Discussion Chronic pain sufferers and the ever-changing laws

[DeathIndustrial88]

I've been on welbutrin numerous times in the past.
I even use to snort it when I had zero drugs or money.
Eventually I moved on from it cause it was next to worthless & made me uncomfortable some times.
However, I asked for it this time around because I'm in a program & they're gonna be invasively checking my urine, so I figure if I'm gonna have to take something, then it might as well be one that I can tolerate without throwing up & having hand tremors (like SNRI's cause me).

But I don't like that wellbutrin dulls my other meds, like at all.
Can't find anything online about dopamine reuptake inhibition causing dopamine release to be blocked as well, but that's what it feels like.
Although there was a time where I was able to feel meth ontop of ritalin, but I assume that's cause meth is a much more powerful dopamine releaser than opioids even.
And I'm assuming all that dopamine didn't go where it was suppose to cause I ended up getting hyperreflexia and couldn't stop moving my body while sitting in a car. Any bump or pothole caused an exaggerated reflex in me to swing my arms & move my legs.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Scrolling through vids on YT & I see shit like "How decriminalizing drugs DESTROYED Portland!!"....
And it makes me have even less hope that we'll advance toward any sane drug policies. Too many people love to generalize, stereotype & assume.
Sure, it's the drugs that destroyed Portland, not our shitty economy or broken system. Nope, let's blame drugs & the people who use them instead.

I'm like a hair away from being homeless myself all the time & I rarely get to enjoy the drugs they got in Portland.

 

[thegreenhand]

Sure, it's the drugs that destroyed Portland, not our shitty economy or broken system. Nope, let's blame drugs & the people who use them instead.

here in appalachia people blame homeless fent/alcohol addicts, instead of looking at the rampant private resource extraction that exports all of our natural wealth

 

[RoaminW]

I can't find my old post about alternatives for chronic pain relief., but I wanted to ask if anyone had any other suggestions.

I've had burning/tingly in my feet for a couple years now. Along with dry skin on my right elbow.
Watched a video & discovered that these symptoms could be from vitamin b1 deficiency.
I have no idea if I have a vitamin b1 deficiency but I guess it can't hurt to try when I have the money for a supplement.

I've spoken to 5 different doctors over the past 2 years & mentioned this burning/tingling & not a single one of them mentioned anything about possible vitamin deficiency or anything at all real. Mostly just looks of "well that sucks".
The US healthcare system is completely fucked.

I have to resort to poppyseeds, DXM or illicit drugs whenever the pain gets to be too much. Which is fucking absurd.
Last DXM experience made me completely sick.



Killing myself to live, just how the government wants it.

How many seeds does it take to provide relief?

 

[Nas47]

I asked my doctor to please just switch me to welbutrin, cause I'm tired of the SNRI's and I don't believe my depression is serotonin related anyway. So I figure if I'm gonna have to take an AD in order to be "compliant", it might as well be one that I can physically handle (aka, not being throwing up and half dead all the time). Plus I need help cutting back on cigarettes.
She finally sent it over today.
Drove my car all the way there on an empty tank just to get it.
Drove all the way back home & there was some asshole blocking my parking spot.
When I finally got inside, I opened the welbutrin only discover that there was only 10 pills in the bottle, even though the QTY said 30 & I paid for 30.
So I called them & they said not to take any yet & to bring it back in so I can prove there's only 10 there.
I was like wtf. So I had to use the last of my money for the month to put it in my gas tank, so I could go back.
Thankfully they didn't make a huge deal out of it once I got there. But I think from now on, I'll count my meds before I even leave the store.

I have no doubt that if that had been my klonopin or another controlled med, they would have accused me of lying.
I know this has nothing to do with opioids or chronic pain, but it's still frustrating.


Anyone know if dopamine reuptake inhibition would block dopamine release from other drugs? Like opioids or other stimulants?
I've always been curious, cause I've noticed my buprenorphiine feels really really "blah" when I take buproprion too.
Same with methylphenidate and buprenorphine.
It's like they dull the opioid effect of the bupe for some reason.
Dopamine releasers + buprenorphine feel lovely though however.

Bupe not goes well eith ad drugs.at least for me.after quitt zoloft all became better.metabolism of bupr.too i guess

 

[papercuts]

But as far as pain relief goes, we're all screwed.
I know people in my family who deal with chronic pain (including myself) and all they're ever given is shit like SNRI's and gabapentin & that's it.

