never thought I'd be postintg here

[tkdan]

I've lived with chronic neck pain for about six months. I finally went to the dr and was prescribed fiorinal. My doc says it is from stress and tension. I hate the idea of relying on meds for pain. I have been going to a chiroprator/acupunturists but it does not seem to be helping. I'm sober and working my program of recovery. I'm taking the meds as prescribed and they do not seem to help much with the pain. I do not want to get on anything stronger but I really need some relief from the pain. I guess I need to go back to the doc.

[Stubborn1]

Everyone is different. Do you have anyone close to you that can dispense them properly?
I also have chornic pain and through trial and error realized I can not stray away from the dr's plan with my pain meds.
It's so easy to do when you are hurting. These last few days have been so hard to not take more but I know I can't.
Explain honestly your concerns to your dr. You'd be surprised what works without codiene in it. (HUGS)

[Freedom1990]

Stress/tension can really flare up my degenerative disc disease because my muscles get all knotted up, the headaches start, etc etc etc.

I went through a month of physical therapy and learned some stretching exercises.

Alternating hot/cold packs do help on the knotted bundle of muscles I have now (from the bulging discs).

I tried a mild muscle relaxer, but it changed my personality, and not for the better.

I don't take those anymore.

[barb dwyer]

dan -

I know exactly what you're saying.
And I agree it's time to get back with the doc and let him know that.

Maybe what *I* had to do will help you some.
I had to get within myself and come to an understanding that I'm not doing pain medication to get high.
Not any more.

With a 'boney-fide' medical condition -
and taking as prescribed ...
that's not ABUSING.
it took me some time
(and a year or so of maddening pain)
to understand that.

And the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous ...
in order to become ABLE to do that.

Now, I take pain medication..
and I don't get 'high' .
But I also don't HURT.
And when I don't HURT ...
I can be more effective in life.

Pain will make you crazy.
I'm walking talking proof of that one.

But we have science that enables us to function at quite effective levels
that the Founders did not have.
And I firmly believe, having read some of Dr. Silkwood and Dr. Bob ...
if they'd HAD the combinations ...
they'd have USED the combinations.

I'd go back to the doc and say just what you said here.

I had to go back again and again for months before getting a diagnosis.
And I suffered.
But I didn't 'use'.
And I didn't drink.

Sobriety and 'not drinking or not using' are two completely different things.

Sobriety is a state of being.
not a judgement.


I happen to know you a bit, and I know you're working the Program. No one else can tell you if you're 'sober' or not.
Sorry, but that 'you're not sober' comment
set my teeth on edge.
could have been phrased with a bit more compasion, I think.

[barb dwyer]

please read the second sticky at the top of this forum.

thanks.

[stone]

I think barb is referring to this...

This forum has the potential for problems so it is up on a trial basis.

This forum is for members in recovery who struggle with pain management. Please keep posts on topic. It is not a forum to debate clean time in relationship to prescription medication. Threads that turn into a debate over clean time will be closed or posts will be removed.

[tkdan]

Thanks all! Had a weekend away with the family camping and while it did not take my pain away it did give me a more positive outlook. I woke-up this morning feeling great in a spiritual sense. Just by having a more positive view of life it makes the pain less of a focus. I will be going to get an EKG shortly to find out if anything major is wrong. Thanks again for the replies.

[barb dwyer]

neer had an ekg for my neck before, but whatEVER does the job, dan!
who am I to question - I don't drive a beemer!
LOL!!!

I think you ae competely right on about removing stress by 'going out of town' as well.

[tkdan]

I don't know what I was thinking??? An MRI is what I meant. EKG, MRI, you can see how much they sound alike. Maybe I should wait til I actually wake-up before I post. I'm just glad I didn't call my doc and say I needed an order for that EKG, she would think my meds needed to be cut back or something.

[barb dwyer]

that's funny stuff there ... I don't care who ya are.

[kelsh]

Hi tkDan,

I have chronic pain also but cannot use pain medications because they make me crazy acting...the last time was when I had back surgery for my Osteo-Arthritis & had a fusion done with a titanium cage put in with bone from my hip inside.

The night of the surgery I quit breathing...was lucky someone found me...I had reacted to the Morphine they were using for pain. I woke up in ICU & was a mess....couldn't feed myself, walk, or talk sensibly. They then gave me Vicodin which reacted much the same with me.

Now I just use Tylenol & Celebrex + a muscle relaxer...Robaxin...for my muscle spasms from the Fybromialgia. Stress does make my pain worse & also standing in place very long...cooking or doing dishes so do many things in a sequence with time-outs to get some relief sitting.

My husband has very Chronic Pain from an old injury & uses a strong pain med that not given this choice...said he would have "done himself in by now" if this medication hadn't finally helped him.

So there are all degrees of pain & all kinds of pain meds so we all have to do what we can to handle the pain....the same as anything else...we are all different...no one thing will help everybody...& finally the docs are realizing this.

kelsh

[tkdan]

I tried to go all day yesterday without my meds (except my AD meds) to see how much pain I was in. By 3:00 pm I could not take it any longer and had to take something.

This morning was one of those mornings where it was hard to get out of bed because of the pain so the question of whether or not to take meds today was answered.

