The Big Day

Pain Management

If you’ve found yourself in the same situation I’m in – or a similar situation to the one I’m in – it’s likely you’ve been living on some variety of painkillers for awhile.  I probably don’t have to explain to you the side-effects and options, but it  you’d like to know, comment here and I’ll tell you what I’ve found. – And maybe add it to the blog if enough people ask.

In the hospital I’ve been on the standard Dilaudid drip / On Demand (not at all like UVerse or Time Warner BTW) delivery system.  I don’t do especially well on this, as it gives me headaches.  Today, the drip is stopped , leaving on the On Demand where, like one of Pavlov’s dogs, I can push a button and feel better (relative term).

Now that I have some options, I’ve decided to get off the Oxycontin time-release + short-acting combo and back to one that has fewer side-effects for me.  I did a lot better on MS Contin, a time-release Morphine, combined with Norco (Hydrocodone)

Before I went on the Oxy regimen,  I was using 1 30mg Morphine  T.R every 12 hours, supplemented by 10/325 Norco as needed (could be as high as 7 a  day)  We tried going to 3 Morphine (8 hr interval instead of 12) but I was greatly over-medicated and stopped that almost immediately.

So here we are starting over.  At my insistence, we start with 2 morphine + total of 6 Norco.

OK.  No.  After 8 hrs of the Morphine, I’m throwing Norco at the pain every 45 minutes until the pain stops.  “Chasing the Pain” is never a good idea.  So we meet, discuss and decide on 3 Morphine at 8 hr intervals + up to 6 Norco, with the understanding we will ratchet it down  as soon as we think I can handle it