The drug war needs to end, like yesterday.

Opioids long term are safer on the brain & organs than legal drugs like alcohol. When more people finally realize this, they will hopefully realize they are being lied to & having their choice to use pain meds & have quality of life taken away. The drug war should have been the original "my body, my choice".

Yep, it's ironic when those who self treat their pain because they've been denied healthcare, are then denied healthcare because they self treat. It almost divides the population into two parts, those deserving of human rights and addicts, who aren't quite human enough?
I get the whole thing about a little bit will wake the demon, I've experienced it and eventually relapsed a year later because I couldn't get it back out of my head after being reminded that once. The risk is there, but doesn't mean people ought to be treated differently by doctors, doctors aren't politicians or police, people should have the choice.
Good to see you about @DeathIndustrial88, how have you been recently?

 

[papercuts]

How many seeds does it take to provide relief?

Poppyseeds are notoriously unreliable. You'll try ten different brands, feel nothing, then overdose on the eleventh.
I'd start with 200g unwashed if you've no tolerance, you'll likely be wasting your time.

 

[papercuts]

Bupe not goes well eith ad drugs.at least for me.after quitt zoloft all became better.metabolism of bupr.too i guess

I'm feeling a lot different since stopping buprenorphine, I'm on more pods, not reduced again yet.
I thought it had an antidepressant effect when I started it, stopping it was ok, I feel ok a month on now, same as before I started it.
One big difference without buprenorphine is I can see better. I don't need glasses half as much now. Sometimes I miss it, but I prefer pods, y'know.

 

[kiely]

I get some pain relief when I need it sometimes. What am I going to do though.

Weed can help a lot though. I am so lucky that it can be grown and used here.

Sometimes I can hardly believe that it's true. This is awesome.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Yep, it's ironic when those who self treat their pain because they've been denied healthcare, are then denied healthcare because they self treat. It almost divides the population into two parts, those deserving of human rights and addicts, who aren't quite human enough?
I get the whole thing about a little bit will wake the demon, I've experienced it and eventually relapsed a year later because I couldn't get it back out of my head after being reminded that once. The risk is there, but doesn't mean people ought to be treated differently by doctors, doctors aren't politicians or police, people should have the choice.
Good to see you about @DeathIndustrial88, how have you been recently?

I couldn't agree more!
It's the illegality of opioids making them dangerous.

When I'm in pain & have nothing other than buprenorphine (as far as an opioid goes), then I have to consume copious amounts of other substances ontop of that just to feel better. It's completely ridiculous. I could eliminate like 5 of the medications I'm on, if I could just take my opioid of choice everyday instead.
I have been doing okay, thanks for asking! I have my good days & my bad days. Some times I'll even have an ok day but then "things" in my environment will fuck that up (my bf/ex/roommate/whatever we are since I'm stuck with him). I've been better though. I miss my mom. And my family. And my friends. The idea of being able to get together with some one & just laugh at the world. I don't get that anymore where I'm at now & I never realized how much I took it for granted.

Did you say you came off of buprenorphine? How has that been?

I don't think I can ever stop taking opioids & if I lose access to any, I would be in danger, of myself. So I have to hope that never happens. Although some days on buprenorphine, I feel like I might as well be on nothing. But it's a major internal conflict. Especially since I'm only getting older & opioids (and drugs in general) are such a deep rooted passion of mine.

 

[xtcgrrrl]

It's the illegality of opioids making them dangerous.

SO TRUE!!!

 

[Fertile]

The BNF (UK's equivalent of the PDR) who note 'opioid analgesics are only appropriate for treating cancer pain and to prevent unacceptable human suffering'.

Now how about THAT for a 'set the bar where you will' result. I'm severely disabled and in severe pain. Have been for 20 years. It took 18 years to get codeine and another year to get OxyContin. But I've been warned - watch out, if OxyContin is cast in a bad light in the news - get swapped to another opioid ASAFP. My ONLY options are hydromorphone (frighteningly strong) or methadone (needs specialist physician and WILL result in months of back and forwarding to get dose I need).

So I feel just FINE. I'm not abusing my prescription, in fact I try to keep 2-3 days over every month... because in 12 months the medicines have been late for 6 of those months. The NHS is chronically underfunded.

