I have chronic back pain and nerve damage to my right side due to a car accident, The neuroligist said the damage is equal to being dropped 7 stories on my left side. Now he is prescribing Morphine Sulfate 15mg and I am worried about the addiction versuses pain relief
I have been on Morphind sulfate for approx. 3 months now twice daily for back, hip and hand pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has helped my back and hip pain but not the hand. My biggest problem is that this drug is like swallowing cement, it is terribly constipating. I stopped it for several days just to see if I was, indeed, becoming addicted and the awnser is no. My physical therapist and other nurses have told me not to worry as long as I was in pain I would not become addicted. But of course we are all different. I feel quite safe in using it.
Hello both Jean, and other questioner. Response 1 for questioner. I have psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, sacroiliitis, spndylitis, slipped disk, and coccyx injury that did not heal properly due to the above conditions not being diagnosed timely. With that said, I have tried morphine sulfate as well. The way I see the dependence subject is this, just because you are on the medication you are not an 'addict'. What happens is your body becomes dependent on the medication over time, and that period being different for each individual. Your prescriber should be aware of the classic tell-tale signs of addiction vs dependence. I started a new drug in Jan of this year, however I've lived in three other states in the last two years, and have not seen the drug used elsewhere. The drugs side effects are extremely minimal compared to other opiate medications. There is one physician I know of that prescribes the drug, and I could refer you to him. He holds several PHD's in internal medicine, addiction, phycology, surgery, emergency medicine and so forth. He also sees many celebrities with pain issues, that are concerned with dependence. As I stated I am sorry for the fact that I have not seen this medication available in any other state than Florida. Another interesting fact is that with this medication you gradually reduce the amount of medication you need to assist with the pain, versus increasing medication as seen and done with every other opiate I've seen. That in itself is rewarding. 2) For Jean, I've tried morphine myself, and for me it did not treat the pain well. I have tried steriod injections as well, which definitely help and allow you to continue the highest level of mobility. I would incourage you to get an MRI if you havent done so already, and have them look at your sacrioliac joints if you are experiencing severe hip pain. My hip pain was treated with medication only for several years until I finally came across a physician that chose to take a closer look. The sacroiliitis has now progressed into spondylitis due to it not being treated correctly earlier. For the record I am only 26 years old. Physical therapy, water therapy, specificed stretching, and yoga have made a dramatic difference for me. As well as the new medication I spoke about above. In my opinion every doctor is different but I also find that stressful situations reduce the effectiveness of my medications, and minimizing your pain is never the best answer even though at times you may think that you are in a far better situation than someone else. That is true in many instances, but when you minimize the pain you're feeling, sometimes it prohibits doctors from reaching the entire conclusions they should about where you are, and where you dont want to end up.
3
Verwon Says:
[Moderator]
Wednesday, 10/21/2009 5:55:08 PM
Morphine, while being a very potent narcotic, is NOT always the best choice for everyone when treating spinal or joint pain.
The reason for this is that, in some instances, for some people, it can cause a side effect of joint inflammation.
I was on it for several years, the generic for MS Contin, as my pain was worsening, they kept blaming my back, saying it was just getting worse, however, I later found out that it wasn't.
Most of the pain I was being treated for was a complete misdiagnosis and the Morphine was creating more pain and problems than it was solving, so it should always be used with caution.
Home Page
Post Your Story or Question
Registered Community Experts
Twitter
Facebook
Committed to Your Privacy 
