Posted by Holly VanBen on September 22, 2006, at 15:28:29
In reply to Re: Tentative Withdrawal From Oxycodone » Holly VanBen, posted by corafree on September 20, 2006, at 7:33:46
Hi again,
OK you can do this. It is the hardest thing ever and you may feel like dieing would be prefered, BUT IT DOES GET BETTER. People told me this for days and I didn't know if they were right, but they were. 44 Days and it's not anything like the first 3 weeks.
I can totally relate to your prbs with your PCP. I had a terrible PCP that sounds just like yours for the first 2 years. I finally broke and it was the best thing I ever did. Unfortunately this is a learn as you go thing, but take conficence from those who have already been there. You have to stand up to your doc. You MUST demand the help you NEED. Do not take no for an answer, do not take what your doc says at face value if you question it at all. Do NOT let your doc belittle you or make you feel like an addict. It doesn't matter whether your an addict or not, you still have pain and you are not nearly alone in the millions that are chemically addicted to pain meds due to medical problems. It is cruel and ignorant to treat you less then you deserve. You are the boss, your insurance may pay, but you have paid or do pay for your insurance. Your insurance trusts you to handle the sub-contractor(docs) since they cannot do it for you. They can only refer. Remember docs are only practicing medicine. Operative word is practicing. Demand your rights as a patient and a human being. I let my PCP hinder and harm me physically but mostly emotionally for 2 years. I would leave her office in tears and feel horrible for days. When you are sick you trust a doctor to help you, it is a horrible breach for a doc to misuse that trust. I'm behind you Cora, sick em.
I also have developed horrible stomack probs while on meds. I agree I think the meds are the main culperate and I have a very good Gastrointerologist who agrees, but that doesn't cure the prob. There is hope though. Iv'e been on all kinds of stomach meds for 5 years now and still need some exploratory proceedures for the back door I have been putting off. Now the good news is this.
I'm going to get graphic here so anyone reading this who wants to just skip this part.
When I was on pain meds I had the exact probs, not going for weeks sometimes, stomach like a rock, horrible pain, then laxatives and then start all over again. But now that I have quit the meds things have changed dramatically. Now the first 2 weeks I had the most horrible abdominal pain and diahrea and vomiting you could imagine. Went to ER on day 5 completely dehydrated and miserable. They gave me suppositories and IVs and other meds that finally helped. But it has come back for a period of 5 days twice now since then. It's part of withdrawals and it's ugly, any change in health or meds sets it off. OK finally the good news. Since detoxing when I do have a BM normally its huge and everyday. I've read other people's stories that say this about using colon cleanse products, but I need to tell you DO NOT use anything like this when detoxing, it dumps huge amounts of chemicals into your system and can cause permanent damage. Even the info on cleansing products warns of this. And NEVER take and cleansing product while on meds because the reaction can be more severe.
All mind altering chemicals do just what they suggest. They alter your mind by altering your chemicals to your brain. Everything your going through is a result of this. Even when if you stop it takes an unknown amout of time for your brain and body to rid itself of these chemicals and begin to produce them normally again. It does happen though. I am walking proof. In 44 days I am not even the same person anymore. I couldn't even focus to read and I love to read. I couldn't focus to watch TV, I stared at walls alot. All that is gone now. I can read a book in a few hours, watch as much TV as I like and best of all I can relate to people again.
Isolating is horrible for anyone but particularly bad for those with medical probs. Some of it is necassary, but do whatever you can to get support. Even if it is just here. I understand the pain of feeling like your all alone and in the middle of no where. Just to watch people would be nice, right? I suggest you start some support groups if you can. Even if just to go and get phone numbers so you can talk to someone when you need to. Pills Annonymous, Narcotics Annonymous (although that crowd can be rough), AL-Anon is great, CODA is great and try to join a church group (womens fellowship or home fellowship) near you. Anything you can, but just keep reaching out.
Lastly, surgery is not a very good option for anyone with pain probs. My feeling is unless it is life threateningly necassary or non invasive in the extreme it causes more harm then good. There are soooo many people like myself here to tell you surgery just added to the pain and didn't fix the problem. Try everything else FIRST, surgery is not a quick fix and is never the best option in pain situations. The original pain usually remains plus the new probs from surgery.
Whew I think that covers everything. E-mail me and let me know how you are.
HUGS Holly
poster:Holly VanBen
thread:684185
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060809/msgs/688219.html