Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Pain Medication Guideline for Elderly Patients

The American Geriatrics Society has issued an updated guideline for treating chronic pain patients aged 75 and older.  According to the new guideline, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) should be “considered rarely, and with extreme caution, in highly selected individuals.”&n...
Anonymous
Me
7/ 8/09 10:58am

I have chronic pain for over 15 years, I went through the loop trying every ways to to tame the pain. You name it, physi, chiro, pain management clinics, hypnosis,etc.

As medication to which I sadly accepted the fate, starting way before with otc graduating to tyl # 1, 2, 3 , ANSAIDS to start having bad stomach pain and not so good liver and kidneys panels. My dr. then put me on morphine, I did not want to go on the drug so afraid of ..what ? He did educate me,and I tried 7 years ago. I was able to do my day to day necessary chores but never as before CP. Over the years I questioned the moved to finally accept it about 5 y ago. My dr. then told me that there were some new meds on banchwork for people like me I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 5 years ago, the rheumy was not very happy that I was on already high dosage wanting me to start all over with the otc's ANSAIDS  Thylo. no wont go there anymore when you vomit blood it is scary enough. I counted myself lucky to have only muscles and joint pains over those with other pains.

I am on morphine on the same dosage for 5 years now 7 years all together  , I should  up it but I don't want to. I take 180mg long active and 25 for breakthrough pain, My pharmacist says it is too much .The dr. says if it works why change it.

When I started taking morphine I was not 60 yet, now I am  in the senior family .

It makes me feel good to read that dr. should prescribed morphine for people like me the FDA finding with acetaminophen is about time to come out. If you read the Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons

http://www.americangeriatrics.org/education/final_recommendations.pdf it makes sense.

I know to many people who are under treated for pain and I am aware of people committing the ultimate act to get out of pain. Oh they say the old girl made a mistake and overdosed her meds.......is it really ? This is the reality of growing old with pain.

I work with older people and hear their fear and feel their pain, it is not pretty there let me tell you.

It is about time to help those of us who had a very active and fulfilled life to lived as best as we can. My pain being tamed I can still be of some help in the community without my meds I was useless.

Me

 

 

7/22/09 6:55pm

 Iwas on neproxcin for 6 months or a little more and I was acually feeling pretty good most of the time. One day while flushing the toilet I noticed it looked like black peanut butter. Now I`m not a doctor but I have been told what digested blood looks like! I went to my doctor and told him and he put me on previcid also. The result was I was passing undigested blood, I was bleeding to death internaly! So I had to stop taking the medication that made me feel better because it would have killed me.  Now at 58, today, I have not much choice but to take opiods. How am I supposed to live the rest of my painful life when the government puts so many blokades on what will help me without killing me in the prosess?

10/10/09 2:29pm

I'm so sorry that society has made you feel like you have to chose between living in pain or being labeled a "druggie." I have been on opiods for about 4 yrs now and have tried very hard to understand peoples omments, but I cannot understand how some people feel they have the right to comdemn others to a life of pain. If you had diabetes would it be wrong to take insulin. If you had high blood pressure would it be wrong for you to need bp medication. NO! I have wished that people who feel they need to judge me could live 1 week with my pain and see if they would change their minds. I don't want sympathy. I don't want special treatment. All I want is not to be judged and have my pain controlled well enough to live a normal life. Sometimes you just have to ignore all the others and do what is right for you. Talk with your doctor about your pain. If he/she doesn't want to listen get a second opinion. Find a doctor who will work with you to make life acceptable without judgement. Good luck to you!

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