Itching To Handle Side Effects?
Corny I know, however very true. Most pain medication can do a lot of crazy things to your body while reducing your discomfort. Anyone who is on a steady regiment of narcotic pain medication knows what I am talking about-however for the uninformed some of the more well known side effects of medication include sleepiness, dry mouth, itchy skin and constipation. So below are some tips on how to avoid these side effects if they start affecting your day to day lives. Sleepiness
Probably the most important side effect to overcome, as this one can have the most affect to your life-think about it-sure it's fine if you're taking your medication in the evening, however if you are like most Chronic Pain sufferers, chances are you are taking your medication 2-3 times a day, meaning you will need to be awake during certain points of the day-particularly if you work in an office or need to drive. Obviously when you are starting any new regiment, start it over a period of time where you don't have to go to work, or need to drive, like a long weekend or stay-cation-this way you will be able to know how sleepy your new medication will or won't make you feel. Silly as it may sound, chart it-find the time of day you are sleepiest. In my case-3pm is the magic number. Once you have pegged down your sleepy low point, figure out the best waker-upper for you. A cup of coffee works for me, the 5 Hour Energy drink is one of my friend's choice. Some people taking a 20 minute cat nap-whatever works for you-the need is to find a way to prevent you from wanting to nap at inopportune moments-such as a company meeting, your computer at work, driving.....
Dry Mouth
Hydrate (see itchiness)-it's your best defense, however keep in mind that sugarfree gum in a tangy flavor will help too-the common suggestion is to suck on sugar free candy-there is a great Vitiman C enriched candy from Halls that is specifically for stimulating the salviatory glands, I used this for my father-in-law while he was dealing with Cancer and it was his personal favorite.
Itchiness
I have ezcema, and as a long term sufferer of an inexpicable dermitisis, I thought I knew what itchy was. Then I started taking pain medication. I literally thought I wanted to rip my bones out-it feels THAT awful. My skin felt like it was on fire, crawling with pollen, fiberglass-you name he itchy item, it felt like that. Fortunately since I had been suffering from ezcema for a number of years, this was my expertise. You've read this in a million magazines and a ton of doctors tell you-hydrate. well some people in the real world found out hydrating may also mean that for the first 3 weeks you attempt some sort of extra water intake your body is not used to, you will be living in a bathroom. Seriously. Every 5 minutes. So the real world version is this-anything liquid that isn't innundated with caffieine or excess sugar will hydrate you-this includes soup, milk, herbal teas, water, gaterade-what have you. Sure water is the least caloric, however it also can overwork your kidneys if you aren't used to it. So start off slowly drinking a little extra each day and your body will get used to it. Soap is a no-no. Soap sucks for your skin. There, I wrote it. Cleaning your skin shouldn't include a bunch of suds. Seriously, all those soapy sudsy dealies-they dry out your skin royally. Best bet is to use a milk based wash (it won't suds up a lot) or my personal favorite-Cetaphil-which is this creamy wash that doesn't sud up at all-but cleans your skin properly without damage. You put some on a washcloth, do circular motion, rinse and you ARE clean. Don't feel clean? Then GOOD-you shouldn't, if your skin is properly balanced, you'll feel normal, not tight. And this way your skin doesn't lose any moisture. The feeling takes some getting used to, but trust me, save the soap for your private areas, feet and under your arms. Use something more gentle for everything else. Lotions can help-however some can harm more than help-read labels, if "wool wax" is an ingredient, you're asking for a potential allergic reaction. I have tested quite a few lotions over the years. The most calming include Burt's Bees Milk & Honey, and Baby Bee lotion. They are milk based, and contain honey-so Vegan's may not be into them, however they work like a charm. Cetaphil also has a great, gentle lotion (I SWEAR I do NOT have stock in them, just like the stuff) however for those high pollen days, when you feel like you'd rather tear your skin off than deal with the itchiness-go for Sarna lotion. This menthol based lotion has been around forever-one warning though-when you put it on, be prepared to feel like a human popsicle for about 10 minutes-the Menthol will make your skin chilly feeling. That is a good thing, as it is calming it down that way. wrap up in a robe and snuggle under your covers for 5-10 minutes and you're good. Sarna is awesome for sunburn too by the way. Cooling feeling is a literal deal with this one.
