OT - way OT - drug update

Dear Karen,

If you are no longer taking the
medication for pain, please discuss your
anxiety and stress with your Dr who may
be able to provide something for that
temporarily to get you off the pain RX.
I know it is just changing one drug for
another, but you should definitely not
be taking pain meds for stress.

Do following the suggestions of others
and get out for a walk or if you can't,
drive to the park and just sit for
awhile, maybe taking a little hand
needlework with you. Find some way to
relax and enjoy yourself for a bit every
day. The period of stress relief will
increase every day.

Been there, done that.

Susan
aka Betsy Ross

Pain meds are both a blessing and a curse. The line between isvery thin.
After my DM's back surgery she was afraid to stop taking them because the
pain during recovery was relentless. I suggested to stop taking the one in
the middle of the day first. Then the one in the morning when she got out
of bed. The last one was the hardest because that one she took before bed.
We halved that one, even though it was not notched to break. Eventually we
did the half every other night. It took a couple of months but she did stop
taking them and now only uses Advil for pain. Keep at it Karen, you can do
it! After all, any person that can cut material up into a bizillion pieces
and so tham all back together again, can tackle this. Hugs, Linda

Maybe try cutting them in half. It's just a thought.
Joanna


In article TolNe.262270$x96.199052@attbi_s72,
"Queen of Squishies" RisingStars @ KarenTucker.com wrote:


My doc said to wean myself off the pain medication, and I got down to one a
day. Two days ago I was supposed to be able to go to none. I haven't been
able to do it yet. Keep in mind, this is not for pain anymore. I just get
all wired and stressed until I just have to take it and calm down. sigh.
Maybe today will be the day of victory??

Karen, Queen of Squishies
Winston Churchill said never give up, never give up, never, never, never.

--
Remove QUILT to reply

Karen, what does it matter how long it takes - not a *jot*. In theory,
perhaps, all things are possible.
I'm so glad you are weaning off, and not stopping suddenly.
However, I am *not* pleased that you are using the word 'victory'. That
is because the opposite of victory is defeat. To be defeated is to
fail, and using the 'F' word is not a good idea at all.
One little tip I have found: if I start forgetting to take a regular
pill, I'm obviously getting better. If it is in the forefront of my
mind, I still need it.
Also, if you draw a graph of your weaning off, going down from a whole
one tablet to nothing is a very large jump. Far better either to cut
the tablets, and go for a few days (or however long you need) on a half
tablet. OR go to one on, say, Monday, none on Tuesday, one on Wednesday
and so on. Then go two days without; then three days without; then four
days without, until they are eliminated. Those small further intakes of
the medication just keep you going until, to the body, the drug is no
longer noticed whether it's there or not.
Perhaps 'never give up' if it is important; but also it is vital to know
that you can also say 'enough is enough'. What if you end up with
taking one per week, and just cannot drop that last one? Will the world
stop turning? I don't think so. Will a calmer you help yourself and the
people around you? Perhaps. Your call, but don't be ruthless on
yourself.
..
In message TolNe.262270$x96.199052@attbi_s72, Queen of Squishies
writes
My doc said to wean myself off the pain medication, and I got down to one a
day. Two days ago I was supposed to be able to go to none. I haven't been
able to do it yet. Keep in mind, this is not for pain anymore. I just get
all wired and stressed until I just have to take it and calm down. sigh.
Maybe today will be the day of victory??

Karen, Queen of Squishies
Winston Churchill said never give up, never give up, never, never, never.



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

"Queen of Squishies" RisingStars @ KarenTucker.com wrote in message
news:TolNe.262270$x96.199052@attbi_s72...
My doc said to wean myself off the pain medication, and I got down to one
a
day. Two days ago I was supposed to be able to go to none. I haven't
been
able to do it yet. Keep in mind, this is not for pain anymore. I just
get
all wired and stressed until I just have to take it and calm down. sigh.
Maybe today will be the day of victory??


Karen, are you quite sure you aren't really in pain? Sometimes it manifests
itself in different ways. For instance, I can tell that I hurt somewhere if
I can't keep my legs still when I am in bed. If I take a Tylenol or
aspirin, it stops. My point is that you can't always assume that the pain
is gone. And it is easier to quit taking the pain pills if the pain is
indeed gone. Maybe take some Tylenol or aspirin as a precaution.

Just because that doctor says you shouldn't still be in pain doesn't mean
it's really gone.

Cindy sending good thoughts

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 13:46:27 GMT, "Queen of Squishies" RisingStars @
KarenTucker.com wrote:

My doc said to wean myself off the pain medication, and I got down to one a
day. Two days ago I was supposed to be able to go to none. I haven't been
able to do it yet. Keep in mind, this is not for pain anymore. I just get
all wired and stressed until I just have to take it and calm down. sigh.
Maybe today will be the day of victory??

This might sound a bit odd, but try taking your vitamin instead of the
pain pill.
The human mind is a strange thing, and sometimes performing the action
it has come to associate with a certain state is enough to kick it
over into that state. It might take a little while to develop a
strong enough association, it might never happen, but what the hey you
don't lose anything by trying.

NightMist

--
"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge
it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

Betsy Ross wrote:

Dear Karen,

If you are no longer taking the medication for pain, please discuss your
anxiety and stress with your Dr who may be able to provide something for
that temporarily to get you off the pain RX. I know it is just changing
one drug for another, but you should definitely not be taking pain meds
for stress.

Be careful about anxiety meds. They have their own problems; weight
gain and sexual side effects are common. I gained 70 lbs in ONE year
from an anxiety med WITHOUT changing my eating habits. It took a couple
of years after going off it for my metabolism to normalize enough to
start losing the weight I'd gained, then it took another 2 years to lose
it. Oh, and my doc didn't warn me that weight gain was a common side
effect, so I had no idea what was going on as I ballooned into obesity.

Looking back on it -- I'd rather have the anxiety attacks and skip the
weight problem. The damage the weight did to my self-image took a long
time to fade.

Relaxation therapy is what you need, Karen. It is physiologically
impossible to be anxious and tense when your muscles are completely
relaxed. Once you've trained yourself to have a relaxation response
(and it doesn't take long), you can use it whenever you need it.

Do following the suggestions of others and get out for a walk or if you
can't, drive to the park and just sit for awhile, maybe taking a little
hand needlework with you. Find some way to relax and enjoy yourself for
a bit every day. The period of stress relief will increase every day.

Been there, done that.

Susan
aka Betsy Ross


--

the black rose
Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human
Relations
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts
2005 BOMs: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blackrosequilts/my_photos

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On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 13:54:05 GMT, the black rose
wrote:

Relaxation therapy is what you need, Karen. It is physiologically
impossible to be anxious and tense when your muscles are completely
relaxed. Once you've trained yourself to have a relaxation response
(and it doesn't take long), you can use it whenever you need it.

Where would one go to learn this?
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Hi Debra, A Psychologist or Physiciatrist is sometimes trained in these
techniques. Learning to "meditate" the pain away is a wonderful skill. I
also helps with stress and panic attacks. Linda