Posted by Troy Jones (139.78.19.50) on July 28, 1999 at 20:59:05:
In Reply to: Re: about painkillers posted by Michael on July 28, 1999 at 08:36:40:
Hello Michael,
I don't generally write to the board, although I've learned a great deal from it. I have an interesting thought about the subject of painkillers (particularly opiods since NSAIDS generally won't touch a Cluster.) I've learned through my training as a veterinarian that different bodies respond to drugs or chemical in a very dissimilar manner. I know that some Cluster suffers benefit from the use of narcotics and some don't. For me, one shot of Imitrex and within 3-5 minutes, the thing is gone (thank God.) However, my father benefits from nothing but Butorphanol nasal spray (Stadol NS.) Imitrex has no effect on him.
Whether or not we become addicted to narcotics is very important, I agree. But what can you say to that person that benefits from them. Would it be horrible for that person to become mildly addicted until the cycle is broken? I simply cannot imagine having nothing to fight these things. I realize that human physiology isn't geared right for us to handle drugs properly, but I think that if a person benefits from a drug, any drug, when fighting this disorder, so be it. We wouldn't ask someone fighting bone cancer (very painful) to do without narcotics. I'm not trying to draw a comparison between osteosarcomas and Clusters, but we have to realize that these headaches are a deviation from normal homeostasis in our bodies.
I didn't mean to pounce--just my perspective.
Thanks,
Troy