 

[papercuts]

The BNF (UK's equivalent of the PDR) who note 'opioid analgesics are only appropriate for treating cancer pain and to prevent unacceptable human suffering'.

Now how about THAT for a 'set the bar where you will' result. I'm severely disabled and in severe pain. Have been for 20 years. It took 18 years to get codeine and another year to get OxyContin. But I've been warned - watch out, if OxyContin is cast in a bad light in the news - get swapped to another opioid ASAFP. My ONLY options are hydromorphone (frighteningly strong) or methadone (needs specialist physician and WILL result in months of back and forwarding to get dose I need).

So I feel just FINE. I'm not abusing my prescription, in fact I try to keep 2-3 days over every month... because in 12 months the medicines have been late for 6 of those months. The NHS is chronically underfunded.

Getting decent pills on the NHS is practically impossible, I'm also disabled, not too bad but it's progressive and lifelong with pain.
I get two 300mg gabapentin a day. I've asked for three as I've been on it years and I still haven't got up to three which is the basic dose they start people on.
I asked last month for three a day because two doesn't last all day. They said no, I'll be on these meds long term so they need to make sure I'm on the lowest dose possible.
Only later I thought, "Shouldn't that be lowest effective dose?"
So I'm not taking them any more, it's pointless. When I've saved up a few, I'll look at it again.
A different doctor gave me buprenorphine patches, no bother, easy to get, no face to face meeting, just over the phone, there was no chance of getting opioid pills at all, yet the NHS guidelines say that patches should be used only when opioid pills are no longer effective. Can't get pills though.
A year ago I got a box of codeine/paracetamol at 30mg/500mg, my god they made me feel like a total junkie asking for codeine, it was a long conversation with a lecture on opiate meds thrown in. Paracetamol makes me feel so nauseaus that while I can take them, then I need cyclizine to not be sick from paracetamol. The box is still 3/4 full. I always hated paracetamol, it has never had more than a placebo effect for me ever and makes me feel sick.
It's not all bad, I'm glad I've patches to fall back on when my preferred opiate runs out and the codeine might still be used.
BTW I tried the cold water trick to remove the paracetamol and was sick, very sick, even though I only drank the first bit that went almost frozen through the frozen filter. Didn't feel a thing that I liked from it, dunno what I did wrong, it was the weaker soluable ones bought from the pharmacy. Most definitely a failure I won't bother repeating, although it might work better with non soluble pills with 30mg each codeine to make it worthwhile.

 

[nznity]

90mg more morphine with ma cup of tea, plz.

 

[nznity]

Getting decent pills on the NHS is practically impossible, I'm also disabled, not too bad but it's progressive and lifelong with pain.
I get two 300mg gabapentin a day. I've asked for three as I've been on it years and I still haven't got up to three which is the basic dose they start people on.
I asked last month for three a day because two doesn't last all day. They said no, I'll be on these meds long term so they need to make sure I'm on the lowest dose possible.
Only later I thought, "Shouldn't that be lowest effective dose?"
So I'm not taking them any more, it's pointless. When I've saved up a few, I'll look at it again.
A different doctor gave me buprenorphine patches, no bother, easy to get, no face to face meeting, just over the phone, there was no chance of getting opioid pills at all, yet the NHS guidelines say that patches should be used only when opioid pills are no longer effective. Can't get pills though.
A year ago I got a box of codeine/paracetamol at 30mg/500mg, my god they made me feel like a total junkie asking for codeine, it was a long conversation with a lecture on opiate meds thrown in. Paracetamol makes me feel so nauseaus that while I can take them, then I need cyclizine to not be sick from paracetamol. The box is still 3/4 full. I always hated paracetamol, it has never had more than a placebo effect for me ever and makes me feel sick.
It's not all bad, I'm glad I've patches to fall back on when my preferred opiate runs out and the codeine might still be used.
BTW I tried the cold water trick to remove the paracetamol and was sick, very sick, even though I only drank the first bit that went almost frozen through the frozen filter. Didn't feel a thing that I liked from it, dunno what I did wrong, it was the weaker soluable ones bought from the pharmacy. Most definitely a failure I won't bother repeating, although it might work better with non soluble pills with 30mg each codeine to make it worthwhile.

Wow, gaba/lyrica is freely sold here, same with benzos. Now, there's only morphine for the kind of pain that I have but it's such a fking relief, ugh.

