[butterfly19]

Well, I have had this on my mind for a few days so I figured what better place than the "Pain Management" forum to ask others opinions. I hope I am within the bounds of the rules for posting my question. If not, please let me know!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I suffer from chronic pain and am addicted to opiates. Currently I'm on suboxone, and after the intial withdrawal pain being eased by the sub, I realized that I'm having the most severe joint pain in my life that I most likely have been masking for years by taking the narcotics. So now, how to deal with the REAL pain that is causing me to barely function?

My psychiatrist who is an addiction specialist recommended Lyrica to me for my chronic pain. Since I do work in the medical field, I have some basic knowledge of what it is and how it works. It is actually an anticonvulsant used for partial onset seizures but due to the effect it has on the CNS (central nervous system) it can block the pain signals that are working overtime in such conditions as fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain. It is non-narcotic, btw.

My question is this. Has anyone been taking this medication and had good outcomes with it in regards to chronic pain being relieved? Also, has anyone taken it specifically for joint pain and has it helped?

My doc told me that one of the side effects that he worried about for me was drowsiness because some of the other meds he has me on make me extremely drowsy. We decided to wait one more week so I could think it over and decide if I wanted to try it. It is expensive, but he is good about giving me samples because of my lack of insurance. I think I'll more than likely tell him at my appt. on Monday that I want to give it a try. I'm hurting more and more everyday, and as many of you know, that puts a damper on trying to recover from opiates when you're in severe pain all the time. The thought is always there eating at you, that if you could just take one pain pill you would feel better. But I know like others have said on here that it would be impossible for me. I wouldn't take them as prescribed--they'd be gone in 2-3 days and I'd be left wanting more. So I have to find some alternatives.

Perhaps Lyrica would be something worth trying. Please let me know of your experiences with it! I can't wait to find out if there is a lot of success in using it to treat chronic pain! Thanks to all for taking the time to read and respond with your thoughts on this subject!

butterfly19

:ghug2