quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
Does she plan on getting the shingles vaccine when she recovers?

Oh hell yes!!!

Good for you. Hope it works out. Opiates are generally ineffective for nerve pain. Buprenorphine buccal film is most often used with cancer pain. Hopefully she can get some relief soon.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Good for you. Hope it works out. Opiates are generally ineffective for nerve pain. Buprenorphine buccal film is most often used with cancer pain. Hopefully she can get some relief soon.

This is the most evil virus!!!! Next week will be week 4 of misery. My wife is still in hell in pain and can barely function. The Buprenorphine film is doing nothing for her. Yesterday she got a steroid injection and the doctor prescribed Norco 10/325 and still no relief.

I tried to ask for the nerve block instead of just a steroid injection but they wouldn’t let me talk to the doctor and said it was too late to change at start of procedure. I had told my wife to ask for that but apparently she didn’t.

Her Shingles never got to the blister stage, which I assume was stopped since she got on antivirals pretty quick. She then developed hives all over her entire torso and is still in terrible pain. I guess the only thing next is asking for the nerve block if steroids don’t kick in soon.

Some people find it hard to be assertive with the doctor. I hope the steroids damp down the inflammation. Keep us posted.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Some people find it hard to be assertive with the doctor. I hope the steroids damp down the inflammation. Keep us posted.

Thanks. That is why I will go with her next time as I tell them what needs to be done. She just accepts what they say. It is just crazy as it seems to be getting worse instead of better. She has been in bed all day and can barely get up and can’t do school work. About the only thing that gives some relief is a bath or ice. She can’t take a bath for two days after the injection and I am like an ice factory constantly switching out ice packs.

Any updates?

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Any updates?

Nothing yet. All is still the same and she is in so much pain. She called the pain management today for prescription refill as she only has 8 pills left and requested to get a nerve block injection. Nothing back from the doctor’s office yet. I have no idea how she is doing this and I hate seeing her break down crying with how much pain she is in.

Sorry to hear. Hoping the pain doc is ok with a nerve block. Watch it with the Norcos as well.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
Does she plan on getting the shingles vaccine when she recovers?

Oh hell yes!!!

Would it do any good at that point? That is, prevent future attacks?

The pain management clinic called back today and said the best they could do was get her an appointment at the end of the month to then schedule a nerve block at a later date. UM…..NO!!!!

She is now being scheduled for a intercostal nerve block for this Friday. I was originally scheduled to be out of town all day for an investigation Friday, but thank goodness before we got word of the appointment I now will just be out of town tomorrow and will take her on Friday as she will be put under. I pray this helps her.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
Does she plan on getting the shingles vaccine when she recovers?

Oh hell yes!!!

Would it do any good at that point? That is, prevent future attacks?

From what doctors have told me and what I researched, yes it will still be good to get vaccinated. Some people get it twice and not a whole lot get it more than two times but some do. This is my wife’s second time having Shingles and the first time was not that bad.

I am 49.5 and Walgreens would not give me the vaccine until I am 50. My doctor said they don’t carry the vaccine but asked me to ask the pharmacy if they will give it if she prescribes it. The pharmacy said yes so my doctor is going to prescribe me the vaccine and I will get it. I DO NOT WANT THIS!!!!!

The Buprenorphine film is doing nothing for her. Yesterday she got a steroid injection and the doctor prescribed Norco 10/325 and still no relief.
——————————

Buprenorphine has almost no analgesic affect. Cannot believe that’s what they prescribed. It’s a strong opioid agonist in the worst way. It’s often used w opioid addicts where taking an opioid will yield no effect.

They shouldn’t be giving her any acetaminophen (10/325 … the 325mg is acap) with her opioids either. No reason, and it will just fuck up her liver.

Alternatively a fentanyl patch.

On top of that the synthetic opioids, should be also mixed with longer acting/metabolizing drugs e.g. 30 mg morphine or 4mg diladud.

I’m not sure this pain management doctor knows what they’re doing.

***

Best of luck on the nerve block route. Your family is in our prayers.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
The Buprenorphine film is doing nothing for her. Yesterday she got a steroid injection and the doctor prescribed Norco 10/325 and still no relief.
——————————

Buprenorphine has almost no analgesic affect. Cannot believe that’s what they prescribed. It’s a strong opioid agonist in the worst way. It’s often used w opioid addicts where taking an opioid will yield no effect.

They shouldn’t be giving her any acetaminophen (10/325 … the 325mg is acap) with her opioids either. No reason, and it will just fuck up her liver.

Alternatively a fentanyl patch.

On top of that the synthetic opioids, should be also mixed with longer acting/metabolizing drugs e.g. 30 mg morphine or 4mg diladud.

I’m not sure this pain management doctor knows what they’re doing.

***

Best of luck on the nerve block route. Your family is in our prayers.

I really appreciate the feedback. Now I can go with her armed with questions depending how well this nerve block works and how long it lasts. Today they prescribed her Percocet. I saw that is Oxycodone and acetaminophen.

It is dumb that sometimes you have to demand for them to do certain things if you know and if you don’t then you just trust them.

Yeah the Buprenorphine was a waste as it did nothing and was expensive as hell even after insurance. Now we have 50 of those things that I guess will just go in the emergency medical kit.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

I really appreciate the feedback. Now I can go with her armed with questions depending how well this nerve block works and how long it lasts. Today they prescribed her Percocet. I saw that is Oxycodone and acetaminophen.

