28 replies to this topic

[Lucky]

Hi, I have'nt posted for a while now but feel I need some input please.
I've become a bit depressed of late and started to get bad lower back muscle pain...most of the day.
The doctors put me on citalopram and dihydrocodine.
But I'm thinking of asking for some DIAZEPAM for the constant contracted muscles in my back and stomack as well as lack of sleep and anxiaty attacks.
Has any one any thoughts on this and am I well within my rights to demand some "decent" tablets seeing what I have been through. (C-5 incomplete - 2 years)

Please give me some advice, no matter how small.

[AHolland]

I think you are well within your rights to request for a reasonable quality of life if it is at all possible.

Personally, I am against taking more medicine if at all possible. The more chemicals you pour into your body, the worse you may feel. At least that is how it goes for me.

I can certainly relate to the depression side of things. I think that is fairly normal for a lot of us. Is there anything specific that may be causing increased depression and anxiety? Do you get out a fair bit? I find that getting out to smell the roses is usually one of the best things for any depression I have. Sitting around home litteraly kills me and make me feel sick.

I have a lot of chronic pain and my doctor has tried Carbamazepine without much success. It was mostly to treat the burning nerve pain. One side effect of Carbamazepine is to reduce mood disorders.

I do not believe this drug is what you would be looking for, and obviously your doctor is a better source of information on what you should try. I just put this in as an example of a drug that is used in some cases of pain/mood disorder.

[Joed]

I agree wholeheartedly with AHolland's post. It's a quality of life issue, and in a way, we each have to define what that means for us in our particular lives.

But yes, it's definitely within your rights to seek out effective treatment for pain and depression, which as you already know, goes hand in hand.

I mainly take Methadone for pain, but only take half of what is prescribed on the average day. This gives my pain Dr. fits, but for me, it's do-able. The pain is still there, and always will be, but I think I've found a good balance...it takes away the sharper edges of the pain and I'm able to bust through the rest and can function in doing most of the things I want to do.

But on the 'hell days', I don't think twice about taking the full daily dose, which keeps me at that functional level.

With pain issues, I think the main thing is to find a doctor who isn't afraid to really treat pain. Here in the US, pain mgt. is approached a little more conservatively than in many other countries. I was lucky and got an Irish doc who is working actively at trying to change the perceptions of treating pain in the US.

I hope you'll be able to get the relief you deserve, because there can be no real quality of life in suffering.

[Bob Clark]

Hi Lucky,

I just read that Citalopram can take up to 4 weeks to have any beneficial effect so give it adequate time to work. It's like Paxil and Zoloft and those types of antidepressants.

According to some it seems like dihydrocodeine may not be a very effective pain reliever. At least for post-operative pain.

"Clinical bottom line":

"A single 30 mg oral dose of dihydrocodeine does not provide effective analgesia. A 60 mg dose is significantly less effective than ibuprofen 400 mg. Quality data do not exist for a placebo comparison. Patients should be offered a more effective analgesic in the treatment of postoperative pain.

Adverse effects were mild and transient."

Starting to take any drug can put you on a slippery slope and like AHolland said it's best to steer clear of them if at all possible.

But let me say this. Every once in awhile I get my hands on a few day supply of Vicodin. It's a synthetic opioid like dihydrocodeine, but stronger. It claims that it can make you drowsey but for the 3 or 4 days that I'm was on it I can't sleep at all. And neither can the fellow (or others) I get it from. Not a wink. Being chronically sleep deprived can make you edgy and anxious and can make you dwell on the pain.... especially while lying awake for those long hours wishing that you could fall asleep. I don't sleep well anyway and if I get 2 straight hours I'm ecstatic. And Vicodin (aka Hydrocodone, Anexsia, Dicodid, Hycodan, Hycomine, Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Tussionex etc.) doesn't take the pain away either. I get "high" on it but I'm sure that after a week or two the thrill would be gone and I'd be left a bit dependent upon it until I detoxed. I swear, after 3 or 4 days on Vicodin it takes me a week to detox and feel "normal" again.

