have less pain to have to take meds for - i hope for a successful surgery. Waking up every morning in so much pain is so hard. Also having the meds not be working as much as i'd like is hard also-- the dr won't go up any and i have a tolerance now. If the surgery works i will be able to hike more, work more and maybe even backpack again.
i do think that opiates give me mental stability maybe- but i'm not doing that much better as far as depression and my hopeless parts still become distraught - we havent had many days without tears- no therapy sessions without crying through mostly all the time. Still having a very hard with switching from part to part, still losing time but it isn't impossible. It definately was not possible before.
k.
Posted by mattye on December 20, 2006, at 13:28:44
In reply to Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by Tom Twilight on December 17, 2006, at 14:39:31
I love opiates! Absolutely nothing has worked better for my anxiety and depression than opiates. In fact, before I got treated with SSRIs, I was routinely self medicating with vicodin / percocets / oxys bought from the street. Because I have a history of abuse, there is no chance any doc will give me anything remotely addictive, including benzos. It really sucks!
Posted by Tom Twilight on December 20, 2006, at 15:01:15
In reply to Re: Opiates-Experiences Opinions?, posted by mattye on December 20, 2006, at 13:28:44
Hey all
This thread is really interesting, lets keep going
This is the end of the thread.
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