Constipation
No one likes to talk about it, let's face it-excrement isn't exactly an easily approachable conversation. Even commercials for laxatives or fiber supplements refer to it as "being regular". Truth is the chemical makeup of pain medication is it screws with your system, releasing calming chemicals to reduce your pain-which includes slowing down your digestive system. A LOT! Best bets are this-if you are taking your medication like you should, and take extra water with it when you do, and if you eat a normal diet (which nowadays NO ONE does) you'll be fine. Truth is over 75% of pain management patients do not take their medication correctly according to the statistics from Ameritox-a company that screens patients to be sure they are taking their medication like good boys and girls. Also not reading the side effects hurts-so read that-everytime, for all you know a new fact has been discovered by the pharmacutical powers that be have discovered so read it. If you are doing what you are supposed to and you are still "not regular" Prune Juice-gross and icky as that may sound, is the way to go. Not only does it increase the ability for you to have more water be absorbed where it needs to, it stimulates the intestines to move things along. Eat a lot of fiber, beans, etc to accustom your body to a slower system, and water, water, water. Personally I loathe the non-taste of water-who the hell has time to drink so damn much anyway! Well my sister-in-law every morning takes a half of lemon and a half oof orange, suqeezes it lightly into a 32 oz pitcher of water and makes it a goal to empty it by the end of day via drinking it. A former co-worker I knew did the same thing. It keeps you hydrated and believe me, proper hydration will make anyone feel better. So next time your taking your meds, be sure to down them with a nice glass of water and be sure you have read the instructions/warnings packet that comes with your meds and know that if you truly verse yourself on your medication, taking it will be easier. In the immortal words of "School House Rocks"-"Knowlege IS Power!!"
Corny I know, however very true. Most pain medication can do a lot of crazy things to your body while reducing your discomfort. Anyone who is on a steady regiment of narcotic pain medication knows what I am talking about-however for the uninformed some of the more well known side effects of medication include sleepiness, dry mouth, itchy skin and constipation. So below are some tips on how to avoid these side effects if they start affecting your day to day lives. Sleepiness
Probably the most important side effect to overcome, as this one can have the most affect to your life-think about it-sure it's fine if you're taking your medication in the evening, however if you are like most Chronic Pain sufferers, chances are you are taking your medication 2-3 times a day, meaning you will need to be awake during certain points of the day-particularly if you work in an office or need to drive. Obviously when you are starting any new regiment, start it over a period of time where you don't have to go to work, or need to drive, like a long weekend or stay-cation-this way you will be able to know how sleepy your new medication will or won't make you feel. Silly as it may sound, chart it-find the time of day you are sleepiest. In my case-3pm is the magic number. Once you have pegged down your sleepy low point, figure out the best waker-upper for you. A cup of coffee works for me, the 5 Hour Energy drink is one of my friend's choice. Some people taking a 20 minute cat nap-whatever works for you-the need is to find a way to prevent you from wanting to nap at inopportune moments-such as a company meeting, your computer at work, driving.....
Dry Mouth
Hydrate (see itchiness)-it's your best defense, however keep in mind that sugarfree gum in a tangy flavor will help too-the common suggestion is to suck on sugar free candy-there is a great Vitiman C enriched candy from Halls that is specifically for stimulating the salviatory glands, I used this for my father-in-law while he was dealing with Cancer and it was his personal favorite.