I hate to say this but I think it's an economic conspiracy by the pharmaceutical companies. They develop all these "synthetic" opioids that just mimic the effects of real opium or heroin but with a bunch of side effects. And people get just as addicted to them. I think a regulated regimen of organic heroin would be more effective and less harmful. But since heroin is dirt cheap when purchased legally from India (that's where the UK used to get it from) the pharmaceutical companies (which of course are headquartered in Western countries) would rather get you hooked on Methadone or their other hundreds of different and expensive synthetic opioids that they create in their laboratories and manufacture in their pill factories. A single Vicodin pill with all the crap they put in it could choke a horse. Back in the 70's when I did heroin a match head equivalent would get you "pain free"! And you could fall asleep on it too.

At least that's my take on it.

But back to your question. Depending on what the interactions are between the drugs you're on now and diazepam I don't see anything wrong with trying it out for awhile. Maybe offer your doctor a trade-off and drop the dihydrocodeine while you try the diazepam. It's like you need to beg or haggle with your doctor for some pain relief.

And then there are those sleep aids too. I've tried a few but don't care for them. I don't like taking something that's gonna instantly knock me unconscious but maybe that's just my paranoia (fear of losing control) coming through. What if someone breaks in and steals my wheelchair or worse yet, my dog!? I would rather take a Valium/diazepam, relax for awhile and gently fall off to sleep. I've tried over-the-counter sleeping pills too but they just make me feel a little drowsey but never get me into a deep sleep so I'd wake up from the very light sleep feeling exhausted.

I think that movie starring Carol Burnett called "I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can" gave Valium/diazepam a bad name. I was on them for 6 months (30mg a day) when I was first paralyzed and never suffered any great withdrawal from them. I'd like to get a prescription for them again but I hate having to beg a doctor for them. In the US we need to get the damn self-righteous busybody Republicans out of office. They spout the virtue of individual liberty and personal rights when it serves their purpose but turn around and threaten doctors with losing their license and even prison time for trying to help their patients out with pain relief.

Maybe if you got a good night's sleep your pain wouldn't be so pronounced. You'd at least get a break from it while you were asleep!

It seems like your pain and lack of sleep has you feeling miserable. How much worse could it be even if you were to become somewhat dependent on a drug like diazepam? As drugs go, IMO, diazepam is a lightweight. It just relaxes you, smooths out the muscle spasms and helps you to sleep. Sounds like a winner to me. Life is too short (well, not while you're in pain!) so give it try and see if it helps you out.

For whatever reason (the pharmaceutical conspiracy?) they may try to give you Xanax instead. I much prefer diazepam because it's more effective in controlling muscle spasms.

Hey Joed,

Do you have difficulty falling asleep on Methadone? I tried it a few years back (only had a few pills) and it was like speed! Kept me wider awake than Vicodin.

I couldn't get my Cipro prescription refilled. I had 10 refills and only used 3 of them but the prescription expired in a year. I thought I had until December or I would have gotten a few refills in advance. Give me a break and leave the prescription open ended... what's the big freakin' deal. Sheeesh. Once again I ask... why is everything so damned difficult!? After playing phone tag between the urologist and pharmacist for the past couple of days I'm still without it and no closer to getting it either. The doctor's office is so unorganized that everytime I call there a different person answers the phone so I need to explain everything over again and I'm tired of it. I wanna try a 20 day course (as opposed to the usual 10) and see if maybe this pain is from stubbornly infected kidneys and if it is, if a longer course of Cipro will finally knock it out. I'd hate to need a stronger antibiotic as that would require the much dreaded doctor visit or two or three or... As long as I'm on an antibiotic the pain is gone... well mostly gone. Go figure. So I'm taking some old unused Zeniquin the vet prescribed for my dog a few years ago. Woof woof! I now have this irresistable urge to chase cars and an incessant itch behind my ear. And perhaps starting to look like a dog too. Tell me what you think.



We all need a good, caring and understanding Irish doctor with a wonderful sounding brogue accent. No offense to the Brits in here... we Americans love your English accent just as much!

