Annabel,

During times of intense pain like that associated with cancer or radiation after effects, don't sweat the addiction part. The important thing is that there is no reason to live with pain and chronic pain can actually hinder recovery/healing. Studies have shown that even long-term narcotics use for pain has minimal addictive risks. I am an addict from the 70's and was addicted to heroin at 14. I have not used since sometime early in the 80's and I started out with the 50's and ended up with 150 (100 and a 50) with liquid morphine in-between for the breakthrough pain. I used the patch up to January and tapered down to a 25 using a smaller amount each week. The usual decreasing residual dose gets you off of the patch with minimal effects. I ended up going cold turkey towards the end and it was 2 days of discomfort with minor leg cramps and a "tense" stomach. I did take Senna or Senna plus twice a day for constipation and it worked wonders.

Sign me as "Mr Anonymous" since I fessed up so much in this post. eek

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023