I hate relying on meds to make it through the day. I put off going to the dr for so long because I did not want to get on meds for pain. It finally got to the point that my tylenol/ibuprofen regimen was not helping. So here I am having to push my macho pride down and admit I can not handle it. It can be very depressing.

Having to admit defeat to alcoholism was not as difficult as admitting defeat to pain.

Sorry for the negative post but it is where I'm at this morning.

[barb dwyer]

that's the point of this forum I thought -
to be able to be 'where we are' ...
uh... when we're there...

better to take in out and air it in here than in rush hour traffic,
or with a co worker or something.

[tkdan]

better to take in out and air it in here than in rush hour traffic,
or with a co worker or something.

That is so true. I'm in a little better state of mind this morning. The pain is not any less but my outlook is more positive. I do not know if I want to continue taking pain meds or not. The truth is I do not trust myself not to abuse them.

Do you have anyone close to you that can dispense them properly?

I do, but I do not know how that would work out. Our work schedules are so different that I do not think it would be possible. Also I know when I tried to control my drinking I was miserable and I think I would be the same way with a different addiction. I've never been addicted to pain meds but I think that is only because I never had unlimited access to them.

It is a tough position to be in, endure pain or risk addiction.

[tkdan]

I have an appointment to see the dr today so she can order an MRI. I've been doing a lot of research on causes of neck pain (yes I do like to self-diagnose). I have had three bad accidents, two motorcycle and one auto. It is possible that one or more of those did some damage that is just now causing me problems. I guess when I get the results of the MRI I can quit speculating. Anyway having good and bad days as far as pain is concerned. Pain meds have not presented a problem so far. Some days I rely heavily on them some days very little.

[Alera]

Sorry for the late reply. I had computer problems.

Fiorinal/Fioricet (neither have codiene) are my drugs of choice. However, I have a chronic pain condition and after trying over 30 medications they are still the only meds that work for the pain.

My family member that dispenses them also has a different schedule than me. She leaves them out while I sleep before leaving. Then later in the day if she's going to be home she will give me the rest at that time. If I'm up to it, I go to her place of work and pick them up.

IMO, pain should be treated the same as any other medical condition from diabetes to heart problems.

[MROBI]

i dont know why some of you keep saying fioranol has no codiene in it.
Fioranol= bellabutal,caffiene,codiene. you can get bellabutal, which is a barbituate, alone without codiene. but it has been my experience that when it is perscribed as fioranol it contains codiene. look it up you will see.

[DesertEyes]

Originally Posted by MROBI

i dont know why some of you keep saying fioranol has no codiene in it.
Fioranol= bellabutal,caffiene,codiene. you can get bellabutal, which is a barbituate, alone without codiene. but it has been my experience that when it is perscribed as fioranol it contains codiene. look it up you will see.

Close, but not quite. Fiorinal is the trade name for butalbital, not bellabutal. In order to get the version of fioranol with codeine added you need a different prescription from a doc. Codeine is under the Controlled Substances Act. When combined with other meds, such as Fiorinal, it is a Schedule III. That means the doc has to fill out extra forms to provide to the feds, and if you want a refill you have to show up at the docs office in person.

It's very easy to know if you're getting it with codeine, because you can't get a refill over the phone.

Bellatal is a trade name for Donnatal, which is a whole different subject.

As a reminder to all the members, this is _not_ a forum for medical advice. If you have any questions whatsover about your medications, your treatment, or your condition, go directly to your medical team. Everything you read in this forum is personal opinions only, nobody is writing as a medical professional.

Mike

Moderator, SoberRecovery

[tkdan]

It definitely does not have codeine. If it did it might provide some relief but it could lead to another problem.

IMO, pain should be treated the same as any other medical condition from diabetes to heart problems.

That is what I try to keep in mind. I did not hear anything last week from my MRI. I'm ready to know what the problem is and get it fixed (if possible).

I've dealt with pain many times but never chronic pain, this is a new experience for me. It is taking its toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have not felt up to working out much so I've gained some weight causing me added depression. I'm stressed about the whole situation worrying that this may be something I have to live with the rest of my life.

[DesertEyes]

Hello tkdan, and pleased to "meet" you.

Originally Posted by tkdan

... I'm stressed about the whole situation worrying that this may be something I have to live with the rest of my life.

Been there, done that. No, it won't be for the rest of your life. What happens is you have to find the best "recipe" of medication that gives you the most pain relief with the least side - effects. You will also have to spend some time working your way thru the medical "machine" in order to get a correct diagnosis and then correct treatment. Once you get that diagnosis you will know if you have something easy to cure with meds, or harder to cure with surgery, or maybe something chronic.

Whatever it turns out to be, there's a ton of medications out there, and only a few of them dangerous to us "recovery people". The not knowing is definetly the hardest part for me, but once I got the right meds it's been much, much easier to deal with. My own head has a bad habit of spinning off into the worst possible expectations. Lots of meetings and time with my good friends helps keep my head "grounded" in what I _do_ know, instead of what I am afraid to know.

Mike

[tkdan]

Hey thanks Mike. I needed to hear some positives right about now. I agree meetings are a must now more than ever. That is one place I can get out of myself.
Im' still waiting, but this is Columbus day so my dr might not be in the office.