Newbie

[JLH]

DB has been dealing with his problem for 13 to 14 years he said. I found out that he has mostly constipation and not much D. The VA docs said he has IBS. He says he doesn't. He thinks that he has a blockage of some kind brought about from an illness episode that he didn't remember for 6 years. They tested him with the eyeball camera that you swallow. Don't know the real name of it.

We'll see. He is going to go to an outside the Va doc, at least that is the plan.

I'm going to see what I can eat this weekend so I can watch the fireworks.

[Sara East]

Tex, I completely understand and agree with what you said. Unfortunately those that abuse prescription drugs have hurt the rest of us who really need them. My husband is a paramedic and has a B.S. in Biomed and I'm currently in school for nursing so it's been a great help in understanding LC and the treatments. The DTO isn't used for pain but for it's constipation side effect as I'm sure you probably know :) You really are a wealth of information! Taking it by mouth and in such small doses keeps me from having any side effects like euphoria or any of the effects that cause someone to become addicted. I'm not sure about other states but in NH you can only have 120ml every 30days. If I was ever addicted I wouldn't be able to take more and take as much as I needed to get high because I wouldn't have access to it. Since there are no side effects (besides the completely HORRIBLE taste!) I don't understand how someone could be addicted to it. If I'm having a good day I won't even take it because it's a pain to take and the taste is horrendous! I do know when my mom was a young mother, they used to give her paregoric to give to my sister because she had colic and would never stop crying and sleep! I don't think that's recommended anymore lol :) I definitely would like to get off of it though, and the amitriptyline (I take it for the constipation side effects and pain relief) and Bentyl...maybe then I could have more energy. Every time I get any prescription filled it comes with a pamphlet of the possible side effects and the first time I get it filled the pharmacist also will tell me the important info. With the DTO it is constant attitude to the point of being hung up on when I'm calling to tell them I'll be bringing the script in (since they insist I do that because they won't automatically order it monthly). Even after calling a few days ahead to make sure they order it they've still only filled half. When I picked it up and asked where the rest was they told me some other patients in the hospital MIGHT need it and I can come back in a week to get the rest! I came back a week later and then they told me they can only fill the prescription within 72 hours of receiving it...they knew that when they told me to come back in a week. So then they said to get a new prescription for the rest. I went back to my doc, told her what was going on, she called the pharmacy right in front of me and ripped into them telling them how unprofessional they are. I went back to the pharmacy with a new script for the rest of the DTO and was forced to pay another co-pay because of their stupidity. This happens on almost a regular basis. Sorry to vent here lol :) My husband and I have been going rounds with them for the past year, not only for my med but for my daughters eczema cream and a few other drugs. See how being off meds would make my life easier lol? I think the stress of dealing with the people in the medical field has made my LC worse, but it's made me want to be a better nurse and my husband is now considering becoming a physicians assistant!

[tex]

Sara,

I didn't realize that you were so well informed, and I apologize for causing you to spend some of your time explaining all that to me, (I'm sure you have better things to do), but I do appreciate the information. It's a crying shame that you're stuck with that bunch at the pharmacy, because they're a perfect example of the old saying about "a little education being a bad thing", and it's almost certain that the added stress that they impose on you often makes your LC symptoms worse. One would think that they would eventually get a little tired of beating the same old dead horse, but maybe they're slow learners. LOL.

One of the reasons why I was initially concerned, is because in some cases where opioids are used to control the D, the motility can become so suppressed, that a life-threatening impaction issue is a real possibility, and it can sneak up on you before you realize what's going on. That actually happened to one of our members, but fortunately, she suspected that something was wrong, and they caught it in time.

Good luck with your program. Hopefully, in a few months, you'll be able to begin to phase out the meds, as the diet begins to take effect on the symptoms.

Tex

[Sara East]

Please don't apologize!! I like being able to talk to you and the others here who understand the meds because they've been there and also it helps me get things off my chest in a group of very understanding people :) I've heard of the impaction issue and it sounds like a painful thing to have to get fixed! The DTO doesn't effect as much as I would like it to, it keeps me down to going 5 or 6 times a day as opposed to 10 or more times a day when not taking it. Sounds strange but I look forward to minor surgeries and procedures because of the pain meds and how they keep me from going and going lol :) Even having my medical records and knowing my history, the nurses always tried to give me laxatives after I gave birth to my babies...I kept telling them no, I have LC and they would say you really need the laxatives. Why don't medical people listen? :) But please don't feel like you're telling me something I all ready know because I'm always learning and everyones experiences, information, and opinions are good to hear!