posted on June 11, 2001 05:29:33 PM new
This is for anyone who's received painkillers for whatever but swears that they didn't help. You might be correct.
I researched this after I was given painkillers twice in the past year and they never helped. The first time they gave me Tylenol w/ codeine and the second time was another synthetic opiate.
"About 8% of Caucasians, 5% of African-Americans and 1% of Asians lack the liver enzyme that converts codeine into its active therapeutic form, morphine." In other words, the codeine just passes right through your body without being metabolized.
The article specifically talks about codeine but I think it's true for all the synthetic opiates. I brought this to my dentist and he thanked me - he didn't know this. So - if you think you're one of the 8%/5%/1%, make sure you tell your dentist/doctor/whomever so they can prescribe appropriate medication if you need it.
posted on June 11, 2001 09:37:55 PM new
I think painkiller are too effective on me. The last time I had a migraine the doctor shot me up with a cocktail that left me barely able to function for two days after. The migraine before that I got a shot that left me with the dry heaves every thirty minutes after that. Any thing like Lor-Tabs or Darvecet makes me unbearably ill, dizzy and makes my pulse rate shoot up. I have considered myself allergic and request not to be treated with any hard core painkillers now.
posted on June 12, 2001 03:49:23 AM new
There are also people lacking the receptors in their brain that lead to addiction. It has been a few years but there was an article in Scientific American the summerized a paper about it. The interesting thing was the reason the researchers looked into it was they were repeatedly told by people who sold street drugs that yes most people became dependant on opiates very quickly. However they all said that they had an occasional customer who would buy a big lot of whatever they were selling when they had the funds free and enjoy a bing for a few days and then they would not see the person again for 3 months or 6 months and they did not have the normal craving and withdrawl symptoms their other customers did. It was frequent enough that there was a street name for that sort of person the dealers shared that I can't remember now.
Of course this sort of thing would never be freely published by the government programs because it does not demonize drugs. That is a problem also because young people know the government lies big time - so they rightly doubt them when they are telling the truth also.
posted on June 14, 2001 12:49:49 AM new
Demerol has about as much effect on me as an aspirin, as I found out after coming out of surgery when they put 2 metal rods in a broken leg.
No wonder I had such hard deliveries as they assume it works on everybody. And back then I didn't know any better as they just told you they were going to give you something to "relax" you!
10mg.Lortab will ease my back for about 30 minutes. Doesn't seem to be any stronger than 800mg of Ibupropin or 2 regular Tylenol.
posted on June 14, 2001 05:12:58 AM new
Boy do I know about that! After my open heart, they gave me darvocetN100. Did nothing but make me sick to my stomach. To that they had to give me an anti-nausea drug IV which knocked me out for hours. Then they wondered why I never ate their food!
I find that Ibuprofen 600-800 mgs does more for pain than any Rx drug. Tylenol lasts about 2 hours for me and anything stronger just gets me ill.
I think the medical field has gone overboard with prescription drugs. Too many nonproductive ones and not enough productive ones. Of course, they don't like OTC stuff because it's a heck of a lot cheaper for us.
posted on June 14, 2001 09:25:48 AM new
Narcotic pain killers give me a great "buzz" but don't touch my pain. I do better with Ibuprofen (Advil) or an anti-inflammatory like Alieve.
posted on June 17, 2001 10:00:34 PM new
Darvocet knocks me out. Lortab is wonderful. For me it takes away pain but does not make me "high". It worked wonders after my last child - c section with many complications - 3 hour surgery for me.
posted on June 17, 2001 10:45:19 PM new
Vicodin & Percoset used to work for my pain, but my body has adapted to them so they don't work anymore. My doctor wants me to try Neurontin (I think that's the name of it). Does anyone have any experience with it? I haven't been able to pick it up yet.
Hippy wannabe 
~^~