Itchiness
I have ezcema, and as a long term sufferer of an inexpicable dermitisis, I thought I knew what itchy was. Then I started taking pain medication. I literally thought I wanted to rip my bones out-it feels THAT awful. My skin felt like it was on fire, crawling with pollen, fiberglass-you name he itchy item, it felt like that. Fortunately since I had been suffering from ezcema for a number of years, this was my expertise. You've read this in a million magazines and a ton of doctors tell you-hydrate. well some people in the real world found out hydrating may also mean that for the first 3 weeks you attempt some sort of extra water intake your body is not used to, you will be living in a bathroom. Seriously. Every 5 minutes. So the real world version is this-anything liquid that isn't innundated with caffieine or excess sugar will hydrate you-this includes soup, milk, herbal teas, water, gaterade-what have you. Sure water is the least caloric, however it also can overwork your kidneys if you aren't used to it. So start off slowly drinking a little extra each day and your body will get used to it. Soap is a no-no. Soap sucks for your skin. There, I wrote it. Cleaning your skin shouldn't include a bunch of suds. Seriously, all those soapy sudsy dealies-they dry out your skin royally. Best bet is to use a milk based wash (it won't suds up a lot) or my personal favorite-Cetaphil-which is this creamy wash that doesn't sud up at all-but cleans your skin properly without damage. You put some on a washcloth, do circular motion, rinse and you ARE clean. Don't feel clean? Then GOOD-you shouldn't, if your skin is properly balanced, you'll feel normal, not tight. And this way your skin doesn't lose any moisture. The feeling takes some getting used to, but trust me, save the soap for your private areas, feet and under your arms. Use something more gentle for everything else. Lotions can help-however some can harm more than help-read labels, if "wool wax" is an ingredient, you're asking for a potential allergic reaction. I have tested quite a few lotions over the years. The most calming include Burt's Bees Milk & Honey, and Baby Bee lotion. They are milk based, and contain honey-so Vegan's may not be into them, however they work like a charm. Cetaphil also has a great, gentle lotion (I SWEAR I do NOT have stock in them, just like the stuff) however for those high pollen days, when you feel like you'd rather tear your skin off than deal with the itchiness-go for Sarna lotion. This menthol based lotion has been around forever-one warning though-when you put it on, be prepared to feel like a human popsicle for about 10 minutes-the Menthol will make your skin chilly feeling. That is a good thing, as it is calming it down that way. wrap up in a robe and snuggle under your covers for 5-10 minutes and you're good. Sarna is awesome for sunburn too by the way. Cooling feeling is a literal deal with this one.
Constipation
No one likes to talk about it, let's face it-excrement isn't exactly an easily approachable conversation. Even commercials for laxatives or fiber supplements refer to it as "being regular". Truth is the chemical makeup of pain medication is it screws with your system, releasing calming chemicals to reduce your pain-which includes slowing down your digestive system. A LOT! Best bets are this-if you are taking your medication like you should, and take extra water with it when you do, and if you eat a normal diet (which nowadays NO ONE does) you'll be fine. Truth is over 75% of pain management patients do not take their medication correctly according to the statistics from Ameritox-a company that screens patients to be sure they are taking their medication like good boys and girls. Also not reading the side effects hurts-so read that-everytime, for all you know a new fact has been discovered by the pharmacutical powers that be have discovered so read it. If you are doing what you are supposed to and you are still "not regular" Prune Juice-gross and icky as that may sound, is the way to go. Not only does it increase the ability for you to have more water be absorbed where it needs to, it stimulates the intestines to move things along. Eat a lot of fiber, beans, etc to accustom your body to a slower system, and water, water, water. Personally I loathe the non-taste of water-who the hell has time to drink so damn much anyway! Well my sister-in-law every morning takes a half of lemon and a half oof orange, suqeezes it lightly into a 32 oz pitcher of water and makes it a goal to empty it by the end of day via drinking it. A former co-worker I knew did the same thing. It keeps you hydrated and believe me, proper hydration will make anyone feel better. So next time your taking your meds, be sure to down them with a nice glass of water and be sure you have read the instructions/warnings packet that comes with your meds and know that if you truly verse yourself on your medication, taking it will be easier. In the immortal words of "School House Rocks"-"Knowlege IS Power!!"
Labels: constipation, dehydration, ezcema, itchy skin, medication, pain management
posted by Chris @ 6:49 AM
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