Morphine

Wookiee
I must admit I do like morphine.
 
 
Justification - Lumbar Facet Joint Injection (today)

Comfortably numb?

but the morphine eased the pain and the grass grew round his brain ...
there's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9ZkYViEIs
 
 
 
 

Wookiee
I must admit I do like morphine.
 
 
Justification - Lumbar Facet Joint Injection (today)

The Lumbar Facet Joint Injection doesn't sound like any fun at all--especially if they're giving morphine in preparation for it.  Don't be flying the Millenium Falcon while you're on the morphine.  I hope the injection goes well and does what it's supposed to do. 

Morphine is OK. Hydromorphone is better. Take a tablespoon a day for the constipation from morphine, it works better than most remedies.
I find for pain relief hydrocodone seems to work better than anything else that you can readily get a prescription for, it is better than oxycodone (I don't care what they say, hydro works better). They make the hydromrphone in a 24 hr time release dose now, it is called Exalgo. I doubt if your insurance will cover it though.
I cannot take the epidural injections, I break out for about 6 weeks with exzema, not worth the benefit. I've been on several time release meds, fentanyl patch and Avenza (time release morphine @ 90mg a day) nthing works better for me than vicoprofen. I still hurt but there is a balance between how much pain and how much side effects. There is a headache med that is a good all around pain reliever too, it is fioricet or cephadyn (fioricet has caffiene, cephadyn does not, both can make you a little grouchy because they are a barb with some APAP) but they work.
Good luck with pain, no one understands pain who does not live with it.
I have facet syndrome and bulging/degenerative disc disease, and spinal arthritis, Cervical and upper thoracic (T-1).. it SUQ.
 
BTW, you don't need an general anesthetic for an epidural. Most people get the anesthesia but I tried them without any and frankly all I felt was pressure...
 
J
 

Big fan of morphine/oxycodone/hydrocodone/percoset/dilaudid here, too. Take any of those for more than a day, though, and you'll wanna be washing it down with lots of prune juice - or face dire consequences. Addiction is not the worst that can happen. I'll say no more.

I don't have many tv related memories as a kid (I guess the fact that we only had 1 channel and a half to watch helped), but seeing Albert going through morphine withdrawal on The Little House on the Prairie is one of them... 

 
Anyway, hope it all went well for you, Wookie.

Take care Wookiee.
I've had my time with morphine and do believe I wouldn't much
care for a lumber injection even though I love working with it. ;)
 
 

 I hope they can find and correct the pain issue.
 
 If given the choice to either be in constant pain or take something, I wouldn't hesitate. 

Hang in there, Wookiee.  Feel better soon. 

Sorry to here about that, Wookie, you have my sympathy.
 
I had my third Lumbar Facet Joint Injection today.  I have been on morphine everyday for several years now, so all I got was a cup of tea and two chocolate biscuits.
 
I can relate to your " I feel like someone has whacked me across my lumber region with a velvet clad iron bar" experience.
 
I hope you feel the benefits soon.

Thank you, John.  I hope you're feeling better today.
 
Hang in there, I have found the injections really helpful, once you get over the initial "shock".
 
Take care.

Wookiee
The addiction side of Morphine is the one reason I have never been tempted by it or other opiate recreational substances.  The co-codamol  I take on a daily is bad enough.
 
They gave me a mixture of sedative and morphine for the lumber injection.
 
Now, some eighteen hours later, I feel like someone has whacked me across my lumber region with a velvet clad iron bar.
 
Thanks for the positive thoughts people.

 
Lots of days I feel like I have a nail sticking in my spine, the meds help but you get used to pain as long as it isn't really acute.

There is a real difference between addiction and dependency. An addict will take more and more, will use a months prescription up in a week or less. Someone who uses an opiate for pain relief, responsibly (like me) will have meds left over at the end of the month.. however the physical dependency still exists, just not the abuse.
>edited for content. I have some wild stories that are better left unsaid in a public forum.
 
J