Posted by Mike L (216.67.122.253) on November 10, 2000 at 23:23:44:
In Reply to: I agree posted by Todd on November 08, 2000 at 17:12:00:
I am a chronic CHer along with severe migraines having lost 5 years of work virtually being in bed most of the time. I spent 30,000 for a 3 week inpatient stay at one of better known headache clinics. I have religiously tried everthing from accupuncture to most every med and combinations I have heard of for Ch, many of which caused severe side effects. I have been to 5 neurologists with exactly the same diagnosis and in the end having them tell me that the best I could hope for was about 50% relief which for me was still 3 attacks a day each lasting 3 hours along with migraine 2-3 times a month sometime lasting a week or more. My Neurologist, don't get me wrong he was great and never gave up at all,. He suggested that maybe I could get at least some relief with chronic pain treatment. I used to be dead against opiates. After reading as much as I could about there use, including some books written that were pro opiat expained the true problems with opiate use I decided that maybe I had been brainwashed. The Anesthesiologist who does the treatment put me at ease about trying this therapy and after trying a few other ideas. He explained his view on cluster headaches and the neurological theory about clusters being a desease which caused the receptors in the brain to function improperly, ie they jumped the wrong path. Within 8 weeks of daily use of methadone, which by the way was not used as an abortive med rather one to decrease the number of attacks and their severity, I was back to work 70% of the time. Later he prescribed another med for aborting the ones that I got. This med would abortthe attack in 15-20 minutes and then I could go back to work. Being enthused I was not reluctant to tell others of the sucess I have had. But to my surprize I was ridiculed and called a junkie among other things. Of course people say "If you use it and it helps more power to you" Then they imediately councel others never to even attempt to try this. Whenever people tell me of the horror stories of opiates I find that they have never tried using them the same way my Dr. prescribes them. Granted people can have a bad experiance with opiates just as I had a horrible and very scary experiance with depakote, Usually they are given combination meds ie lortab, percocet and other meds containing tylonol and other substances which have also not worked well for me. Even on this message board I have been asked to not return and to quit trying to get other to become disgusting junkie drug seekers". Yet I still see so many in so much pain who have never pursued opiates prescribed by a Anesthesiologist specilizing in intracable pain. I have always suggested the more conventional treatments first. Most pain Dr.s will not try these methods if others have not been tried first. Physically I can drive, play sports, avoid throwing up "as many of the more conventional meds made me do", and my overall health and my mind has never been so clear as with other meds. Just ask my wife and children. So there it is I get defensive only because many seem to be on a crusade to teach others to "avoid narcotics at any cost" without knowing the truth about daily opiate therapy. I have tried many things since being on this therapy that I have read and discussed with my Dr. from this board. Narcotics is not the enemy "Pain is the enemy" And sometimes simple old fashioned meds still work. Thanks Mike L