Pain meds and cognitive functioning

[Maria]

edited as necessary

[ans]

I want to know too! I'm on Percocet a lot now and am incredibly stupid and can't complete one thinking task at all.

I wonder if suboxone is less mentally debilitating than methadone - assuming methadone is the culprit.

Important question Maria!

[Maria]

ans,
Buprenorphine (Suboxone Subutex) treatment and opioid addiction resources from The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment - NAABT - Home page
interesting stuff.

[Maria]

ans
was going to edit the above to add that I'm not sure it's the Methadone as it's low dose (12.5mg/day) and on one website I read there is no mental fogginess and people work while on this medication (doing what?).

Most people that take Neurontin report this mental cloudiness but I've not really read about persons only taking Methadone (probably ex heroin users vs. pain patients) though my guess is those particular drugs act together to create a bit more mental fog. Perhaps.

From what I'm reading about Suboxone because it's not a full agonist it doesn't have the same effects as Methadone and I'd be interested to know if anyone is taking it and how they feel mentally. Or if anyone is taking that and Neurontin and feel more cognitively alert...

One thing I have read is that if Methadone is working well for one in terms of pain there's no real reason to switch to Suboxone. My PM and I discussed the use of Suboxone to get off Methadone if I have surgery and do well (at some point).

[ans]

Maria: This is fascinating and thanks for your time!

I hope that you find the answers you need. Thanks - ans

[dshobbies]

I switched to Lyrica because of the side effects of Neurontin. I was not taking anything for pain at the time. Lyrica has the same side effects but to a lessor degree which for me, wasn't all that different. Both caused an inability to concentrate. Both took away previous desires and passion (no I'm not talking about sex). Both took away short term memory. Neurontin caused the weirdest dreams. Both handled my nerve pain at the source.

I traded pain for getting back the above. I'm artistic and this release was/is my sanity. I'm happier since giving it up but definitely have more discomfort, sometimes (like now) outright pain. I now have pain pills and muscle relaxers which were unnecessary while on Lyrica but I'm me again. I'm writing and painting again.

There are times when I second guess myself but I can deal with the pain, I can't cope without my artistic release.

So, from my own personal experience, both N & L rob you of mind, those things that make you you. Having said this, age also robs you of you. When these drugs finally left my system, I discovered my short term memory was only slightly better However, depending on the amount of pain you may experience and/or your own personal priorities, this is a personal decision (please discuss your options with your doctor(s).

But as good a job as these drugs do in controlling nerve pain, make no mistake, they take a little or a lot of you with it.