Pain Medication and the Liver

[pennstate71]

I recently had some blood tests that revieled slightly elevated liver enzymes. I've had quite a year including gallbladder removal due to a chronically bad gallbladder. I also recently completed a round of DMSO. I'm on a variety of meds including Soma, Valium, Nuerontin and Vicodin ES 2-3 a day usually ( a half a pill at a time). So in any case the doc. mentioned cutting back on the Vicodin because of the liver results. I literally can't get through my day at work - nor would I be able to have sex at all were it not for the amount I take.

I have gastric ulcers and gastritis so any other OTC pain reliever (like advil, asprin, etc.) is out of the question aside from tylenol (which isn't so great for the liver apparently). So my question is - (until I'm finally in a place where I can get off of pain meds completelyl *fingers crossed*) is there something else I could be taking that isn't as hard on my liver?

Just a little background - I've seen some top doctors who have said I've tried just about everything that's out there except trials to no avail - so I am trying everything including diet and still in a lot of pain most days...the pain medications don't get rid of it- but makes it managable enough to work.

Thanks!

[floridamom]

WOW...your post is something i have been wanting to talk about for a while now!!! i also have been on narcotic pain relievers for going on 4 years STRAIGHT, never had a liver function test, but plan on doing so VERY soon. i take percoset at least 2 a day 10/325 it is the only way i get thru my day also.

To answer your question...what about going to see a pain mgmt doc? i am going to do that the 19th & see about getting off the percoset & onto something that doesnt do damage to your liver, i have heard there are long acting narcotics out there like dilauid, oxycotin, mscontin that dont have the tylenol in them that messes up our livers. that is the best bet i think to get some pain control. i dont even know if this pain doc will KNOW what IC is, but ia m willing to try & see.

just wanted you to know you are sooo not alone in this, i worry about the same exact thing every time i swallow my 1/2 a pill also (i do the same as you, cut them in half!).

HANG IN THERE!

[pennstate71]

Thanks so much for answering quickly - I have thought about a pain management doc (it's actually been suggested to me as well), but I'm still really young (26) and I feel like I need to reserve some things for when I get older too...my regular doc. is worried they'll throw me on a fentanyl patch and I'll keep building up tolerance ( not that the patch is bad at all...just that I'm still so young to be on it without looking at other options first). I am hoping for a cure, so I hope to not have to worry about this - but we want to make sure I save some things for the long haul in the future that I can still use. I definitely don't want anything stronger - just the edge off but am so nervous about the liver. I will definitely have to talk to my range of doctors to get their opinions and a pain management doc may just have the right answer - if they are elevated now I don't want to do even more damage over time (even though I'm not 100% sure they are elevated strictly from that).

Thanks for the suggestion - going straight to the source such as the pain mgmt doc seems to usually be the answer instead of asking folks that don't deal with it on a more regular basis. I've found that out through the other docs for everything that's wrong, haha.

Good luck and you'll have to let me know how your consultation goes - I am really interested in what he/she has to say and how much they know about what we are dealing with!