Have you ever been to the Mobile Women website/forums? I voyeured in there last night and learned all the secrets of being a paralyzed woman and what yous go through. It was interesting to say the least.

Sorry for partially hijacking your thread Lucky. I hope you get some relief.

[Lucky]

Cheers for the input, and I know what you mean about going to the doctors and having to beg for some releif. It sucks.
Thanks again. (funny pic)

[hillarymcarter]

That pic scared the crap out of me!!

[Joed]

Bob...

Quote

Do you have difficulty falling asleep on Methadone?

Like you, I have problems sleeping anyway...or at least since my surgeries in '03. I didn't notice any difference in that regard when I switched from Oxy to the Methadone, though. (I had titrated off of the Oxy for about one month)

Now, Lortabs (taken for breakthrough pain)....that's another story! They speed me. Sometimes I think if I took enough of them, I'd actually be able to run! I rarely take them because of that.

Btw...great pic! But I sure hope you've been neutered.

[Bob Clark]

My sister sent me the picture of the dachshund with the following message:

"Hi Bob,

My neighbors have a dachshund puppy and they're giving it away for free. It's full-bred with AKC papers, house broken and just great with kids.

They're giving it away because the wife says the dog 'stares' at her when she is undressing and that gives her the 'heebie jeebies'. Personally I think she's just a bit weird and perhaps paranoid.

Anyhoo, if you're interested or know someone who may be just let me know and we'll get together.

Here's a picture of the dog."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought it was funny... that is one spooky lookin' dog! I guess it's a PhotoShop creation. Whoever created it sure knows their stuff.

Hey, let me get in my daily ramblings so I can go about my day... here goes:

I remember the "good old days" when I could sleep 8 hours a night. Then roll over and do another 2!

I think I have my Cipro problem solved. It was a comedy of errors. Unbeknowns to me when I last had it filled the prescription expired in June with 7 unfilled refills. It was my emergency or backup supply so when I got it a few months back I just put it in a plastic bag and then into the fridge for storage. When I went to take them last week I removed them from the plastic storage bag, tore open the stapled paper bag with receipt still attached and unscrewed the plastic bottle. To my surprise there were only 5 pills in it. I examined the staple carefully thinking that maybe someone (for whatever reason) took 5 of them. I could understand the pharmacist miscounting and getting 9 or 11 or whatever... but 5?? That's weird. So I had to call the pharmacy and convince them they made a mistake and that I wasn't trying to pull a fast one. I just know they think that I "ripped" them off. I even swore on my mother's eyes that they only gave me 5! This stuff only happens to me. Anyway, they finally gave me the other 5 but I don't think they were very happy about it...especially @ 10 bucks a pill.

So yesterday morning I called the pharmacy to see if my urologist got around to calling in another prescription. And to my relief he had. It was for 30 pills @ $279.00. That's more than 1/5 of my monthly income! But I was thrilled to get them all the same and the game of phone tag was finally over. The pharmacist then asked me if I wanted it filled and I said yes. So I assumed they'd be setting there at the pharmacy awaiting pickup. At 4 in the afternoon I sent my neighbor to pick them up but the prescription wasn't filled yet. I mean let's face it... these pharmacists go to school for 6 long years only to learn how to take pretty multi-colored pills of all cute shapes and sizes out of one big bottle, hopefully accurately count them and then put them into a little bottle. A few keys on a computer are pushed which cross-checks any potential negative drug interactions etc. and the label is printed out and customer charged whatever the monopolized market will bear. In a year or two the only pharmacy left in the US will be CVS after they've absorbed all their competition.

It's not like the old days when the local pharmacist donned in his impressive looking long white coat would be busily conjuring up some miracle elixir with his mortar and pestal. It's an automated process like ordering a Big Mac from the drive-thru. My friend was insistent that I get at least 1 pill so the pharmacist put 1 lonely pill in a bottle, does all the computer crap and hands it to him. How much harder is it to count 30 pills than 1??? Incredible stuff. Hopefully I'll get the rest of the script today....

