[pwrles1]

I've been on Percocet for 8 months due to a back injury.
It has also been working well to relieve my joint/muscle pain. My back has recovered fairly well to the point I could probably go without the medication, but I really like how it helps me get through the day. I'm a construction worker,
I'm 45 years old and I just recently found out I have Lupus. I didn't realize the stiffness & pain (as well as a bunch of other tell-tale symptoms) where being caused by my newly diagnosed disease. I guess my question is, should I keep using this medication for my Lupus pain? I already belong to a pain-center for the back injury and I imagine the doctor will give me the stuff if I want it.

 

[cath]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. I am both sorry and glad about your diagnosis. Sorry that you have SLE, but it is better to know about it if you have it anyway:wink2:.

The aim of treatment in lupus is to get the disease process itself under control, and in turn this will hopefully lessen your pain greatly. So the first line drugs are plaquenil, and maybe prednisolone. It is an idea to have a NSAID for the mean time too as it takes plaquenil several months to work fully.

The long term ideal is not to need any narcotics for lupus pain, and for the majority of lupus sufferers this is not necessary. There are however some people with lupus who do have a lot of pain and do use narcotic medications to manage it. If this is what it takes, that is better than suffering.

Since you are already being looked after by a pain clinic, I'd work with them in planning to reduce and hopefully eventually cut out the percocet. There is a pretty good chance that in say 6 months you are not in so much pain with the lupus (the back injury is a different story), and may well be able to get by with only the occasional tylenol. SO, there is a good chance you'll get off it, but if not, then don't give yourself a hard time about it

X C X

 

[pwrles1]

Thanks, Cath. This all new to me. I already know that I'm limited on what I can take because I also have stomach ulsers. Many anti-inflamatories that they wanted to use for my back problem were ruled out because of this. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. For now, the Percocet makes my day tolerable. 24 hours later, the depression and reality is setting in.:sad:

 

[Sage Hen]

Hello,

I go to a pain clinic also. Percocet, is very helpful in reducing pain, but has its own side effects, as I am sure you already know.

My advice would be as Cath stated, to talk with your dr's, about getting your lupus under better control and then maybe, a stronger pain medication, can be reduced, or stopped all together.

I take narcotics as well. Sometimes, lupus pain is really difficult to control, and we all have different pain thresh holds. If, you find your life's quality is better with the narcotic pain reliever..don't be hard on yourself for using them.

Welcome..by the way.

Sandy

 

[pwrles1]

Sandy, thanks. I've already become 'OK' with taking the opiods. I've been physically dependent on them for months, meaning if I don't take them I have withdrawals. The lousy thing about that is the withdrawal symptoms are like SLE symptoms and just add to my pain. Even when I was having good days with my back problem, I would have to take them not to be sick. I'm not sure that people realize that after a while it's like taking an asprin. They work on the pain but you don't get loopy/high feeling, or the nausea for that matter.

 

[katiebug]

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have two young kids and I have to take lortab every 4-6 hours just to make it through the day. And I am still in pain its not like even with the meds I am pain free. I just want some kind of quality of life. I just turned 35 and on my birthday my kids were so awsome they made me muffins and sang happy birthday and I was in the midst of one of my flares ever. I have heard so many talk about the dependancy part of the meds but like you said I am not loopy or high I am just able to function and tolerate the things that I can do one day at a time and for that I am not ashamed. I did not ask for this as no one does and I sometimes feel like I have let my children down by being limited to what I can do now and what I used to could do. Pain managment is a part of this dreadful disease but we have to find something that works for us and for our families. I wish you the best.

God Bless
Katie

 

[Pink Pearl]

The one thing I would advise you to do is to assign ONE doctor on your team to be the only one who writes narcotic meds. I did this with my pulmologist years ago and it was one of the best things I did. It also took the pressure off the other doctors so they knew I was not going to them to ask for narcotic meds. I do have my rheumy as backup if my pulm doc is out of town and I need a refill.

Personally I hated the way I felt when I knew I needed the help, but to have to justify why I needed it every time, left me with a bad feeling.

I processed health insurance claims in my "previous life". As part of this, I did drug reviews of people who had a high volume of controlled meds from multiple doctors. Often I found that the other doctors did not know who else was writing controlled meds for the person. In one case the woman died because there were just too many meds in her system and she did not respond to a new symptom which eventually caused her death.

So, when I talked to my pulm doc about this, he agreed. It really makes things much easier for everyone. Funny thing, I have not had one question about the scripts for demerol. I am allergic to all codeine, morphine, and all derivatives, so am very limited in my choice of rx meds.

When people take the volume of meds that many of us do, it makes sense to work anything out we can to make it easier.
Sally