# Pain medication and why they don’t work for some



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

So had the knee done last week, meniscus repair with a rough spot ground down that could have been irritating a ligament. Serious pain afterwards, IV fentanyl did nothing as well as another IV one. Nurses couldn't give me anymore as the anesthesiologist had already left for the day. Told em no point in any of the pills they could give me as from past experience I can eat Vicadin, Norco, Percocet and Tramadol like Skittles. So sucked it up and went home.

I knew pain killers don't work for my Dad, found out after a few rough days they also don't work for one of his sisters when she dislocated a knee. About time things started feeling better I also found out my cousin is in the same boat. It is genetic and usually passes down thru families.

She broke an ankle awhile back and it wouldn't heal, several surgeries later it finally healed up, Between surgeries she did a bit of research and found several studies on why. Some simply can't metabolize opioids due to a mutation in a liver enzyme. While others like my wife can take a half dose of something and be out like a light for a solid eight hours.

Cousin gave me a list of a few that worked well for her, with Nucynta being one of em. Basically need to be the new synthetic painkillers that just aren't knockoffs of Vicadin etc. None of her brothers seemed to have inherited it though.

Hopefully this saves somebody a lot of sleepless nights if they are in the same boat.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5447546/


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Pain killers don't work for me either.

When I had my shoulder operated on last year, they gave me 50 (!!!) pain killers. They didn't affect my pain, but after taking only 5, I knew I a feeling way to happy. A year later, every once in a while I find myself thinking about taking one of those opioids just for the "good" feeling.

I can see how easily someone could get addicted to opioid pain killers.

Ralph


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

It's not just not being able to metabolize painkillers, everyone reacts differently to how they 'block' the pain. BTW, most painkillers, operate that way, just telling your brain there is no pain.

I had a chance a few years ago to attend a seminar for doctors on pain management. I was amazed at the results from a trial where they used college students as the test subjects. Seems they paid the students to have their wisdom teeth removed, giving them different 'pain meds'. They had to record every 15-30 minutes the pain they were feeling. Something like 10% had pain relieve with sugar pills (it was a blind study) and almost 20% had no relieve from the pain med they received (non-sugar pills were given).

The authors of the study, repeated the study several times, confirming that not every pain med works for everyone and that doctors should be open to that fact (I don't think the drug company's appreciated this study). I finally under stood why, most pain meds were a joke to me. I could have the same pain relieve results by chewing on a piece of hay (which tests better IMHO) verses taking the prescribed pain meds.

Now, I just ask the doc what he/she is prescribing and if they tell me it's XX, I just say don't bother, it doesn't work for me. That way I don't have to dispose of (polluting the environment) or have the chance of the stuff falling into the wrong hands on my account.

YMMV

Larry


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Talked to Dad today, I can thank my grandfather for it. Grandfather went as far as telling them not to waste the shot when drilling a tooth. That works for me at least if I get two, the latest dentist I've been seeing is pretty good on getting it the first try.

Talked to the doc this morning for my follow up, he's seen studies on why some people overdose easier or are more prone to become addicted, both can be genetic as well but it was the first he seen on why they just don't work. I emailed him the link to the complete article.



rjmoses said:


> Pain killers don't work for me either.
> 
> When I had my shoulder operated on last year, they gave me 50 (!!!) pain killers. They didn't affect my pain, but after taking only 5, I knew I a feeling way to happy. A year later, every once in a while I find myself thinking about taking one of those opioids just for the "good" feeling.
> 
> ...


I don't ever get the good feeling from em, I only get side effects. One flavor plugs me up and another flavor has the exact opposite effect. When my back was all jacked up I had both flavors on hand, thought about alternating them to see if we could find a happy medium, decided the results might be a tad unpredictable.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Novocain is a completely different animal than common pain killers......


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

Pain killers are like are cookies, good by themselves but best with milk. Try adding alcohol to the mix, and thank me later.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

somedevildawg said:


> Novocain is a completely different animal than common pain killers......


Thats what i thought as well, but supposedly that didn't work for grandfather either. Might be the nerves just aren't where they were supposed to be. I had a molar pulled once, after three shots still wasn't numb, was getting fed up with the shots so just fibbed and had em pull it.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I've just had my 4th knee surgery and I just tell them they can give the pain killers they issue me to someone else
I don't have any use for them.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

mlappin said:


> Thats what i thought as well, but supposedly that didn't work for grandfather either. Might be the nerves just aren't where they were supposed to be. I had a molar pulled once, after three shots still wasn't numb, was getting fed up with the shots so just fibbed and had em pull it.


That could be true with regards to the nerve endings.....a lot of times, the Doctor will rush the procedure and not give the locals time to work..... large patient loads, lunch date, golf foursome  usually by the time he/she starts the procedure it's numb but not always. Have had em put the instruments down and come back in 15....seem to take a bit longer on some folks than others for sure.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I know of a few people that are so queasy about needles they'd rather not have the shot and just let the dentist do their thing. Personally I think their nuts.

My wife about passed out watching them start the IV on me, while I've watched them draw blood on her dozens of times, watched em remove stitches from the two AICD's she had, etc. Usually I'm ready to stop and eat after a procedure while just the mention of food will turn her green. The other night after a shower I noticed the stitches were getting really tight, so out comes the trusty Gerber and cut pull, she walked in on that and about passed out&#8230;


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

JD3430 said:


> I've just had my 4th knee surgery and I just tell them they can give the pain killers they issue me to someone else
> I don't have any use for them.


A guy at our VFW just had a knee replacement as a outpatient&#8230;

It was the second Wednesday of August as I remember it quit clearly, if he's having a replacement he wouldn't be able to cook us supper after our meeting which he usually does as his wife bartends Wednesday nights. So the wife and I cooked up 4 gallons of chili and took that, didn't bring any home.

Anyways, he's already walking around without crutches, a walker or even a cane, is also done with physical therapy already. Took both my father and uncle a good 6-8 weeks to actually be mobile without assistance.

He's not quite right in the head though, have heard it both from his nephew and his wife that he was pissed off that he lost a bet on a football game, bugged him so much he went out in the garage, got a pair of needle nose pliers and pulled a tooth that was giving him issues.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

On my last surgery, the "nurse anesthetist" even with her clear glass smart glasses couldn't put my IV in my arm correctly, even after she got done bragging about her amazing array of degrees in various medical fields. I was bleeding all over the place. The chief anesthetist came in and got me fixed up in about 5 seconds then pretty much bitched this dumbass out right in front of me for incompetence.
I swear it's like just get me to the doctor, get me under and get me home
The more time you spend in the big white building, the worse it gets.


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## ozarkian (Dec 11, 2010)

somedevildawg said:


> Novocain is a completely different animal than common pain killers......


Novocaine has never worked for me. It's like the Marathon Man movie.I leave the dentist office in a full sweat. I inherited this from my father Nitrous Oxide does not work either. That might be due to my college days and one too many Grateful Dead concerts.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Alright, you don't went an said enuf.....no talk about the young and dumb days 

Don't know if it really deadened the pain but it sure was fun while it lasted...."are ya spinning yet?" "Nope, not yet Doc...."


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