Drugs don't work on me

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: DougK62
I have a similar resistance, but it sure doesn't sound as strong as yours.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: werk
My friend has this problem as well. One doctor asked him if he was of Native American heritage, he does have several Native American ancestors. The doctor believes that there is an enzyme required for narcotics to work that is often missing in Native Americans, similar to the enzyme missing in many Asians that breaks down alcohol.

This is all third-party info though, so take it with a grain of salt.

I'm part Native American and I had some Percoset and Vicodin that I had when I had my impacted wisdom teeth removed. I only took one pill of each because it really didn't do anything for me either. Also the local that they had to put on for removing them and cutting out an ingrown took forever and many needles for it to set in.

 

[Slacker]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
I don't believe you either. You're probably selling your prescription drugs on ebay.

Link?

 

[Howard]

http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0125025.htm

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: msparish
Some people are just resistant to opium based drugs. Montel, the talk-show host, is like this; hence the reason that he is such an advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana.

yea i am like this, opiates do nothing to me, i can munch 4 percosets and not feel a thing, this made getting my wisodom teeth out an bad expirence

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: DougK62
I have a similar resistance, but it sure doesn't sound as strong as yours.

^^That's me. Dentists always have to give 2-3 times the dosage. They never believe me at first, either, which is frustrating.

And I have a fairly high pain threshold. I NEVER take pain pills of any kind on my own. Years ago, when I was younger and (even) dumber, I had a naively absolutist stance against opiates. Post operative I kept refusing them, and just gutted it through. The nurses were amazed. One subsequently pointed out ot me that I'd bent the metal bars on the side rails on each side of my bed, bracing against the pain.

It's amazing what you can tolerate when your mind is set to so do. These days I'd gratefully take the damn opiate.

 

[TechnoKid]

i have to have like two to three shots of lidacaine or novacaine (per tooth) when they put fillings in my teeth; sucks that i have some more teeth to go. I don't have cavaties, but they are surface stains on my molars is what the dentist calls em, I wish I would have gotten sealents when I was younger.

 

[Lioness]

How many milligrams of Percocet did the doctor prescribe? Are you also taking any other prescribed medications?

You said, "my problem is, doctors do not believe me, even with the note." When you see another physician for a procedure and he disregards that note, have him call your primary, which I assume is the one who wrote the note. Most drug addicts frequently change physicians and you'd be surprised how good they are at forging letters, notes or whatever.

If you have a known history of drug abuse either through prescription drugs or arrests then you've got a bigger problem in convincing other physicians that your pain is real.

Quote: "Novacaine does not work, to the point where I have had a tooth pulled without any anesthetic at all." I went through the same thing. I feel for you. Have you tried other dentists?

Percocet doesn't work for me. Yet a 500mg tab of Acetaminophen knocks me out.

Quote: "I called today for a refill, and his assistant went off about how it's only been a couple of days, I shouldn't be out of them already, these are a strong narcotic." You called for a "refill"? Why would you call for a refill on a medication that isn't working? This must have raised a red flag in that office. When a medication is not working or if your having side effects you should call the physician immediately. Don't take it upon yourself to up the dose.

 

[rahvin]

Even if you don't think the drug is working, if you up the dose yourself you risk death. Try other drugs, there are pain killers that are not narcotics, most are very new and quite expensive though, Vioxx is one of those drugs and it works damn good.

 

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: hoyaguru
I have strange reactions to a lot of drugs, mainly they don't seem to have a lot of effect on me. This is mainly true with pain pills and drugs that are supposed to put me to sleep. The last time a doctor tried to knock me out, he ended up giving me a double dose of whatever it was, and I was still awake through the entire operation (lithotripsy, for kidney stones). He was so impressed, he wrote me a note to give to any other doctors who have to knock me out, telling them what he gave me and that I am "highly resistant". Novacaine does not work, to the point where I have had a tooth pulled without any anesthetic at all (no, I am not a masochist or whatever those pain loving people are). That was very painful, it was a rotten tooth and it broke while he was taking it out. Then, after it was over, the dentist gave me a prescription for Codene (or as I call them, candy, because the only thing they do is give me a stomach ache). I ended up flushing them down the toilet, and lived with the pain.

My problem is, doctors do not believe me, even with the note, and I go through a lot of pain because of it. The other day, I broke 3 or 4 bones in my foot (a Lisfranc fracture), very painful. The doctor gave me a prescription for Percoset. I explained to him the problem I have with drugs not working, showed him the note, and like just about every other doctor, he didn't believe me. I'm taking 4 Percosets at a time, and they give me a little relief, but he only gave me a prescription for 30 of them, so that will be gone in no time. I called today for a refill, and his assistant went off about how it's only been a couple of days, I shouldn't be out of them already, these are a strong narcotic, blah blah BLAH!

