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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> Great News! 
        
(Message started by: Karla on Nov 15^th, 2002, 11:28am)

Title: Great News!
Post by Karla on Nov 15^th, 2002, 11:28am

I am so excited! First time in many years since being diagnosed with ch. My drs (dr., neuro, shrink, ha clinic neuro and pain specialist) have all agreed and are starting me on Methadone next week to stop the pain I am in. Let me first say I have been around ch.com for several years and have tried over 30 preventatives, and all the abortives on the market, and vicodin and percacet to try to stop the pain. I have had no luck in preventing or stoping the pain and have been chronic for 5 years. I get hit 8x a day and am on disability because of depression and ch. I have had no quality of life at all and feel like for the first time I have a chance at getting my life back! I know what dr. Goodsby says about narcotics in the treatment of ch but everything else has failed me. I see a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time and dont feel like blowing my brains out. I will keep everyone posted as to the progress with the drug. Who knows if this works I may be able to go back to work and that would be so wonderful!

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by OneEyeBlind on Nov 15^th, 2002, 12:09pm

Karla, if it works for you I am happy for ya !!!! After 5 years ... well, I would try ANYTHING !!!!!

Good luck !!!!

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by echo on Nov 15^th, 2002, 12:12pm

Great news Karla, I hope this is the preventative you have been searching for. Good luck

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by brad267 on Nov 15^th, 2002, 1:10pm

-- Sending you wheelbarrels of 4 leaf clovers, Karla...

Brad

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by fubar on Nov 15^th, 2002, 2:41pm

Karla,

"Wow" is all I can say. Just reading your post makes me appreciate the fact that I'm episodic and not chronic even more. I can't imagine voluntarilly subjecting myself to something as insidious as methadone. Becoming and addict (basically, for life) as an acceptable alternative to CH is something I can't wrap my head around.

I understand your happiness at finding a new treatment, and the promise it may hold for you, but I certainly hope you aren't trading one hell for another. I will keep you in my thoughts and send as much positive energy as I can your way (since I have so much, ha!)

-fu

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by suzy617 on Nov 15^th, 2002, 4:31pm

Beware of the methadone. My friend used morphine for many years, became addicted, now on methadone for her pain and once again addicted. She gave me a shit load of her morphine pills and lollypops but was always afraid to try them. Just be careful, I see her start with the sweats when we are out and continuously popping pills to avoid the dt's. Not trying to rain on your parade, just looking out for ya.

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by 2late on Nov 15^th, 2002, 4:44pm

karla, this is great news!!! you've paid you dues to the beast more than anyone i know. good luck babe, i hope you finally get some relief. ........2late

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by Ueli on Nov 15^th, 2002, 6:19pm

Good luck, Karla, I hope you finally get relieve. :D

To fubar and suzy617:
Please don't throw out the kid with the bath water. ::)
Methadone for pain management is an entirely different beast from methadone use as an attempt to wean a junkie. For the later it is substitution of one addiction for the other. As there is no longer a psychological dependence, the addiction may be broken, but it is as kind of chasing the devil with Beelzebub.
For pain management much lower doses are used, with the corresponding lower addiction potential. Methadone is often given after a major surgery, and here the 'addiction' problem is taken care of by tapering down over 2 or 3 days.

Dr. Goadsby and others are against the use of narcotics as abortive. In CH there are no pain receptors to block with opiates, and it takes much too long for the opiates to cross the blood/brain barrier to do the analgesic job.
But methadone taken on a regular basis will hopefully dampen the pain processing in the brain. This is certainly not pure bliss, but guys, walk some time in Karlas shoes before judging.

All the best, Karla,
Ueli

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by fubar on Nov 15^th, 2002, 6:49pm

Ueli,

I'm not judging, just was genuinly worried that methadone could become a bigger problem. I've lost a few friends to addiction.

-Fu

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by Charlie on Nov 15^th, 2002, 7:55pm

Our paranoid idiotic war on drugs is has been good for nobody. From what I read, the intelligent use of nacrotics has been very successful, especially for pain.

I know there are good, serious and careful uses of these drugs but everyone, including doctors, is afraid to talk about it. As Steve Allen wrote: "Dumbth."

Ueli is right....what else is new? :D

Charlie

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by Slydog on Nov 15^th, 2002, 8:23pm

Karla I hope it works for you!!! Sending positive energy your way. And I agree Ueli is right on as usual.
Sly

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by Mark C on Nov 15^th, 2002, 8:44pm

Ueli is correct, again.
I am a firm believer in better living through chemistry. I also am a recovering addict with almost seven years clean from recreational drugs. I have also used narcotics in my regime against CH both before and after I stopped using for fun. Unfortunatly for me they were not effective enough for me to continue their use, but don't get me wrong, there is a knee jerk reaction about CH treatment in general that narcotics are ineffective, especially on this board. That may be true for some, but is it for all? I don't think so.
Pain management is not an exact science and I believe if Karla can find some relief, go for it.
But as mentioned, please be careful, with ALL drugs.
Good luck Karla, I hope you find some peace.
Mark

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by paul_b on Nov 15^th, 2002, 10:43pm

Karla, I wish you success and a new begining.

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by suzy617 on Nov 16^th, 2002, 8:21pm

I'm sorry Karla, I guess I really dont know all that much about methadone, only from what I've seen with my friend. I hope it helps you. I was only concerned for you. Good luck, let us know how you do. :)

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by firebrix on Nov 17^th, 2002, 4:33am

GOOD LUCK Karla! ;D
Hope it works for you - it has for others.
Right on again Ueli!
PFDAN
firebrix

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by RC_Cola on Nov 17^th, 2002, 7:56am

Good Luck to you Karla!!! I hope you get the relief you deserve!

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by don on Nov 17^th, 2002, 11:39am

I am pro narcartic for extreme cases. Sound like you fit the bill Karla. Heres hoping the quality of your life improves ten fold.

What dosage will you be taking and how often?

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by nancyc on Nov 17^th, 2002, 12:35pm

Karla, my prayers are with you, sis...I am an Addiction nurse, and also a chronic clusterhead...I have not posted about my new medication regime for two reasons...one, I dont want negative feedback as I am pf now and happy to be so...two, I dont want any episodics here to run and get on this medication because it is working for me. Alot of you guys know I was out of work with chronic chs for five months and tried every med under the sun..to the point at times, I could not even drive a car...anyway, I was put on a duragesic patch...the lowest dose there is...in August...I have been pf since they put me on it..I am also on verap and an antiseizure drug...I fought going on pain management for a long time...but I wanted my life back...I have never felt high or felt sedated on the patch..I know one person on the mb had a bad experience with the patch but they were on a much higher dose than me...I just feel pf and normal...I am back at work and have my life back again...Karla, my neuro was going to try methadone but I opted for the patch as the withdrawals are worse on methadone if you ever decide to come off of it...But Sis, I truly wish you the best of luck....One of my mother's friends in Georgia is on methadone for chs and has been pf for a year now...God bless and please keep me posted... ;Dnancyc

Title: Re: Great News!
Post by Karla on Nov 17^th, 2002, 12:42pm

Thanks everyone for your kind words of support and concern. I dont know yet what the dosage will be. I was told that I will have to meet with my dr once a week for awhile until we get a level established that is beneficial. But the dosage has to be slowely built up. I meet with my dr on Tues to get my first perscription. I will keep you posted.