I have a feeling that my friend got the story wrong and perhaps they were out of the Cipro 500mg XR or something because you just can't make this stuff up.

I thought it was a funny story so thought I'd waste everyone's time with it.

I think Lortabs are just another brand of oxycodone... like Vicodin or Lorcet. There may be some difference in that some are combined with aspirin and the others acetaminophen. Good to hear it helps curb your pain.

I was just at the CareCure Forums looking around and found a very touching post in the pain forum from a SCI nurse named Mary.

It actually had me tearing up... uh oh... I'm going mushy here!

And then I read this there. This actually froze me up for a minute. Man, this heartrending:

Quote

"My daughter suffers from all that pain plus an SCI. I know things about her that a mother should never have to know. For instance, she can scream for two hours before she loses her voice."

That's too much for anyone to bear. Especially a mother and daughter. Wow.

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Paraplegia neutered me right quick! Whaddaya think about my spiffy new red and blue wheels?

[Apparelyzed]

Now this threads just getting plain creepy !!!!

Simon

[Lucky]

Keep the posts coming Bob...you're a funny guy. You're posts pu a smile on my face!

[Bob Clark]

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate the opportunity to ramble a bit. Who else can we tell our problems and silly occurences to? They're sick of hearing it! Most of my family are all caught up in their lives of silent desperation too. I haven't seen any of them in months anyway and talk to my Mom once a week only because it's expected that I call her. And it's getting hard to find things to talk to her about. She's a Republican and I'm a Democrat (actually Independent) so I try to steer clear of any political discussion!

Just a quick update and I'll shut up about it. I finally got the remaining 29 Cipros. The reason I only got 1 yesterday was that they were out of stock. And there was a note on the receipt saying "Double Counted"! Like it was my fault they screwed up.....

The pharmacist said to my friend "Oh, he doesn't have any insurance to pay for these? So now she really thinks that I ripped her off!

[AHolland]

Hi Bob,

I have to agree with the impatience with all the doctor/pharmacy/etc problems. In my case I always have the problem with the doctors front end help. The urinary test results get to the doctors secretary who is a moron, but I think a member of the doctor's family. They sit on the results until I call and complain that I am in pain. Then they want to set up an appointment a week away. They won't prescribe any medicines over the phone, even when they know you have an infection.

So, the tests take 3 days. The front end help drags the issue 3-5 days. The wait for the appointment is another 7 days and by the time I get to the doctor I feel like I should be hospitalised.

The doctor sais he will "look into the issue" regarding the front end help. I think it may be time to look into a new doctor, other than we have a good relationship beyond that. We can easily understand each other.

I wish I could get him to agree to having a standing order of Cipro like you had....

Back to topic, I did find Oxy to work well within boundaries. It kicked in fairly fast, but then wore off equally as fast. Since my new and improved pain kicked in I have been on Fentanyl patches. I have much less up and down swings in pain because of the patch system, but even this stuff is starting to not work. It did help with the spasms coincidentally, but almost any pain killers do help me in that department.

[carolline]

Can I add here?But it's not related on drugs.

Bob,
Would you stop taking Zeniquin?As yo've said youre starting look like a dog and the urge of chasing.I saw the pic..........You scared me!!!!The first time I saw It...
But I'm used now to that pic...and I said....Hmmm....Bob....Got the Look!

[Bob Clark]

Hi AHolland,

I'm transportationally challenged so logistically it's a real pain for me to get to a doctor's office. I don't have a regular doctor to call for anything. The last urologist I went to is located 60 miles from my house. He was suggested by my sister (she's an RN) who lives in that direction and she took me to see him. So it ain't like I'm gonna mosey back there anytime soon!

You really shouldn't have a hard time getting an open ended prescription for Cipro. I believe lots of quads and paras are constantly on "maintenance doses" of it. I inadvertently let mine expire and that's what caused my dilemma. Those sensitivity tests seem to be a bunch of hooey. They take so long to get back that a responsible doctor should instantly put you on something anyway and then after the results are in perhaps it may need to be changed. It's just too complicated for me.... too many hoops to be jumping through since quads and paras are gonna have a lifetime of bladder and kidney infections anyway.

