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There is a MS society - I have seen their magazine and it contained ads about some newer drugs - I don't know anything about them or the society but you might look into it Bob Anibal ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Harshaw" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 7:23 AM Subject: OPIATES > My wife Esther has chronic progressive Multiple Sclerosis. She was > diagnosed and told over the phone in October 1992. There is no doubt that > she had it for at least ten years before that. > > She has had chronic pain in her left shoulder and neck, sometime > radiating to her toes and fingers that is so severe that she feels as though > a hole has been burned through her neck. Our family doctor was sympathetic > but basicly useless as was the neurologist to whom he referred her. He > tried Esther on a whole panoply of drugs which did nothing except enrich the > drug companies. > > The pain is debilitating and has rendered her - to use a poltically > incorrect word - a semi-invalid. (Invalid is not a woerd in the > bureaucratic lexicon because its components cold also be interpreted as > invalid as in "This driver's licence is invalid" She then went to a 'pain > clinic'. They tried codine to no effect. Then, her psychiatrist, an > aggressive fellow, took over all her medications and switched morphine for > codine. At this point Esther was on eleven separate perscription > medications, to say bnothing of vitamins and herbals. The proability of > non-compliance with perscription instructions increase geometrically with > the number of medications you are on. > > Finally, she was referred to my neurosurgeon who said that her pain was > akin to phantom limb pain - that makes the pain no less real. he suggested > weaning off the morphine - she was up to 45 mg every eight hours - and take > large doses of amitriptyline or one of its clones. The tricyclic > anti-depressants have quite potent analgesic properties. If that didn't > wOrk, he would recommend DBS fo pain. > > The results: > > 1. Most doctors know nothing about pain and cold care less. Neurologists > arent much better; > > 2. most so-called painkillers are a joke; at best they make the pain > duller > > 3. codine and morphine are system depressants; they lower the level at > which you function. They pile weight on and make you so constipated that > its not the least bit funny >