narcotics and their use in autoimmune diseases

I'm 41 years old. I have had RA since I as 19 months old.  My RA is now so severe and the pain so gut-wrenching that I have to take Oxycontin and Duragesic Patches to get through each day. Without the medications I would be bedbound and in severe, severe pain.  My rheumatologist is the dr giving me the presricptions.  I am not addicted to the medications I just need them to function and have a normal as possible everyday life.  What is anyone's opinion on the use of narcotics for chronic pain?       Laura

Hi there!

I think that (and most of the world doesn't get this) when you have this kind of problem you just have to do whatever you have to do to get by. The ideal would be that your and your rheumy would explore all the new meds that are out there and one of them would work and you wouldn't need narcotics. But, if you need it, and you take it as prescribed, and it helps you function, then to me it is totally fine. I am lucky that the new drugs like humira/remicade/enbrel really help me, but I still have vicodin in my medicine cabinet for bad days.

take care,

kate

I remember reading a study about the use of narcotics in chronic pain patients. The gist of the article was that narcotics don't affect chronic pain sufferers the same way it affects people who use it recreationally. For us, it helps us feel normal. For someone who doesn't really need it, it just messes them up. It has something to do with how chronic pain alters brain chemistry, I guess! 

My point is, you probably won't find anyone here who'll be against the judicious use of narcotics to relieve pain. Heck, a lot of us here would smoke marijuana medicinally if it were legal in our areas. (Yay, Michigan, for just passing a medicinal marijuana ballot issue!)

Carolyn, Wish I saw your post first. You said it perfectly!!!!

So I guess I am moving to Michigan!!!

Marijuana is often grown in people's attic rooms to avoid being caught.

If you are not a smoker then people have been known to pop it into their cake mixture and make a nice afternoon treat.

Dozey.

I think one of the possibly most hilarious conversations I have ever had with my doc was when I asked him a question about medical marijuana. I was just curious if it would interact badly with my meds in some way. He turned all red, and started stammering, and said he couldn't prescribe it (I'm in California), and generally got so uncomfortable I finally let him stop trying to answer. In all the years with him it is the only time I've seen him flustered!

Hm, I remember my doctor was the same way when I was 20 and asking about birth control! ROFL

haaahaha. thats hilarious

Oh my gosh I have never thought of asking my Doctor, though I am thinking of now asking my Opthomologist because of my Glaucoma, he is a young guy so maybe he won't be to freaked out.. My Rheumy would probably have a heart attack if I asked him..Though I ask him some really starnge questions and he is used to it..  He tells me sometimes I do TO MUCH research before our visits.  (I catch him off guard on somethings and he has to get back to me!! that's okay I like it that way i feel more in control of the relationship then).

(I am not normally a control freak, only with this diease that I control what we discuss so i guess that's okay, right??)

Is there anywhere it is Legal yet???

California, baby, we voted on it a few years ago!

I don't know that I'd want to be on some government list for this sort of thing, but I think people should be able to do what they want (especially if you are a cancer patient or something!), so am glad they passed it.

I'm a control freak with this disease too- I figure, getting information is one of the few things I have control over in this situation, so I'm going to do it! I would never want a doctor who discouraged me from learning and discussing things with him (and he knows it- he'll tell me about meds and let me go look them up so we can talk about them later).