Thursday 11 July 2013

Pain is a pain in the everything.

Originally, I was prescribed Tramadol four times a day. I found that Tramadol keeps me awake though, so I reduced this dose to three times a day. This of course meant that I needed a different pain killer at night. I was prescribed Gabapentin by my specialist, last year.

It worked well to start with, but over the year it's diminished. Rather than increase the dose I requested, last week, to change to a more commonly used medication; Amitryptiline. He had no problem with this, but along with everything else he forgot to do, he forgot to write the prescription for this. (I hasten to add that this was NOT Dr Patel at the George Eliot). I left a note for my GP on the way home from the specialist appointment, telling him that I now had no pain medication for night-time, asking him if he could write the prescription for Amitryptiline for me. It's a commonly used drug, one which he's prescribed for me before under different circumstances.

So, I expected to spend the weekend without pain medication. Come Monday though, there was no prescription for me, and of course I can't get an appointment with, or speak with, my GP about it for weeks.

At the same time, of course, my Tramadol is running low. So I put in a request for a repeat of Tramadol on Monday, too. For some reason it seems particularly difficult to get a repeat of Tramadol. I don't know why it's so controversial. I've been assured that it isn't the cost of the drug. So, because I know it takes ages for the Tramadol prescription to come through, I've reduced the dose of Tramadol, to twice a day.

So, for a week now, I've been on less than half the pain medication my body has become accustomed to. It's very easy to say that I'm not addicted to these pain medications. I'm not ... not specifically addicted to Tramadol and Gabapentin, anyway. However, my body now requires pain relief of some sort. Last time something similar happened, I sought relief from Codeine Plus, or something like that, which helped a little. I only have Ibuprofen available at the moment though, which doesn't seem to do much at all.

So, I AM IN PAIN. I have a stabbing pain straight through my head (withdrawal no doubt). My entire body feels horrible. Obviously, the pain that the medications help with has come back with a vengeance. But, my body feels like it's starving, too, an experience I have never desired to repeat. Standing up feels uncomfortable, as if I'm unable to breath. Yet my breathing is unaffected.

I can't remain in one position for more than a few minutes, but I cannot explain why. Nothing feels right. This is the hypermobility. Before taking pain medication I was used to this feeling, and hadn't even realised I was in such significant discomfort. Every joint in my body feels ... loose. I can feel each tiny movement, some feel like they're grating, some feel like they're swimming. Subluxations have become a lot more common throughout this period of pain and discomfort.

And of course, with pain and discomfort comes the lack of sleep.

I'm so tired of fighting to live a normal life. Not just striving, but fighting the NHS and DWP. I have to argue my case over and over and over again, to get the simplest of things. This medication change is just one example, among many. I do at least have a GP who is working with me now, despite it feeling as if he's doing it so slowly. I've been ill since 2002: This is the first time someone is taking me seriously.

1 comment:

  1. This is the post just what I was looking around. I've been suffering by muscle and joint pain from several days, My doctor was prescribed me Advil Generic 400mg and now hopeful for getting relief. Thanks

    ReplyDelete