Posted by Richard S (63.24.254.168) on August 10, 2001 at 10:57:37:
In Reply to: Harold and Richard S. Please read my post below and get back to me..thanks N.T posted by Jackie L. on August 09, 2001 at 21:02:08:
Jackie, your post certainly showed that the use of pain killing drugs is sometimes necessary, and your experience illustrates that responsible long-term use of these substances is certainly possible.
As for the use of narcs for clusters, it is possible that, as with any med, they may be useful for some people but not for others. Their pain-reducing property is of limited value for CH, although for a long attack, they might bring a devastating 9 down to a more manageable 8 or 7. I think their main value (if any) for cluster sufferers might be their psychoactive (and placebo) effects, rather than mere pain reduction, and may be more useful to episodics than chronics, for reasons which I don't want to go into now.
Harold, I think that an alliance between cluster groups and chronic pain groups may be unlikely, mainly because the latter are commonly stigmatized as drug-seekers, an unfortunate stereotype which CH folks wish very much to avoid. It's difficult enough as it is, because CH is often confused with M, and M sufferers are prime candidates for overuse of narcs and some of them indeed seem to fall prey to abuse of these substances, because they are sometimes effective for that sort of pain, although much better alternatives are available. Anyhow, whether justified or not, the drug-seeker stigma is strongly associated with M and this has made the situation more difficult for CH sufferers. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, "guilt by association" is a very real problem.