Oxycodone

While I was sick a few weeks ago I mentioned that I needed to increase my pain meds. I normally take a medication known as Norco, essentially Vicodin, for the bone pain caused by chemo.

When I got some viral bug that caused overall body aches and pains in addition to the bone pain, I quickly became severely uncomfortable. I usually take 1 Norco at a time and only on my bad days do I need another in 4-6 hours...very rarely I'll take 1.5.

Suddenly I found myself taking 1 every 2-3 hours (this works out since I can take 2 every 4-6 hours). Unfortunately my pain was still through the roof and I was exceeding my daily Acetaminophen dose. Acetaminophen is Tylenol, which is toxic to your liver in not so large doses.

I knew the easy version of the next step up was Oxycodone. I've dealt with all these meds many times as a nurse and I know many patients do fine with it, others do not. Personally I tried it after my hysterectomy and every time I tried it I would get violently nauseated and throw up. After a couple times, I asked for Norco and ever since then we have had a happy relationship together.

The fact that I was willing to try Oxy again was an indication alone to Geoff about just how bad it was, but we both completely agreed I needed to try something else. A day or two before, we had been in the car running an errand when the pain took hold and I started writhing. I had my last dose of Norco within the last 3 hours and it didn't matter...every bump, twist, turn, stop was excruciating.

I, like many people, hate "the pain scale"...you know when you're told to rate your pain on a scale from 0 to 10. As a nurse, it is a useful tool at times, as a patient, it is crap. After being a trauma nurse I found myself telling people to think of 10 as being hit by a truck. I've never been hit by a truck, never want to be, and have seen first-hand what it looks like, so I tend to rate my highest pain as a 5 or 6. On this car ride home I told Geoff through the clenching and sobbing and attempts at deep breathing that my pain was an 8.

So that was it. I asked for Oxy.

Geoff had to drive into Madison to the hospital to fill my prescription, but I didn't care. I wanted it pronto. I was convinced it would help.

In all honesty, I think it did. I was able to sleep which I desperately needed, but then the nausea kicked in. Quickly I was taking everything in my arsenal and nothing was making it better. I didn't care, the pain was better. I kept taking the Oxy. Then the lack of appetite kicked in. Nothing appealed to me or if it did, I would have one bite and never want to see it again. I kept taking the Oxy. Then the constipation  set in. I still didn't care. I kept taking the Oxy.

I mentioned here before that I was essentially in bed for two weeks. I had fevers, pain, and was generally miserable. Once the fevers stopped I still felt miserable for days. Eventually I realized it was the Oxy and it was time for it to go.

I had the prescription for Oxy filled two weeks ago on the Friday that I took a break from chemo. I hadn't taken all of it, but because it was such a potential pain to get filled I asked for a refill the following Friday. It was the next day that I realized it had to go.

I still used one or two for a couple days, but I noticed how much better I felt when I was just back on Norco. I would find that I could eat a little here or there which would help greatly with the nausea and my mood. Let me just say I'm not pleasant when I'm hungry, but nauseous, and uncomfortable.

Part of the reason I had been taking the Oxy was hip pain. My hips are where I tend to get the brunt of my bone pain (this makes sense), plus I'm a side sleeper. My hips felt like they had been run over by a Mack truck. I was living for heating pads and pain meds. I couldn't get comfortable. I was starting to wonder if I was getting pressure ulcers. So again, I started weaning off the Oxy and I found myself up and about more and off my hips. Voila! Less hip pain.

It took a few days of being completely off it for the nausea to go away and my appetite to mostly return. It took a few more days for the constipation to go away and the rest of my appetite to return.

Now I hope to never need it again on a regular basis. I'll keep a tiny stash locked up for break-through pain, though I'll hope I never ever need it. I've debated using it if I ever get really bad diarrhea from chemo again, but I don't even think that's wise. I just don't think Oxy and I are made for each other.

I found myself dreaming that instead our insurance company would pay to upgrade our bathtub to something a little bigger with jets. For me a hot, Epsom salt baths are so much more therapeutic, but I guess that doesn't support big Pharm and societal drug addictions (sorry I just couldn't resist that). Maybe someday I'll start a non profit that pays for bigger tubs for cancer patients...for now though, I think I'll just try going back to sleep.