Went to Pain management clinic today

[Cindylou]

Well, I met with the Nurse Practitioner this afternoon and discussed with her how I was not reaping any benefit from the 12 mg of the fentanyl patch. Nothing, whatsoever. For some reason, I was just beat down, probably from the pain, and was finding it difficult to keep my emotions in tack. I think somewhere in the back of my head I was also loosely thinking of the irony of being at a pain management clinic, and yet here I was, just completely hobbled in pain. She decided to up me to the 25 mg patch and she prescribed a muscle relaxant. The muscle relaxant is Zanaflex. A new one to me. I am hoping it is not too late to get this pain under control, because I now am feeling like it has gone up another couple of notches. I took the Zanaflex but I am completely in spasm. I added the other 12 mg patch of fentanyl to my existing one, per doctor's orders, about 5 pm, and not noticing anything yet! Crap! Well....I am going to continue this later tonight. We have another showing at 7 pm, so I have to get out of the house.

[Katie]

Oh lordie, CL. No wonder you are spasming! (Is that a word??)

You have way too much on your plate. You know what you'd be telling me if we switched places, now don't you!

You need some serious and probably a from friends and family (and us of course!) Try to take it easy before you out of control or get so that you hurt yourself even more, my friend.

(I really just like having a reason to use all these smilies at your expense )

Now that I've driven you crazy, I'll give you some serious sass. Sweetie, I'm worried about you. The stress you are under is driving your need for more meds, and it's a vicious circle. But you know that, and what you need is a Molly Maid or someone to come in and spruce things up before a showing and take the stress off. Would that help? Just find some spray that smells like fresh bread and don't worry about the dust bunnies!

I hope you can enjoy the forced time outside with Sophie at least. How is she doing these days? And I'm also glad that you were able to get into the clinic and that they actually are trying to help you. Hang in there. I'm stuck with Robaxocet for spasms now as my family doc wouldn't fill my script without a visit, but she's on vacation and then too full to see me. It sounds like your nurse is more helpful at least.

Big hugs, my friend. It will pass...repeat after me...it will pass.....HUGS...

[Graysonlaw]

I'm hoping that all goes well with you. Open houses AND snow! Keep the faith. We are praying for you.

[KBear]

Maybe it will take 12 hours for the next dose to kick in. It always seemed to take that long for mine to kick in.

I take Zanaflex for sleep, they are 3mg. I take 1 to 2 at night, depending on my pain level. If I am in bad pain, 1 will do nothing, not too bad, 1 knocks me out for hours. I took one of these on my last cruise before a dinner one night, as my pain was bad and I ended up nodding off repeatedly during it. Hubby finally sent me to the room and I slep from 6pm until 9am!

[Cindylou]

Katie, well, the problem with the Molly Maid idea is I typically end up needing a last minute service to spruce things up. I tried Molly Maid last week actually, but they just can't turn around a last minute service like that, unfortunately. I do have a weekly cleaning lady who comes every Friday, but we do "live in our house," and it's those middle of the week showings that are just kicking my butt. I do know the house showings are definitely a stress factor, but I honestly don't think that it is driving my need for more meds. Remember, I was on the lowest dose of the patch and my Hydrocodone is 5 mg, allowed to be taken 1 x a day. It's just not cutting it. Now, after bumping up the patch to 25 mg., she left me the 7 Hydrocodone pills I had left over to last me 2 weeks. That's 1 every other day for break thru pain. A joke, in my humble opinion. Other than the house on the market, which I know is no picnic, I'm really not doing anything else....some p.t., and sitting in my chair all day in excruciating pain. This pain right now is about to drive me to the ER. It's that bad. Gonna knock off and see if I can get to sleep to get away from it.

[Katie]

I'm so sorry. I hadn't kept up with your problem with the shortage of pain medication and didn't grasp that the Fentanyl wasn't working at all. I assumed that it was just not quite enough. I'm so stressed that you are in so much pain still, and rereading my post, it sounded flippant. That is the last thing that I meant.

That amount of medication IS a joke when you are displaying that much pain. I have to read these threads a bit more carefully. I apologize. I guess the nurse is as thick as I am.

[Cindylou]

Been up since 3 am. Will definitely have to get a nap in today. That was after taking 2 of the muscle relaxants to help me sleep. My nightsweats just soaked the sheets and my pj's, so I got up once and changed into fresh pj's, and laid a dry towel over the damp spot to get back to sleep. Then woke up at 3 am, soaked in perspiration again, so just got up. Couldn't get back to sleep second time. My muscle spasms are still there, but not quite as intense as at bed time.

Katie, no worries about your post. I was just trying to explain the situation more clearly, because I wasn't sure you understood.

What I didn't get to finish posting last night due to pain levels, was that my insurance denied the Dr.'s appeal letter for the lumbar facet cauterization. So that is 2 denials now. I'm done with appeals. Don't have the fight in me at this point in time. I asked for direction, as this latest news was beginning to give me a feeling of panic, and they gave me the name and number of another Dr. w/i their program who might have a few more aces up his sleeve. He is the actual Medical Director of the MAPS (Medical Pain Clinics) Program. So will be placing a phone call today and hope to set up an evaluation with him. I have heard this could take months to get into him. But at least I have a lead, and now if I could just begin to get some relief from the upgrade in patch dosage.......25 mg. of fentanyl patch sounds like it should be pretty substantial, no? Not sure about having 6 of the Hydrocodone (took 1 last night) to last me 2 weeks for breakthrough pain. I think I will call them back on that. I know I cannot be the first person in the program who is NOT getting relief from 25 mg. of a fentanyl patch. I am beginning to feel that because I am retired, somehow the value of my quality of life doesn't matter as much.....say, as compared to a high powered executive who works 60 hours a week. I would bet my last dollar that he/she would be given more respect and consideration of managing their pain expeditiously, than I am receiving. I swear on my life, I believe this to be true, and it irritates the hell out of me!

[KBear]

CL- I am praying you get more relief from the Fentanyl. You are obviously in a ton of pain if the muscle relaxers aren't knocking you out. This only happened to me when I was in really, really bad pain. I was told that one of the 3mg ones could knock a 300 lb man out. I have taken 2 and not been knocked out; but only when my pain levels were high, like a 9 or 10. I always just thought it was because I am very tolerant to medications (always have been). Hope you get some sleep today.

I would definitely call about the Vicodin and ask for a refill, just in case.

It does seem like pain is always undertreated... and I think there are numerous reasons for this.... Some of them being: fear of the person lying or faking it for meds, fear of abuse, dependendence/tolerance, fear of the DEA shutting them down (which in my area has happened to several area doctors), and a lack of understanding of what we go through on a day to day basis. Mine has only been treated well for about 6 months out of the almost 4 years I have been in pain. They even know that I a have 2 small children to care for, when it happened they were 2 weeks and 2 1/2 years. I have told doctors countless times that I can not care for my kids in pain like that.... yet if falls on deaf ears. There definitely needs to be better awareness of chronic pain and it's effects on us, especially if under-treated.

Praying for you,
love ya,
Kathy

[Cindylou]

Thank-you Kathy. And nice "talking" with you this morning too. I appreciate your concern.