WHAT GOES ON!

.
1) Patient has pain that curtails his sleep.

2) His sleep is shortened because he cannot bear to be on his back or sides for more than four to five hours.

Action: Prescribe tizanidine for headaches.

3) Patient continues to have pain that curtails his sleep for same reason as above.

Action: Increase dose of tizanidine for headaches.

EVEN MORE ACTION!:

1) Patient experiences headache-pain relief from trigger-point injections given during the week, plus GI cocktails given for nausea, plus Maxalt 20mg.

2) Patient given prescription for 20 Vicodin tablets to help him w/ pain control over the weekend, when patient is unable to get TP injections, GI cocktails, limited Maxalt.

3) Patient takes Vicodin tablets every hour for pain relief.

4) Patient does not achieve adequate pain relief from Vicodin.

Action: Patient is prescribed Ultram, a weaker painkiller, for pain control on the weekend.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

The first little tale shows us that all pain but patient's headache pain is being ignored at the cost of patient's sleep quality and possible sanity.

The second tale shows us that the fucking gods must be fucking crazy.

Vicodin, at very high doses, does not give patient adequate pain relief (not even close, while endangering his liver w/ all the APAP aka Tylenol).

So patient is prescribed Ultram, a WEAKER pain reliever.

How is patient to achieve sufficient pain relief with a medicine that is weaker than Vicodin which is, itself, insufficient?

AND NOW FOR A NICE RANT!:

Why is the treatment of fibro for patients to tough it out and to grin and bear it?

Why isn't the treatment for pain painkillers?

Jesus... A retarded chimp could come up with the solution to this one...

Are fibromyalgians denied painkillers simply because they need narcotics, while others can get by on Aleve, Advil, Tylenol, etc.?

(Hint: The answer is yes.)

Programming note: Today I go to my new shrink, who I wager will make it his job to "cure" me of the above way of thinking.

He's welcome to try.

[Pain and anxiety: IT'S PEOPLE! PAIN AND ANXIETY IS PEOPLE!]

Mixx it!