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There is substantial genetic variation in responsiveness to opiates. For some (an estimated 1% in Norway, at least [0]) the standard dosing comes with all the s

There is substantial genetic variation in responsiveness to opiates. For some (an estimated 1% in Norway, at least [0]) the standard dosing comes with all the side effects and none of the benefits. When I was recovering from sinus surgery, my wife handed me oxy on the prescribed schedule, and it was worse than nothing — pain still there, plus brain fog and massive constipation. Tylenol worked an absolute wonder, though. Pain is a bitch. I hope we come up with something better than these blunt instruments soon. [0]: https://partner.sciencenorway.no/forskningno-norway-ntnu/genetic-defect-makes-some-nearly-immune-to-morphine/1436463 https://partner.sciencenorway.no/forskningno-norway-ntnu/gen...

throwanem 6y ago
For what it's worth, it's not that they don't suppress pain when I take them. They do, quite effectively; it's just that I don't find anything else about the experience to be at all pleasant. To your point about genetic variation, I'm told I have an unusually high pain tolerance; at that same ER visit, when the doctor came in to discuss the CT results showing the size of the stone, she expressed some surprise that I hadn't done any screaming. My mother tells me that she's the same way. So maybe it's something to do with that? I really don't know. In any case, it's clear from the responses I've gotten that to generalize from my own experience here is unwise, and I won't repeat the error.