Have you been to a SCI Center or Unit lately? Maybe find a urologist who specializes in the care of SCI patients.

Ideally you don't want to "jump" up to a broad spectrum antibiotic like Cipro if you don't have to. I guess you could dilly-dally around with the lesser spectrumed antibiotics first until they're no longer effective. But who really knows. I like Cipro and it gets the job done. They put thousands of people in Washington DC on it for 3 straight months because of the Anthrax scare. That's a whole lotta Cipro popping and the odds were very slight that anyone was actually infected.

This is a long shot and probably isn't applicable to you and may be bad advice. But maybe do a course of Cipro to see if you're getting pain from infected kidneys or bladder. I know one thing and that's Viciodin doesn't do a thing to take away the pain. And I don't imagine the drugs you're on do either. Sometimes they may take the edge off but the pain has to be stopped from the source and not "covered up" with loads of opioids and the other crap the pharmaceutical companies add to their recipes. You're taking a lot pain meds that would probably knock me on my ass and I'm old time druggie from way back. Never met a legal or illegal drug that I didn't like until I got older and tired of it all.

I think its weird that antibiotics are holding my pain in check. It's still here but when I get off them it soars. I don't have a fever at all... if I did it could be the antibiotics are keeping a bad (and infected) gall bladder in check. I had it ultrasounded and they said it was okay. But I don't trust those grainy lookin' pictures that they get from ultrasounds anyway. I probably should have CAT and MRI scans done but they're expensive so aren't easy to have ordered. I can't figure it out. But it sure is nice to have clear, shiny and non-odiferous urine!!! If after 20 days I still have this pain I'll need to seek other help. Grrrr.

Sorry about your shifting pains. Seems like if it ain't one thing it's another. Hang in there.

Hi Carolline,

I think it was a mistake to have taken those Zeniquins. Especially since they were cut in half by the vet so the coating on them wasn't intact. They put a real bad taste in my mouth and got my ears a'ringin'! And I couldn't sleep at all on them and they even gave me a real sense of paranoia!

I kept seeing multi-colored cats running in and out from under my bed. Oh well, live and learn.

I've been off them for about a week and the hair on my forehead and under my eyes is starting to fall out and my "unibrow" is once again dissected.

[AHolland]

Now if you could just get rid of that urge to take your back leg and scratch behind you ear. Hey, it would'nt be bad if you actually could take the back leg and scratch there, but with the SCI and all it must be a bitch to have the urge and not be able to do anything about it. LOL

I really think I should get on some of the drugs you are on. At least it would give me a whole new world to investigate.

I've spent the last couple of days searching out what other people with SCI's are doing about pain. There does'nt seem to be much of a consensus other than experimenting with anything and everything until you find something that works.

What has become quite apparent is that the term "chronic pain" is definitely felt by a large percentage of SCI people, just to varying degrees. Some can tolerate it, some cannot. Like anything nerve related though, there is just no good answers yet.

[Bob Clark]

Hi AHolland,

The only drug I'm on is Cipro. I'll give it another week and see if the pain goes away. So far it isn't lookin' very promising. But when I stop taking them the pain gets worse. Dr. Bob is out of ideas!

Hey, have you tried the "Pain" forum at CareCure yet? It seems to be rather well visited and even has a few REAL doctors and nurses there that interact with the members.

We need to get your pain fixed. Or at least under better control.

Check it out.

[Bob Clark]

Hey, you talking about me?

I've only been there a few days and already have a few targets on my MFD in the Politics and Sexuality forums! Some people just need to be put in their place. Hahaha.

[AHolland]

I did drop over there and I must say that I was dissapointed in the immaturity shown by some of the members. I do a bit of forum snooping, as we all do, being in this situation. Some forums are a total waste of time, while others like this one are very good. Personally where I agree that people should have their opinions hear, flaming should be sut down by the moderators, or the whole forum goes down hill.

Back to subject: Yes I have to do something about this pain as it is having a bad effect on my family and life. I'm off to the doctor tomorrow to see what can be done. The fentanyl I have been taking for about a month is now not working as well. It also seems to be having a lot of negative side effects like nausea, loose bowels etc. I'm just not a happy camper.

From what I can see out there on the internet, a lot of pain killers do not work for this kind of pain. I have tried self hypnotism as that use to work for me. It still does to a degree, but it's hard to concentrate when you are in pain. Once the pain gets too bad, I can't sleep which makes my tolerance to pain only weaker.

To top off all my fun I have a UTI, although I suspect that it is the same one that I have had since January that caused my bladder control to go south. The doctor just put me on a general penicillin type antibiotic. I may be wrong, but it seems to have started to help with the pain. Now that's a warped one. I only meantion it because Bob had seen a similar antibiotic vs pain trend. I'll let everyone know if it keeps helping or if the pain goes up once I am off the antibiotics.....(like it could get worse.)

[Bob Clark]

Hi AHolland,

I like a good argument or debate every once in awhile but it should be in the right forum. Like Politics. I did get into a little spat with a fellow in of all places the Sexuality forum! Hey, it keeps me entertained and off the streets at night.

I don't know how you do it with all those drugs in your system. Especially when they aren't helping you much with the pain. It's tough enough to stay in a healthy marital relationship when everything is fine and everyone is reading off the same page so to speak. Those drugs can make you moody and even agitated. Mix that with pain and you have a pretty volatile situation that can fester. When I'm on those Vicodin for 3 or 4 days in a row I don't want to interact with anyone. I'm in my own world. I won't call my Mom even if she's expecting a call from me and of course I have the phone ringer turned off. My brain is going to the birds I think! Only drinking relaxes me and I've kinda lost the taste and even desire for that anymore.

You can read about a lot people in severe pain at those forums. Really heartbreaking stuff. I particularly hate to read the threads about the "newcomers" to our ranks. This ain't a club you want to be in. Some of those stories will make you cry. Prevention is the only answer but that's too late for us here.

I tried the hypnosis stuff when I was in the rehab. I think I'm too "high-strung" for that sort of thing. I remember them telling me to think about a cool waterfall lada lada yada yada and all I could concentrate on were the cars in the background or the clock ticking or something. I get too distracted. I even had some relaxation/hypnosis cassette tapes here that I tried for awhile but.... My cousin/best friend, years ago went to a Sylva Mind Control course and it's worked wonders for him. He can get into the "alpha" state and deep into meditation. I envy him for this. I wish I could turn my brain on and off or at least have some damn control over it!

I know I've run this UTI thing into the ground. But since you're on antibiotics now it's a good opportunity to try to prevent it from happening again. Maybe try to keep focused on the last inch of your penis. < That sounds weird! The meatus. That's where the bacteria get a foothold and even reproduce at. If you can spray some Betadine or whatever you use down in there. Squeeze your johnson and try to work the bug killer down in there. Then do it again. The Betadine or any antibacterial needs time to kill the bacteria too. So spray and wait at least a few minutes. If you keep your hands pretty clean, your fingers off the catheter and the meatus free of bacteria you may stay infection-free longer. Even if I don't need to catheterize and I'm wheeling past the bathroom I'll stop in for a second and give the old meatus an extra shot! Like I said before, I'm getting neurotic about this. Okay, I'm DONE!

Take 'er easy.

[hillarymcarter]

The meatus???!!! hilarious!

[Apparelyzed]

Hey, don't knock it (excuse the pun)

I heard someone call it The Titanic, because it "sinks deep" !

Simon

[Bob Clark]

hillarymcarter, on Sep 15 2005, 05:56 PM, said:

The meatus???!!!       hilarious!

It's obvious the children are becoming giddy and need to be sent off for their nap.

Can't we have a serious discussion in here using the correct anatomical terminology without some poopey head cracking jokes?

meatus = pee pee hole

johnson = penis

Aren't you a nurse Hillary?

