Pain Killing Dilemma...

Well damn, back here again.  Not the blog, this place o' dilemmas. Once again, my pain levels are at that point where I am struggling to function, and after trying to get my doctor to understand what I am going through on a daily basis, he has finally listened.

Sort of.


Long-Time readers of 0ddness will remember my battles with one drug, called Amytriptyline. It messed me up, it knocked me out, it made me hallucinate for a bit, and one of it's side-effects is DEATH. I sat with my doc this morning for half an hour, and he gave me a physical, tut-tutted, umm'd and arr'd, poked and prodded me and said yes, he can see I am suffering with the pain.


Thanks for that.


So, we went through all my medication history, and I listed off everything I've been on, why I stopped taking them (ie, for most of them, they did stuff-all) and he then went through options.  As far as he can tell, one of the best painkillers for my back and chronic fatigue stuff has got to be Amytriptyline. I explained what it did to me - in that I had loads of side effects, that it made me phase in and out of coherent-ness, and being that I have kids running around, I can't afford to be unconscious.


Unfortunately, the drugs up from my current level aren't ones they just prescribe willy-nilly, and despite that I am probably a very good candidate for things like Morphine, Gabapentin and Lyrica, he wants to make sure he's exhausted all his options first. And in his words, the side effects of those aren't any better either.


Fine.


So, now I am stuck in a dilemma. Yes, the Amytriptyline did work for a bit, but it took me a good couple of weeks to be able to push through the side effects.  Part of me wants to just take the meds, say I took them, tell him I was rough on them and that the side effects messed me up and move on to the next stage.  On the other hand, if I take them, get used to them and they work, aren't the side effects just a small price to pay for not sitting in bed at 3am crying because I want to physically pull my legs off to remove the pain.


Once Kellie is on her lunch break I'll talk to her about it, but I am really not sure what to do for the best.


Fingers crossed I get my brain around it.  Again.  I really am struggling with what best to do.

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2 Responses to “Pain Killing Dilemma...”

Em's way said...

I'd say give them a go and see how you go. As you get older your body changes and the side effects may not be the same/as bad (no I'm not saying you're old ... though if the cap fits and all that pmsl). I tried out some new anti'd's a fortnight ago, made me so ill, and didn't dare risk a second dose. Not just the sickness etc but bad chest pains and palps. Poor old battery was working overtime. Yet have taken another form of same drug in past with no issues. Go figure!!

Huge hugs and hope you can find the right solution for you xxxxxx

Dwarf Wench said...

*hugs Dan*
Well I'm on the Amitriptyline. The worst side effect I get from it is that I'm like a zombie for half of my waking hours.

I was on the Gabapentin first though. For me that was awful. It made me collapse on the floor unable to get up as the entire room swam round me.

I definitely feel your dilemma :(