Crohn's Disease Support Group

Anyone know why doctors are so hesitant to give out pain meds to people with Crohn's Disease?It's like every time I try, I hit a brick wall.I could see if we were just some Joe Blow off the street complaining of back pain or something....But we have a CHRONIC ILLNESS with no cure that has been proven to cause debilitating pain.But yet, when you ask for pain meds, the doctors make you feel like you are a junkie looking to score....ughhh so damn frustrating!!!!!!!!

wish I knew. My Dr. has been doing the same lately and I'm about to be brutaly honest with her.

Since I've seen her, I have been nothing but honest about how the meds work or how they haven't among other things... (taking too many cause they didn't digest or whatnot) and she's gotten more and more tight about how she prescribes them to me. I too now feel like a junkie when I go, like some kid who was just sent to the principles office... I've even had to take a few wiz quizes lately and that's bothered me as well.

maybe it's time to shop for another Dr...?

edit:

let me add that maybe I'm an addict... I dunno. When taking a particular type of pain med, I have the energy I crave and become well motivated to get off my ass and do things once again. That is a positive side effect, no? I told this to my doc (honesty appearently not working in my favor here) and she has done everything she can to find another medicine to replace it. Everything else makes me drowsy so I can't even think about taking them at work. I've tried a few times and now have videos of me sleeping in a lab... not cool.

/back to droolin on my desk

Post edited by: lookin4pain, at: 12/19/2011 10:01 AM

Porknang,

I have had a bad reaction to Percoset, a scrip painkiller, albeit everybody reacts differently to pain meds.Plus because of our inflammation, we have a hard(or at least most of us) can't take anything stronger than extra-strength Tylenol. That is why I think GI's are reluctant

I can speak for my general physician on this issue. He's worried that taking pain meds will "dull" my ability to judge how my Crohn's meds are working, and will simply "mask" symptoms that can become quite serious rather quickly.

That being said, when he saw the impressive fissure currently residing in my rectum, he immediately offered (without my asking) to refill my Ultram prescription plus two refills (total of 120 pills). So it makes me wonder if their reluctance is also due to the fact that the docs rarely see a physical, tangible manifestion of our Crohn's, and are therefore doubtful of our claims of pain?

I think it may have something to do with how the FDA changed their regulations of Narcotics a few years ago and how the most drug related deaths this year and last were from prescription pain killer overdoses.

In addition to Crohns I have chronic tendonitis which flares up in different areas (feet, hands, elbows, jaw) and can be as painful as arthritis. I can't take NSAIDs because of Crohn's and they are what I really need for the tendonitis. On a good day, tylenol makes me feel a little better, on a bad day it does absolutely nothing. I have to accompany it with codeine (vicodin) or oxycontin(percocet)to get any relief.

I don't think I'm addicted but my body is definitely building up a tolerance to them. Well either that or my pain is just getting worse. I think dependency is really what the Dr's are afraid of. Narcotics are easy drugs to become dependant on and they are #1 on the FDA hitlist right now, so Dr's in general are hesitant to dispense them.

just my opinion

Nobody should have to deal with too much pain.A little...maybe, but constant pain caused depression, sometimes even suicide (Don't panic, I am not ready to kill myself yet).I understand narcotics have bad side effects, but to be honest, I am almost worthless without them.Hurts to do anything.Just cleaning the house is almost an impossible task!Notto mention caring for 4 boys....2 teenagers and 2 little guys!I swear, If I cant get someone to refill my pain meds, i am going to go score a bag of weed or something!

Your a doctor for God's sake!What part of "chronic pain" do you not understand???

I agree porknang...NO ONE should have to suffer!!!!!!!!!

I know Codeine can cause constipation and my Dr's are hesitant to give it to me because of that. One pain killer that I use sparingly is being taken off the market in March and I only found that out by accident. My Rumie is giving me a slow acting sterroid that has the same affects as Pred but with less side effects. Oxycontin is prescribed very sparingly over here to. Pain is pain though and you should be able to get relief from it. It's very frustrating.

Funny how Dr's are so different. Mine are concerned about the addictive nature of the narcotics,....they consider the constipation a beneficial side effect for me.

I know what you mean. If I'm in a flare I think the codeine helps to.