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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ilene on March 13, 2003, at 22:26:07
Okay, this is a theoretical issue for me. I never met a narcotic I liked (outside of IV dilaudid--ahhhh).
Three related issues:
Not everybody becomes addicted/habituated/whatever to narcotics. I'd heard some anecdotes, and I met a woman who had been severely injured in a car wreck (almost lost a leg) and spent weeks in the hospital on morpine. She said she just stopped taking it when she needed to.
Does this mean that tolerance is not universal?
Some pdocs prescribe narcotics. Reluctantly, maybe. The gov't used to jump on docs who "overprescribed" narcotics and threaten to take away their licenses. Many people in serious pain didn't get treatment for it. Now pain relief is recognized as legitimate and necessary. At least that's the story.
How do specialists in pain management handle the problems of addiction and tolerance? I'm sure there are people who need long-term pain relief in order to function.
Just wondering. Need to keep my mind off other things.
--I.
Posted by Krissy P on March 14, 2003, at 2:04:19
In reply to Management of opioids/narcotics, posted by Ilene on March 13, 2003, at 22:26:07
Your post got me wondering.....This topic interests me. When I had an addiction to Vicodin, I detoxed-a horrible one at that-and I did go back on it for a short period of time. I understood that I have an addictive personality and Vicodin made me feel great-but it isn't to be used for emotional reasons. So, I just stopped it because I didn't want to get really hooked- I stopped it-no problems. You bring up a good point here-some things to think about.
I hear you about-IV dilaudid--ahhhh) oh my-I got that when I was in the ER a few times with horrible migraines.
IMHO, the gov't still does jump on docs who overprescribe narcotics and threaten to take away their licenses. I know there are people who need long-term pain relief in order to function. For those who need these meds (your almost lost a leg example) may not have the tolerance that is or isn't universal.
Docs need to prove that opiates/narcs are warranted-it's the law, but..............
just some thoughts............
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Okay, this is a theoretical issue for me. I never met a narcotic I liked (outside of IV dilaudid--ahhhh).
Three related issues:
Not everybody becomes addicted/habituated/whatever to narcotics. I'd heard some anecdotes, and I met a woman who had been severely injured in a car wreck (almost lost a leg) and spent weeks in the hospital on morpine. She said she just stopped taking it when she needed to.
Does this mean that tolerance is not universal?
Some pdocs prescribe narcotics. Reluctantly, maybe. The gov't used to jump on docs who "overprescribed" narcotics and threaten to take away their licenses. Many people in serious pain didn't get treatment for it. Now pain relief is recognized as legitimate and necessary. At least that's the story.
How do specialists in pain management handle the problems of addiction and tolerance? I'm sure there are people who need long-term pain relief in order to function.
Just wondering. Need to keep my mind off other things.
--I.
Posted by Ilene on March 14, 2003, at 9:29:51
In reply to Re: Management of opioids/narcotics » Ilene, posted by Krissy P on March 14, 2003, at 2:04:19
> I understood that I have an addictive personality and Vicodin made me feel great-but it isn't to be used for emotional reasons. So, I just stopped it because I didn't want to get really hooked- I stopped it-no problems.
It's too bad that having an addictive personality doesn't mean "people find you addicting". I don't think there is such a thing, anyway. It sounds blaming to me, as if you had a "better personality" you wouldn't become addicted. I think it is the way your brain is wired. Purely physiological.
> I hear you about-IV dilaudid--ahhhh) oh my-I got that when I was in the ER a few times with horrible migraines.
There's a genetic connection between migraine and affective disorders.When I was very young my mother got morphine for her migraines. I completely forgot her wierd drug regime until now. She'd drink 7up w/ aspirin and drink coffee. She had suppositories made of caffeine, ergotamine, and phenobarbitol. (She barfed when she had headaches.) She must have been desperate to do that to herself.
> IMHO, the gov't still does jump on docs who overprescribe narcotics and threaten to take away their licenses. I know there are people who need long-term pain relief in order to function. For those who need these meds (your almost lost a leg example) may not have the tolerance that is or isn't universal.
There's a history of people who *needed* narcotics also becoming addicted. It's not whether the use is "legitimized" by being used as a painkiller. It's how the individual responds in some other way. I wonder how that works, whether it can be chemically acquired.I believe there are physicians who specialize in pain management. I was wondering if that kind of expertise could be directed at people who use narcotics as ADs, make them "legitimate" as psychiatric drugs.
--I.
This is the end of the thread.
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