It is dumb that sometimes you have to demand for them to do certain things if you know and if you don’t then you just trust them.

Yeah the Buprenorphine was a waste as it did nothing and was expensive as hell even after insurance. Now we have 50 of those things that I guess will just go in the emergency medical kit.

Be super careful with the buprenorphine. It will cause precipitate withdrawals for anyone on opiates. It’s also a bitch to get off of after long-term use. Real bad.

It’s really only good for getting heroin addicts off the drug. Even then it’s a questionable substitute.

10 mg Percocet is a mildly potent painkiller. But don’t take more than prescribed by time because it will suppress her autonomic system. They can easily give her 10 mg of just oxycodone no ACAP.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

I really appreciate the feedback. Now I can go with her armed with questions depending how well this nerve block works and how long it lasts. Today they prescribed her Percocet. I saw that is Oxycodone and acetaminophen.

It is dumb that sometimes you have to demand for them to do certain things if you know and if you don’t then you just trust them.

Yeah the Buprenorphine was a waste as it did nothing and was expensive as hell even after insurance. Now we have 50 of those things that I guess will just go in the emergency medical kit.

Be super careful with the buprenorphine. It will cause precipitate withdrawals for anyone on opiates. It’s also a bitch to get off of after long-term use. Real bad.

It’s really only good for getting heroin addicts off the drug. Even then it’s a questionable substitute.

10 mg Percocet is a mildly potent painkiller. But don’t take more than prescribed by time because it will suppress her autonomic system. They can easily give her 10 mg of just oxycodone no ACAP.

Again, thanks for that information too. I had no idea of how buprenorphine worked until you said this and I now looked that extra information up. I had told my wife to take the buprenorphine if they didn’t refill her prescription in time and had no idea that could have actually caused withdrawal symptoms.

Buprenorphine will now just get secured away for I really don’t know what but I am not throwing away a $150 drug. The good thing is my wife absolutely hates taking ANY prescriptions and is only taking these out of desperation and wants to stop ASAP. That is why she demanded to get the nerve block to stop the pain instead of masking the pain with drugs.

We both just want this over! I had my 6 week follow-up appointment today with my neurosurgeon for my back surgery. I told him about my wife and what she has tried so far and he said a nerve block is definitely the next step.

I so very much appreciate your feedback and all I have received from others during this. It has really helped us!

quote:

Yeah the Buprenorphine was a waste as it did nothing and was expensive as hell even after insurance. Now we have 50 of those things that I guess will just go in the emergency medical kit.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The film currently goes for 25 dollars per film on the street. Stay hopeful about the nerve block. I agree with the competency of the Pain Specialist.

FWIW: buprenorphine should only be taken when you’re on no opiates (uncertain of a good used case here), or when in clear withdrawals.

The reason it goes on the street for so much is that for someone suffering withdrawals, it cures the sickness for a bit. Welcome relief to any addict. Some opioid addicted will powder the pills and inject tiny amounts just to sustain. Fucking hell’uva survival.

I figured I would give an update. My wife had the intercostal nerve block done last Friday and they said it would take 3-5 days to take effect. Well today is day 4 and nothing. My wife is now on week 5 of this terrible pain. We are blown away that the pain is lasting this long and nothing is working. She has a follow-up appointment with the pain management doctor this Thursday and I am going to go with her to see what he says. I have no idea what the next steps could be but she just can’t keep suffering 24 hours a day and getting no sleep. This weekend I got her some homeopathic medicine called Ranunculous bulbus to see if it does anything, but I doubt it.

Seeing her go through this got me to go get my Shingrix vaccine last Friday.

I’m very sorry Norman. I wish I had other alternatives.

Perhaps other members can continue to make suggestions.

What did the doctor say at this point? What’s next?

I guess if it was me, I’d be a very squeaky wheel. Unfortunately it might look like Dr. shopping.

Be careful stacking homeopathic medicine/anything on top of opiates. I know you’re desperate, and your wife may feel like she wants to die… But you don’t want to kill her. You do seem to be pretty good at doing your research.

Shingles pain really sucks .... as an anesthetist (retired), I used to get called when all of the other options had failed. Sometimes, but not always, folks would get relief with a low dose Ketamine infusion.
Ketamine is an old drug that is very safe when given by a professional. Over the years it has received a lot of negative attention. It is a very misunderstood drug. Most of the negative reviews are dose related. The higher the dose, the greater chance of negative effects. In years gone by, because the drug was so safe, practitioners gave doses that today would be called huge. The huge doses do indeed cause a bunch of side effects.
There are many Ketamine Clinics around the country. They are commonly giving it for severe, refractory depression. They start an IV and give a very small dose over ~30 min. It can be helpful for many depressed folks BUT it can also be helpful for folks who have nerve pain.
If this were my wife, I would look very hard for a Ketamine Clinic. Give them a call and see if they would be willing to treat her. Explain how she has tried so many other options. There are 2 types of health care folks who administer this drug, psychiatrists and anesthesiologists. Anesthesia folks are much more comfortable with it.
Well, there you have it. Just another opinion. I hope your wife finally starts to improve, it's a shame we don't have more to offer.
Mike

PS: Yes, some folks will call it a "horse tranquilizer". The veterinarians do use it on horses and cats and likely on other animals. They use it because it is so safe.