OK, so here are my questions: One, is there a name for whatever condition this is I have that makes drugs not work? And two, what can I tell a doctor that will make him believe me, so I can get something stronger or get enough to last me more than a couple of days?

I have malignant hyperthermia, it's a condition in which your body temperture rises when taking volital anesthtics (ie gaseous). As a side effect, it can cause severe resistance to basically any anesthetic or drug. For example, I can drink an ungodly amount of alcohol without feeling effects, and like you at the dentist novicain does nothing at all for me. Not all people that have MH will experiance these conditions, and a lot of what the condition causes is known as such a small percent of the population has it.

Now, malignant hyperthermia is VERY rare, is typically but not always exclusive to males, passed through the father (again, tehre are exceptions, but this is how it tyoucally goes). Where it gets really tricky is that they can not test and tell you that you do NOT have it. They can only tell you 100% yes you do have it, or that you may or may not have it... there is no definite yes. Also, to do testing they have to cut a piece of muscle out of your upper thigh, and let me tell you it is NOT fun. They cut the muscle out, and subject it to a high dosage of caffeine. If you definitely have it, the muscle will begin to spasm and then eventually tighten into an incredibly riggid body.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

perhaps you have built up a resistance to opiates? was your mother a junkie?

 

[Chaotic42]

I have the opposite problem. Mild painkillers knock me the freak out.

 

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I have the opposite problem. Mild painkillers knock me the freak out.

my girlfriend is like this. If she takes a drug with caffeine in it, it will take her like 18 hours from atking it to be able to fall asleep. She avoids painkiller because the results and side effects can very so incredibly much.

 

[hoyaguru]

Originally posted by: Lioness
How many milligrams of Percocet did the doctor prescribe? Are you also taking any other prescribed medications?

You said, "my problem is, doctors do not believe me, even with the note." When you see another physician for a procedure and he disregards that note, have him call your primary, which I assume is the one who wrote the note. Most drug addicts frequently change physicians and you'd be surprised how good they are at forging letters, notes or whatever.

If you have a known history of drug abuse either through prescription drugs or arrests then you've got a bigger problem in convincing other physicians that your pain is real.

Quote: "Novacaine does not work, to the point where I have had a tooth pulled without any anesthetic at all." I went through the same thing. I feel for you. Have you tried other dentists?

Percocet doesn't work for me. Yet a 500mg tab of Acetaminophen knocks me out.

Quote: "I called today for a refill, and his assistant went off about how it's only been a couple of days, I shouldn't be out of them already, these are a strong narcotic." You called for a "refill"? Why would you call for a refill on a medication that isn't working? This must have raised a red flag in that office. When a medication is not working or if your having side effects you should call the physician immediately. Don't take it upon yourself to up the dose.

How many milligrams of Percocet did the doctor prescribe? Are you also taking any other prescribed medications? 325MG each Percocet, so I guess I'm taking 1300MG at a shot. I take a pill every day for my blood pressure.

When you see another physician for a procedure and he disregards that note, have him call your primary, which I assume is the one who wrote the note. As I stated, the note was from a doctor performing lithotripsy (non invasive yet painful surgery for kidney stones). This was not my primary doctor.

If you have a known history of drug abuse.. I have no known history of drug abuse. This doesn't mean I haven't abused a drug or two in my past, but I do not have a record. Marijuana is one of the few drugs that work well on me, in fact I was a "one hit wonder" as a teenager.

Have you tried other dentists? Trying another dentist doesn't make sense, they all use the same Novacaine, it won't work for another dentist either.

Why would you call for a refill on a medication that isn't working? Again, if I take 3 or 4 Percosets, I get a little relief, which is better than no relief.

 

[hoyaguru]

Originally posted by: rahvin
Even if you don't think the drug is working, if you up the dose yourself you risk death. Try other drugs, there are pain killers that are not narcotics, most are very new and quite expensive though, Vioxx is one of those drugs and it works damn good.

Tried Vioxx with the tendonitus last year, it didn't do anything, flushed the rest of the bottle down the toilet.

 

[hoyaguru]

Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
perhaps you have built up a resistance to opiates? was your mother a junkie?

What did you say about my momma? lol, just kidding. No, my mom is a church going straight arrow, though there's no way for me to know what she was up to before I was born.

 

[Titan]

some people just have natural immunities to such things. My mom is a manic depressive and before I was born, my dad told me a story where he found the doctor's notes about how they put her on a ton of thorosine, like enough to knock out an elephant. They put her under observation and after 72 hours they concluded that this had "no effect" underlined with many exclamation points. If only my dad saved the note, i would have liked to see it.

What you really need is some kind of portable test you can use to convince stupid doctors/dentists. Next time they doubt you, whip out a kit of novicane or maybe some tactile anesthetic and rub it on your arm, then show them what pain you are in when you poke the supposed numb spot.

Sorry dude, i dunno of any place that will certify you certify tolerant to drugs. Maybe call guiness? "Most perkisets eaten in an hour?"