 

[papercuts]

Wow, gaba/lyrica is freely sold here, same with benzos. Now, there's only morphine for the kind of pain that I have but it's such a fking relief, ugh.

Gabapentin got classified as a class C controlled substance in the UK, not because it caused any harm to anyone, it started turning up in overdose victim samples, so they recognised it offers some relief to opiate users and banned possession without a prescription for that reason alone, so I read anyway. It hasn't been named as the cause of any deaths ever, like weed.

 

[Fertile]

Getting decent pills on the NHS is practically impossible, I'm also disabled, not too bad but it's progressive and lifelong with pain.
I get two 300mg gabapentin a day. I've asked for three as I've been on it years and I still haven't got up to three which is the basic dose they start people on.
I asked last month for three a day because two doesn't last all day. They said no, I'll be on these meds long term so they need to make sure I'm on the lowest dose possible.
Only later I thought, "Shouldn't that be lowest effective dose?"
So I'm not taking them any more, it's pointless. When I've saved up a few, I'll look at it again.
A different doctor gave me buprenorphine patches, no bother, easy to get, no face to face meeting, just over the phone, there was no chance of getting opioid pills at all, yet the NHS guidelines say that patches should be used only when opioid pills are no longer effective. Can't get pills though.
A year ago I got a box of codeine/paracetamol at 30mg/500mg, my god they made me feel like a total junkie asking for codeine, it was a long conversation with a lecture on opiate meds thrown in. Paracetamol makes me feel so nauseaus that while I can take them, then I need cyclizine to not be sick from paracetamol. The box is still 3/4 full. I always hated paracetamol, it has never had more than a placebo effect for me ever and makes me feel sick.
It's not all bad, I'm glad I've patches to fall back on when my preferred opiate runs out and the codeine might still be used.
BTW I tried the cold water trick to remove the paracetamol and was sick, very sick, even though I only drank the first bit that went almost frozen through the frozen filter. Didn't feel a thing that I liked from it, dunno what I did wrong, it was the weaker soluable ones bought from the pharmacy. Most definitely a failure I won't bother repeating, although it might work better with non soluble pills with 30mg each codeine to make it worthwhile.

I should add that I also have epilepsy. If you cannot sleep due to pain - you WILL have seizures which WILL kill sooner or later - randomly. I'm not taking OxyContin (actually Longtec but people in the US have never heard of it) for fun. Also my injuries are pretty... spectacular.

Once doctors see my X-rays, they don't argue. I believe I'm in the 'unacceptable human suffering' category. I'm not expected to worry about ever drawing a pension and it took until the age of 50 to get OxyContin. So not officially palliative, but the doctors all go silent on seeing X-rays... and those are ones from 6 years ago. '

 

[nznity]

Gabapentin got classified as a class C controlled substance in the UK, not because it caused any harm to anyone, it started turning up in overdose victim samples, so they recognised it offers some relief to opiate users and banned possession without a prescription for that reason alone, so I read anyway. It hasn't been named as the cause of any deaths ever, like weed.

Yeah but it works better for neuropathy, fibromyalgya, type of disorders only. Does Jack shit for broken bones or any kind of real pain tbh.

 

[Fertile]

Actually - a lot of my pain is likely neuropathic, but a displaced hip replacement with broken pins... well they can SEE that.

 

[papercuts]

Actually - a lot of my pain is likely neuropathic, but a displaced hip replacement with broken pins... well they can SEE that.

I can't say I don't abuse my meds, but at the same time I need them to live a normal life, so I keep my head down.
Like you say most doctors don't believe the pain is real when you look normal.
I'd premature arthritis, before age 40 that means, so now I'm 52 it's visible at last without an xray.
I skipped a detail, eight years ago I had an appointment at the hospital pain clinic, very nice doctor gave me baclofen and told me I'd be allowed buprenorphine if I need it. I was totally sober with kids to raise then and it took me six years before I accepted the buprenorphine.
Opioid pills are unobtainable for me, I don't know why, in all honesty it's a good thing.
I only accepted buprenorphine as I'd begun using opium again anyway as soon as my kids were adults, I thought I'd stop opium if I had bupe, didn't pan out that way, but it is still my plan to quit that using buprenorphine to fill in. I'd really like to wake up some morning without pain that makes it so hard to get moving.
I thought this ammo haze was duff, wrong, it had me properly wasted after one bowlful, that helps too.