United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Has any one ever tried methadone for pain. I have been on it for 2 months now and I have complete relief from my pain. It does not leave me with a high feeling. I can function at a normal level. I know that it is an addictive drug, but the doctor told me I would be on it the rest of my life. She explained to me that it is a very safe opiate. i can do my roms again. I had an mri and on top of everything else c5-6 are herniated.c6-7 has bone spurs.

Hi there. Wow! You poor thing, I can only imagine what KIND of pain THAT must generate. Do you have headaches very regularly along with localized or shooting pain? And, if you don't mind my over-active curiosity, what must you have had to go through to get to the point where your doctor now prescribes lifelong methadone therapy?

My sitch is very similar - C4,5 are very crowded and degenerating, and C6 is spurring, too. At best, I feel like twisting my neck off in utter frustration, and at worst, it is a nightmarish throbbing agony, often in the form of a migraine-like headache. Doctors have tries different 'pills' on me, but they either do not work right, make you sleepy while you are in pain, or get me totally sick. I would rather do NO drugs at all, and have heard of miraculous pain management techniques some people seem to be successfully practicing. But, I decide, I do need something around to take, along with all the 'self care' I can muster - you know, the 'natural' kind, like massage or other kinds of stretching and manipulation. Gosh, sometimes I think I need an exorcist! Have you ever tried a variation of the drug Fiorinal? I would think that if you are now being given methadone, fiorinal did not work. If you know anything about this drug - or anything else you want to share, please do!

Best to you, and wishing 'high functionality' upon you as much as possible, dear.

Carolyn

Hi Jud,
Interesting to see you were prescibed Methadone for your pain, my pain specialist also suggested it to me. I was shocked by the idea, and afraid i would have problems with addiction, but im already on a shed load of meds including oxycontin, Gabapentin, lamotrogine, and sleeping trancs. Im still desperate to try somthing that helps. Sounds like were in simular conditions with our injurys and pain, glad to hear youve found somthing that helps.
Good Luck, all the best..

Two years ago I was run over by a tour bus, and as a result I suffered damage to C4 and complete avulsion of C5 through T1. Pain has been a hugh problem for me from the beginning, and I've tried to take an active role in managing it; self-hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation tapes have helped, but without the pain meds I would have given up a long time ago.
Like you, my pain doc expects that I'll need opiods for the rest of my life. I've been on Methadone for 8 months (5 or 10 mg depending on the pain level, 3 x per day), and feel it works better for me than the other drugs I've tried, including Neurontin, Duragesic, and Oxycontin.
To my mind, addiction means craving something you don't need; since I need Methadone or some other drug to help control my pain, I really don't worry about becoming addicted to it. I've never been tempted to take more than the prescribed amount; it doesn't make me feel high, has the same miserable side effects as other opiods, and will probably lose it's effectiveness after I've used it for a while, just like the other pain meds I've been prescribed. But for now it helps, and I'm grateful.

Oops, hit 'send' before I meant to...I just want to add that it's encouraging to me to hear how well you are getting along, Judy. Thanks for writing.
Sandy

Carolyn, I have taken fiorinal for migraines. It worked ,but knocked my butt out so I could not function daily. I feel very fortunate that I found a doctor that understands my pain. I had pain for 28 years and now I can see what it is like to be pain free.

Hi Judy,Mitch, Carolyn, & Sandy,
Like you guys, I had been on a zillion pain meds with no help and lots of side effects for a spinal cord tumor, c-2,3,&4. In 1997 it was removed and after two more years of experimenting, my pain specialist prescribed methadone and hydromorphone. It worked and that has been 4+ years ago. I was very concerned about addiction like all of you and was afraid to take the meds. Weighing my options is why I am still on it. I take 30mg of methadone every 4 to 6 hours and the same with the hydromorphone, except the hydromorphone I take 24mg at a time. I take them three hours apart to avoid the drowsiness.
Methadone is widely used to treat heroin addicts who are wanting to get off that mess. Methadone being used for treatment of pain is only just beginning to be more widely used, according to my pain specialist at the cancer center I go to. He has told me that if I am going to be in pain for the rest of my life, why worry about addiction?
Neck pain is horrid and does drive people to trying anything for pain. I have titanium rods in my neck because of the bone removed to get the tumor out of my spinal canal. One rod causes me to have the most horrendous pain I have ever experienced. All of the drugs each of you mentioned I have also tried with no lasting effect. To me, the combination of meds I am on has saved my life. Methadone is for the main pain control with the hydromorphone for breakthrough pain.
If any of you want to pick my brain about the side effects or anything else, feel fre to email me directly. I am not expert on the meds, but I have been on them for 4+ years and maybe I can answer some questions you may have, or even strike up a friendship. In our quest for pain control, we can never have too many friends. Until now, I haen't run into anyone outside of my pain clinic who is on methadone and it excites me to know that there are other pain docs out there who are aware of the great benefits of methadone!
Happy Holidays to all!
kraazykat aka Pam