Pain questions {previous Makwa intro

[Guest makwa_04]

Im inbetween tests right now and have some questions.

Is the pain {severe} in back area normal for tumors?

Just wondering. They have me on some heavy meds for pain, till

all tests are done. and its keeping me all goofed up mopst of the time.

It DOES allow me to for once get some sleep, that i have not been getting.

{feel asleep on the commode this morning and woke up a hour later}

Im taking meds wrong i guess. It says take one or two pills every 4 hours

AS NEEDED for pain. Well I try to not take them is pain lets up. But then all of a sudden the pain starts and its like hours before the pills kick in.

All this is new to me, per my other intro. And i have not been round sickness much or hospitals.

Thanks to all whom have answered my original posts and questions

Guess its time to go back and do this other bone scan. They injected me couple hours ago with dye and I have to go back now for the scan.

Lady told me to make sure to take pain pill before i came, as i would be on the table awhile { I hate walking like Im drunk}

makwa

[Snowflake]

Makwa,

When experiencing extreme pain and on medication, do NOT miss a dose because you feel better. It is FAR too difficult to get the pain back under "control" once it gets a handhold. Take your medication on the four hour (if that's the directions) increment, only lowering the number of pills you take to see if you still hurt, NOT skipping a dose. My doctor told me while I was healing from surgery to take the medication as directed for at least a week and THEN worry about weaning off. It takes a while to get that crap back under the control of the medication and that's some pain you don't want.

Take care,

Becky

[teresag]

I can't add much to what Becky said. Forget the "as needed" directions for a while. (Maybe a LONG while.) Please do not worry about dependence on pain medication; the effects of unrelieved pain are more damaging to your body than any pain medication. One of my favorite phrases comes from a nurse scientist, Dr. Gail Page, who says, "pain is a pathogen itself." Pain causes the release of inflammatory chemicals (cytokines and others) that damage tissue and may even promote tumor metastasis. Keep those cytokines at bay, and you will feel better and function better. Good luck to you, Teresa

[MayFrog]

Hi Makwa.....have to agree with the other posters. Take your pain meds every 4 hours.....when you skip or delay a dose and the pain gets worse, it's a lot harder to get it back under control. For the time being at least, you need to keep a therapeutic level of the pain meds in your system.

Hang in there.........Mary

[chloesmom]

My surgeon told me--"There are no extra credit points for pain. Speak up and we will make you feel better. You will heal quicker, be able to get up and walk sooner, and be able to perform the breathing exercises quicker if you are not in pain."

That was the best advice I was given throughout that whole ordeal. Do not let the pain get ahead of you--it's harder to get under control if you don't follow the medication times.

No reason whatsoever to be in pain over this------