SockFiddler
Well-Known Member
I think you're my pain twin!
Funny story about Tramadol and vitamin D deficiency...
Just before my diagnosis, I found what turned out to be a huge abscess on my chest (well, boob, but they've long since blurred their boundaries) which burst (like a volcano), and I figured I should get a doc to look at it. Anyway, couldn't get into the surgery for a couple of days, by which time, the hellish thing had pretty much emptied itself so no further action was needed.
Doc gave me antibiotics and, while I was there (I find it super-hard to align my stars enough to get to the surgery) I figured I'd renew my omeprazole and tramadol prescriptions. I use, maybe, 4 or 5 tramadol a month, but it's one of those drugs that you might not need for ages, but when you're in that particular kind of post-numb recovery, it's the ONLY thing that works (I'm certain you know what I mean).
Anyway. Filled the scripts, got home, sorted Euan, made food blah blah - by the time I could just rest I was shattered, through and through. Then remembered I hadn't taken my antibiotics, grabbed the box, threw one back, fell asleep. Grand.
The next day, woke up after a shockingly restful night of sleep, took another antibiotic, had breakfast, felt fabulous went on with my day. By the time Euan went to bed, I was emailing my "boss" (used to be my boss, now just a wonderful friend, but she hates being called "Boss", so, naturally, I call her that constantly) about this incredible antibiotic I was on and how rapid my improvement had been.
Took me 2 days to realise what you've already figured out: the Flucloxacillin course was untouched in my medicine drawer and half of my Tramadol prescription was gone.
The doc today was kind enough to listen to my reason for needing a top up without smirking even a little bit. And when I'd finished, she printed something off her computer, circled a number in red and said, "And that's why we need to get your vitamin D levels up."
Re: Pain management and The Fiendish Opiates
I saw in your sig what you're taking them for (Edit: I'm sorry, that sounded cold upon rereading. Quite simply, I have no way to relate to what you've been through and survived, so my mind made no attempt to. I am, however, a little bit in awe of you and how positive you are, and that you're still making yourself available to others for help and advice, even after all that sh*t. More power to you.).
There was about a 4 month period when I relied on tramadol to function at all. It became such a part of my existence that I named my routine "The Sucker Punch" (my double-blocked kidneys (apart from almost killing me by causing Sepsis) were opened by urethral stents which wandered about for a month. One ended up coiled in my bladder, the other one tangled in my kidney). This was liquid paracetamol and soluble asprin, offset from each other by about 30 minutes, with a tramadol chaser. The overall effect was - after about 40 minutes - a sudden and incredible complete relief of my pain which was accompanied by 30 minutes of clear-mindedness and then doo-lally daydreams while I fell asleep for 3 hours until the pain woke me and it all started over.
Heh. Not what I was intending to say, but I'll leave it for you anyway!
For 2 days of the week, I would come off my Sucker Punch and rely solely upon paracetamol and ibuprofen (utterly ineffective). I'd take phenergan to make me drowsy enough to fall - and stay - asleep (it's a first-generation anti-histamine, so non-addictive, and with powerful "Don't Operate Heavy Machinery" side-effects. I love the stuff).
I would put myself through this on a weekly basis because I was (and remain) utterly terrified of either dependancy or addiction. I understand if it's too personal a question for an open post on a public forum, but how do you manage that side of it?
Funny story about Tramadol and vitamin D deficiency...
Just before my diagnosis, I found what turned out to be a huge abscess on my chest (well, boob, but they've long since blurred their boundaries) which burst (like a volcano), and I figured I should get a doc to look at it. Anyway, couldn't get into the surgery for a couple of days, by which time, the hellish thing had pretty much emptied itself so no further action was needed.
Doc gave me antibiotics and, while I was there (I find it super-hard to align my stars enough to get to the surgery) I figured I'd renew my omeprazole and tramadol prescriptions. I use, maybe, 4 or 5 tramadol a month, but it's one of those drugs that you might not need for ages, but when you're in that particular kind of post-numb recovery, it's the ONLY thing that works (I'm certain you know what I mean).
Anyway. Filled the scripts, got home, sorted Euan, made food blah blah - by the time I could just rest I was shattered, through and through. Then remembered I hadn't taken my antibiotics, grabbed the box, threw one back, fell asleep. Grand.
The next day, woke up after a shockingly restful night of sleep, took another antibiotic, had breakfast, felt fabulous went on with my day. By the time Euan went to bed, I was emailing my "boss" (used to be my boss, now just a wonderful friend, but she hates being called "Boss", so, naturally, I call her that constantly) about this incredible antibiotic I was on and how rapid my improvement had been.
Took me 2 days to realise what you've already figured out: the Flucloxacillin course was untouched in my medicine drawer and half of my Tramadol prescription was gone.
The doc today was kind enough to listen to my reason for needing a top up without smirking even a little bit. And when I'd finished, she printed something off her computer, circled a number in red and said, "And that's why we need to get your vitamin D levels up."
Re: Pain management and The Fiendish Opiates
I saw in your sig what you're taking them for (Edit: I'm sorry, that sounded cold upon rereading. Quite simply, I have no way to relate to what you've been through and survived, so my mind made no attempt to. I am, however, a little bit in awe of you and how positive you are, and that you're still making yourself available to others for help and advice, even after all that sh*t. More power to you.).
There was about a 4 month period when I relied on tramadol to function at all. It became such a part of my existence that I named my routine "The Sucker Punch" (my double-blocked kidneys (apart from almost killing me by causing Sepsis) were opened by urethral stents which wandered about for a month. One ended up coiled in my bladder, the other one tangled in my kidney). This was liquid paracetamol and soluble asprin, offset from each other by about 30 minutes, with a tramadol chaser. The overall effect was - after about 40 minutes - a sudden and incredible complete relief of my pain which was accompanied by 30 minutes of clear-mindedness and then doo-lally daydreams while I fell asleep for 3 hours until the pain woke me and it all started over.
Heh. Not what I was intending to say, but I'll leave it for you anyway!
For 2 days of the week, I would come off my Sucker Punch and rely solely upon paracetamol and ibuprofen (utterly ineffective). I'd take phenergan to make me drowsy enough to fall - and stay - asleep (it's a first-generation anti-histamine, so non-addictive, and with powerful "Don't Operate Heavy Machinery" side-effects. I love the stuff).
I would put myself through this on a weekly basis because I was (and remain) utterly terrified of either dependancy or addiction. I understand if it's too personal a question for an open post on a public forum, but how do you manage that side of it?
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