[AHolland]

Well here's the track we are going to try to help with my pain. I would'nt think an anti-depressent would help with pain, but other studies say it will.

http://www.jr2.ox.ac...dom/adbmj2.html

I'll let you know how it goes....

"Johnson". I always thought it was called "Happy henry and the twins". I don't think we should start making a list of names, or we might just run out of forum space....

[Bob Clark]

Hi AHolland,

I was wondering if the anti-depressants have had enough time to have any effect on your pain yet?

I just found this article over at CareCure. Maybe you've already seen it but I'll post it here anyway in case others haven't. It looks promising....

Researchers pinpoint molecular basis for phantom pain.

New Haven, Conn.-Yale researchers report the first evidence that phantom pain following spinal cord injury is the result of hypersensitive neurons in the thalamic region of the brain that can be suppressed with specially designed molecular agents.

"A majority of people with spinal cord injury and limb amputations experience phantom sensations of excruciating pain at or below the level of their paralysis or loss," said Bryan Hains, associate research scientist and co-author of the study.

Typically, the perception of pain travels through three orders of neurons. The first order neurons carry signals from the periphery to the spinal cord, the second order neurons relay this information from the spinal cord to the thalamus and the third order neurons transmit the information from the thalamus to the primary sensory cortex where the information is processed, resulting in the "feeling" of pain.

The study reports that in rats with spinal cord injury, third order neurons within the thalamus spontaneously and abnormally fire signals in the absence of any incoming signals from the first order neurons. It also reports that these rogue neurons contain abnormally high levels of a particular type of sodium channel, called Nav1.3. Sodium channels serve as batteries during the conduction of nerve signals.

"Abnormal presence of Nav1.3 in these neurons has been linked to changes in their physiological temperament. They are hypersensitive and spontaneously fire signals at higher-than-normal rates, even in the absence of a painful stimulus," Hains said. The researchers designed targeted molecular agents against Nav1.3 and injected them into the spinal fluid of the injured rats. This produced a significant reduction in the presence of Nav1.3 in second and third order neurons accompanied by a reduction in signals that they produced.

[In The Wind]

Bob,
Amen to your opiate comments. Why pay for a pill full of chemicals when you can grow your own opies at home?

UTI’s

Man, I’m right there with ya. I figured the whole cathing thing would kill me. I’m talking blood, catheters folded in my urethra, unable to get a cath in and be in full blown Dysreflexia, it was hell.

I was at the doc’s every week with a new infection it seemed. I’m fortunate in that I started spontaneously voiding and moved on to a condom cath…which as issues of its own.

But no doubt, clean, clean, clean on those intermittent caths. I know it can be tough, especially if you move around outside or with pets much. Lemme tell ya, the 10 day vanco infusion sucks.

Oh, and the generic diazapam is not as effective as brand name valium....

[Bob Clark]

I grow a little reefer every once in awhile. It may not be legal but it's hard honest work! It's some ass-kickin' KGB too. I just wish that I could smoke it. It gets me too high and paranoid so I end up trading it for cigarettes, beer/liquor or Vicodin etc. Just last night I traded for 10 doctor office samples of 750mg Leviquin (antibiotics). I got quite a deal.

I'll take a small toke as an "attitude adjustment" if I'm drinking but never when I'm sober. Works out well all way around! We all have our poisons I suppose.

Hi AHolland,

Every once in awhile a legal firm in my area will take on a crusade (barrage of TV commercials) fishing for prospective clients. A few years back it was for Fenn-Fenn and last year it was for Vioxx. The latest one they started is for the Fentanyl patch. They're asking if anyone has a family member who has died while on them and if so call...... I imagine there may be a rash of deaths allegedly being caused by the patches and the lawyers want to get a piece of the action.

You said that you were on them so thought I'd give you a heads up to be extra careful if you're still using them. That's a potent opioid so be careful. Perhaps because it's in patch form it gets into your system faster so may be harder for the body to regulate it.

How is your pain management coming along? And the UTI's?

[hillarymcarter]

Really.....Bruce was on them for a long time.....glad he's still alive!