Pain med effect (?)

[Maria]

I've been losing weight and had a real lack of appetite for the last 6 months or so altho the last 2 or 3 months have been pretty weird in that I've had so much energy and felt so *speedy*. I'm on 10mg/Methadone/day and 1800mg/Neurontin/day plus some other meds prn ~

The speediness is nearly intolerable at times, and I cannot sleep at all any more w/o a sleeper...

I have consulted various professionals thinking it was my personal situation (separated in last two years) my mental status (diagnosed w/situational depression re back/personal sitch) but NO meds ordered for this since sleep deprivation was thought to be the biggest problem currently.

The PM suggested cutting down on the Methadone which I've tried with rebound severe tailbone pain and legs feeling like stone (and burning in quads). He said I'd probably adjust but I don't feel like adjusting to that and slowing down my life as I've been much more active "for me".

I feel w/o the Methadone I'd be unable to do much but lie around, and if it continues to have this effect on me, I won't be able to lie down and rest at all ....

The PM said this effect does happen with some people who've been on pain meds for a long time (6 years)...

Anyone else out there have this effect? Ever?

[ans]

Is your blood work, e.g. thyroid levels fine?

[mmglobal]

IMHO, this goes directly to the "am I bad enough for surgery" discussion. If you are having surgery soon, trying to make a change in your meds might make you a moving target and add to the difficulty that you'll have post-op. Kind of, 'the devil you know' instead of the devil you don't know.

Those of us who can successfully reduce their meds before surgery my help with post-op pain management and the hopeful post-op taper. In my case, I reduced my meds prior to surgery and turned myself into one giant, raw, nerve ending before my surgery. I believe that my experience was WAY more difficult because of the state that I was in due to the reduced meds.

Mark

[Maria]

ans,
all labwork normal normal normal... great in fact for my age!

Mark,
Yep, going from walking and being as active as I have.. the pain that ensued w/a 2.5 mg decrease was aaawwfulllll.... I may not have tried long enough but just getting my stomach to adjust to this was bad enough let alone my spine which took it quite badly~

With the PM saying I'd adjust... I don't want to adjust to that level of non activitiy/pain~ I could hardly get up and down the one flight of stairs here or around the block when I can normally walk for an hour at a slow pace pretty easily~ and run and down my stairs throughout the day...

Just wish I could sleep...

[grima6]

Hi Maria,
I was on Methadone 20mg/day and it did give me some pain relief but after 2 weeks the "build-up effect" caused me to vomit myself silly and needed a week in hosp to rehydrate! In the two wks that I was on methadone I definately was like someone had pressed a fast-forward button somewhere! I felt the need to clean and couldn't just do a simple task like having a cup of tea without cleaning the bench with my spare hand. Neurontin may also be partly responsible for this as well. My experience with it was that my ability to concentrate went to zero and this fuzzy, busy mind made sleep difficult.
I had the same reactions to methadone to you but I was only on it for two weeks so I don't think it is just because of long-term usage, sometimes your body will just react to drugs because it wants to!!!! I should know, my body reacts to just about every bloody one!
Anyways, feel free to send me a pm sound like you have very similar pain to me.
Take care
grima6
Australia

[Maria]

Hi Grima,
Thanks for responding~ yes, it's taken quite a few years to reach this point as before on Methadone for years I would *nod* when sitting, and fall asleep if not upright just about. Now I'm like the Energizer Bunny tho as you say, the concentration part isn't really there. I'm Ok if I'm walking or out doing something that is physical, but anything worth concentrating on I feel a bit distraught.

I lowered my dose of M again over the weekend and not only do I have the GI symptoms of withdrawl going on, last night I had terrific back pain~ it was really nasty and I just wished I had an epidural steroid injection being given at the moment. My legs were also very heavy, with burning in the quads...

Today I'll bring myself back up to my usual dose of pain med as the pain is intolerable in terms of functioning. From what I understand this pain can just be like a rebound reaction to lowering the dose but it surely feels just like what I was experiencing before pain meds or before the effect was as profound pain wise.

Sorry to hear your body reacted so strongly to this medication that you had to be hospitalized~ have you been able to be regulated on any other pain med that gave relief?

[grima6]

Hi Maria,

I did get GI upset with M but not withdrawels although when I was on Durogesic patches(fentanyl)
I experienced withdrawels and it was disgustingly horrible! I starten to vomit on the patches so the PM Dr just told me to take them off so I did. That night and for the following 2 nights/days i felt sick, like I has a million ants crawling on me and was unable to stop moving for even a second. Sleep was unacheiveable.
I have not been able to be stabilized on any pain meds all of them make me vomit and I have severe reactions to the anti-nausea meds (anaphylactic).
That is why I had the Neurostimulator implanted but it only helps foot burning pain. when I have this strong foot burning and I turn the stimulator off it immediately returns so maybe the reason for your pain increase may also just be that the cause of the pain has not been rectified. As we all know. pain meds help symptoms but don't fix the actual spine problem so mechanically caused pain will always return!

I always have the quad burning that you describe and although i have had foot/toe spasms they haven't been as bad as you have had. I have zero functioning at the moment due to pain levals so i'm like "bring the surgery on". I have 4 kids 3-14 and it is too hard to run a household from a lounge on your back!!!!

Take Care
Lorna Grima
(grima6)

[Maria]

Grima,
Good luck w/your upcoming surgery, sure hope it will fix what needs fiixng!
Even tho last night I was in pretty intense pain, I think I took a half (2.5mg) Methadone that I had set aside for wee morning hours, vs. the sleeping pill as this morning I coud not find the Methadone dose!!

My back was fairly screaming w/pain last night when lying down and lying on my right hip was truly increasingly excruciating and I was SURE I had taken the sleeper.. oh well, this morning I took 12.5mg of Methadone to try and catch myself up and I felt so good around 9a.m. that I took a super long walk with the dog!!!!

The quad burning seems to occur primarily with certain activities... like walking up the stairs too many times/day, walking alot, intimacy, and so forth. And it's never ever like it used to be which was so strong that I had to be bed bound... at least for now it's not like that~

If I felt like you, I'd be SURE to have surgery as well~ wishing you the best and please keep us posted!