The Fibrochondriac

Where do I start? Well, I guess chronologically works.

Two Weeks Ago

My New Year resolution (I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it was on New Years that I made the impulsive decision…so whatever) was to go “cold turkey” off the narcotics. I was tired of slowly cutting back on the pills and the hyperalgesia (increase in sensitivity to pain) was annoying. So, because I’d done it before I decided I’d do it again.

Obviously I have cognitive impairment. When I went cold turkey the last time I had only been on Percoset for six months and I was healthier and stronger than I am now. It’s been close to five years that I’ve been on these pills.  It took me about 48 hours to truly see the error of my ways. It was a rough ride.

And apparently an unnecessary one. I had an appointment with the doctor that prescribed the Low-Dose Naltrexone on the 8th. He had done a bunch of blood work and other tests (very similar to the Fibro and Fatigue Center…but less expensive) and we went over the results.

Yes, I’ve got lots of health issues. I dragged my husband in with me just for kicks. When the doctor said my cholesterol was over 300, John gasped. That was funny. The doctor questioned why I would want to go off the narcotics cold turkey.

Duhhh…”you prescribed the LDN, remember?” And I’d like to take that, sometime in the near future without going through the hell of withdrawal…

The doctor looked at me like I was an idiot. “Didn’t I tell you it was alright to take the narcotics and the Naltrexone? I know I told you that.” That led to a very pregnant pause. Really? He said that? Seriously? But who was I to question a doctor?

But…Why? Everything I’ve read says you do not take narcotics while taking LDN. You will go into withdrawals which I’d already experienced and had no desire to go there again. And the doctor is telling me to take both? Yes.

So the doctor explained that he has prescribed LDN to other people who were dependent on narcotics. And he gave them the rational advice that they must stop taking the narcotics before taking the LDN. He must have really good relationships with his patients because apparently quite a few of them ignored his instructions, took the LDN and told him about it. Whoa. And what is even more bizarre was the LDN was still very effective. Excuse me but WTF?

He theorized that in taking short-acting narcotics earlier in the day they will have “dispersed” out of the body prior to taking the LDN at 9pm. The LDN is also short-acting and will no longer be active in the morning. So no withdrawal is experienced.

Last Week

So I mulled over that for a couple of days. (Can you see why I wasn’t posting anything? I was slightly confused.) I tried running this scenario past the people on the LDN yahoo list (http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lowdosenaltrexone/) No one had heard of doing this before and advised against it. Well, yeah, I would too.

But most doctors won’t even prescribe LDN because the use is based on “anecdotal evidence” and what the doctor had given me was more anecdotal evidence. To advise against it just because it hadn’t been done before (to their knowledge) was making them (gasp!) similar to the doctors that wouldn’t prescribe LDN.

I had, because of my little cold turkey episode, been able to decrease the narcotics I was taking. Mornings usually cause me the most grief (pain-wise) and I generally don’t take the short-acting narcotics in the evening because I don’t sleep well when I take them. So I could see that maybe this might work.

Two days ago, Friday night at 9pm

I decided to take the gastroenterologist-turned-holistic doctor’s advice. I popped 1mg of LDN. And waited. Keep in mind that the normal dose for LDN is 4.5mg, but like a lot of people with Fibromyalgia I have crazy screwed-up reactions to drugs. That…and boy I didn’t want to go through withdrawals again. It’s like envisioning giving birth a week postpartum. Ya with me on this? I was chicken, but wow, to be able to feel better without narcotics? So yeah, I popped the pill.

Yesterday Morning

The most common side effect of LDN is insomnia. No problems there. Another one is constipation. Nope, no problems there No withdrawal, no side-effects, no nothing.

Seriously, no nothing. Everything was status quo the next morning. So I tried it again last night.

This Morning

I bounced out of bed this morning. I never bounce out of bed. I do the crab walk…maybe…after half an hour to an hour of laying in bed trying to work the knots out. I bounced out of bed! I took the dog for a walk around the lake all by myself. And I smiled at people. In the morning? I never do that! Certainly not a happy camper ever in the morning. My mornings suck. But not this morning.

So…what do you think? I don’t know what to think. It’s only one morning. But wow, huh? Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated.