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What Are The Adverse Effects Of Narcotics On Digestive System?
Question: Thank you for advise about narcotics effect on digestive system. Interesting how doctors hand them out like candy.
I literally cannot stand the pain. And, before hernia repair I did not have gastro issues so why won't anyone address this.
Lost and inability to move w/o nerves firing. Can't let someone go this long without checking.
I literally cannot stand the pain. And, before hernia repair I did not have gastro issues so why won't anyone address this.
Lost and inability to move w/o nerves firing. Can't let someone go this long without checking.
Brief Answer:
thank you !
Detailed Answer:
for asking a direct question!
I'm going to continue on the topic a bit... first....
"Lost and inability to move w/o nerves firing." this would be called ALLODYNIA (normal movements triggering pain), DYSTHESIA (normal movements triggering pain... but having the sensations distorted in the direction of pain... the allodynia is more having very sensitive nerves). These are the main signs a nerve pill will work.
Next... there's some new medications that act like immodium (narcotic, on the bowel.. but not able to get out of the bowel and into you; so, no side effects, indeed no effects at all except on the bowel). AND.... they block the action of narcotics on the bowel to improve constipation associated with narcotic use.
thank you !
Detailed Answer:
for asking a direct question!
I'm going to continue on the topic a bit... first....
"Lost and inability to move w/o nerves firing." this would be called ALLODYNIA (normal movements triggering pain), DYSTHESIA (normal movements triggering pain... but having the sensations distorted in the direction of pain... the allodynia is more having very sensitive nerves). These are the main signs a nerve pill will work.
Next... there's some new medications that act like immodium (narcotic, on the bowel.. but not able to get out of the bowel and into you; so, no side effects, indeed no effects at all except on the bowel). AND.... they block the action of narcotics on the bowel to improve constipation associated with narcotic use.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I don't have constipation. I have movements several days in a row then very lose movements. This is what promoted radiologist to compare old and new.
I basically got no help after surgeries and now radiologists are zeroing in on what I tell them not the doctor. Why won't they look deep where the colon was removed? One mistake, ok. Two, not so good and the worst is the mesh would not be so imbedded had my provider forgotten MVA pain. I won't live with this. I will fight until I know ive been heard and the tests read.
I think you were going to mention meds but didn't. A psychiatrist would have to prescribe. Luckily he knows the trauma I've dealt with and the government way.
I basically got no help after surgeries and now radiologists are zeroing in on what I tell them not the doctor. Why won't they look deep where the colon was removed? One mistake, ok. Two, not so good and the worst is the mesh would not be so imbedded had my provider forgotten MVA pain. I won't live with this. I will fight until I know ive been heard and the tests read.
I think you were going to mention meds but didn't. A psychiatrist would have to prescribe. Luckily he knows the trauma I've dealt with and the government way.
Brief Answer:
No, definiely going to mention meds....
Detailed Answer:
Just that I've mentioned pretty much all of them before!
1) bentyl. Lowers gut movement and lowers spasm
2) reglan INCREASES gut movement and has the gut movement pattern change generally to a more normal one.
3) amitryptiline should really be number one. It is an anti-depressant. That is the only property of the drug that is irrelevant! It has side effects of shutting down the gut. This includes a dry mouth but also includes lowering gut motility (atropine like effect). This occurs about 10 min after taking. Not it's main benefit. It is a serotonin modulator to be an anti-depressant. The serotonin also triggers a LOT of the gut problems. having a SMALL amount of amitryptiline (10-20 mg) given frequently (3 times a day) causes a slight elevation of serotonin in the gut alll the time. Normal gut has ups and downs of serotonin like gentle waves. Irritable bowel is like heavy wave chop. Amitryptiline increases the level of serotonin all the time so that the lows of the waves are gone. This changes the chop to gentle waves cause the lows are as high as the peaks in serotonin levels due to the amitryptiline. Takes a few days at most a week.
Did I mention it is a non-narcotic pain drug? yeah...that leads to
4) non-narcotic pain drugs that damp down twitchy nerves. Amitryptiline might be the best. There's a lot of other very cheap very safe drugs that also do that but in different ways than amitryptiline. Any anti-epileptic, but gabapentin is the most commonly used, easiest to use, and would be the safest except for this indication all the other anti-epileptics can be used and half to one quarter the dose used in epilepsy so they are all quite safe at those doses.
and last on the list is
5) this is really last on the list and I cannot really recommend this BUT, for the sake of completeness I have to include it. Capsaicin is hot chili extract. It stimulates pain nerves and changes gut motility based on its action on those nerves. It is painful. It activates and kills off pain nerves. This will have an effect BUT, in the short term likely to be quite painful and this is not even studied to say if it works or that it isn't just harmful and......also not recommended....
6) other stimulants of pain. What? Other stimulants of pain?!? Yeah, this is fairly well established that in some people with continuing to trigger pain, the body down regulates the pain (wind down, habituation, tolerance) but it can move in the other direction too. Part of the effect is on the pain nerves that wear out with over stimulation. Part of it is changes in the spine that damp down signals when there is an overload (amitryptiline does this and DOES NOT cause pain so.......well, I put it higher on the list for a reason). And part of it is at the level of the brain which tunes out pain after it is present all the time... yeah...well.... cognitive exercises can theoretically be done to do the same thing, like meditation and mindfullness. None of these techniques are established as working so,
I can only recommend the advise you've likely already gotten and various stool softeners and nerve pills. Likely to help, very unlikely to do anything at all bad.
The repeat surgeries, now.. those can be bad!
um... might want to consider some antidepressants......helping with coping....
No, definiely going to mention meds....
Detailed Answer:
Just that I've mentioned pretty much all of them before!
1) bentyl. Lowers gut movement and lowers spasm
2) reglan INCREASES gut movement and has the gut movement pattern change generally to a more normal one.
3) amitryptiline should really be number one. It is an anti-depressant. That is the only property of the drug that is irrelevant! It has side effects of shutting down the gut. This includes a dry mouth but also includes lowering gut motility (atropine like effect). This occurs about 10 min after taking. Not it's main benefit. It is a serotonin modulator to be an anti-depressant. The serotonin also triggers a LOT of the gut problems. having a SMALL amount of amitryptiline (10-20 mg) given frequently (3 times a day) causes a slight elevation of serotonin in the gut alll the time. Normal gut has ups and downs of serotonin like gentle waves. Irritable bowel is like heavy wave chop. Amitryptiline increases the level of serotonin all the time so that the lows of the waves are gone. This changes the chop to gentle waves cause the lows are as high as the peaks in serotonin levels due to the amitryptiline. Takes a few days at most a week.
Did I mention it is a non-narcotic pain drug? yeah...that leads to
4) non-narcotic pain drugs that damp down twitchy nerves. Amitryptiline might be the best. There's a lot of other very cheap very safe drugs that also do that but in different ways than amitryptiline. Any anti-epileptic, but gabapentin is the most commonly used, easiest to use, and would be the safest except for this indication all the other anti-epileptics can be used and half to one quarter the dose used in epilepsy so they are all quite safe at those doses.
and last on the list is
5) this is really last on the list and I cannot really recommend this BUT, for the sake of completeness I have to include it. Capsaicin is hot chili extract. It stimulates pain nerves and changes gut motility based on its action on those nerves. It is painful. It activates and kills off pain nerves. This will have an effect BUT, in the short term likely to be quite painful and this is not even studied to say if it works or that it isn't just harmful and......also not recommended....
6) other stimulants of pain. What? Other stimulants of pain?!? Yeah, this is fairly well established that in some people with continuing to trigger pain, the body down regulates the pain (wind down, habituation, tolerance) but it can move in the other direction too. Part of the effect is on the pain nerves that wear out with over stimulation. Part of it is changes in the spine that damp down signals when there is an overload (amitryptiline does this and DOES NOT cause pain so.......well, I put it higher on the list for a reason). And part of it is at the level of the brain which tunes out pain after it is present all the time... yeah...well.... cognitive exercises can theoretically be done to do the same thing, like meditation and mindfullness. None of these techniques are established as working so,
I can only recommend the advise you've likely already gotten and various stool softeners and nerve pills. Likely to help, very unlikely to do anything at all bad.
The repeat surgeries, now.. those can be bad!
um... might want to consider some antidepressants......helping with coping....
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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