What do you use for pain?

[GJZH]

What do you use for pain medications? I am looking for something that is not habit forming or cause dependence...but yet would allow good pain control. My pain levels on medications now are about a level 5 to 8...I really do not have good pain control...but I do not run marathons...

[Mark N]

Gloria, I hope you have good luck finding your medication. I am just not sure that what you want is out there. I stayed away from opiates as long as I could. For years I dealt with pain using aspirin and Tylenol but most of it had to do with my ability to put up with pain because they didn't do much to control my pain.

What is your concern with dependency? As long as you don't abuse the meds and you need them long term, you wouldn't ever deal with withdrawal from the meds. What is your concern?

[GJZH]

My greatest concern is the articles I am reading about us being dependent on the drugs Mark...I never thought I would become dependent on drugs...I am very independent and do not like this feeling...I also do not like that now my PM doc's office seems to be giving me a difficult time about calling for refills. When I first went to this office I told him too that I did not want these drugs, but I thought I was going to have the surgery and have less pain, not more. He told me himself though that my pain was not well controlled, but now they seem to be bulking at writing the scripts...so maybe it is time to just move on to someone else...

[cindybear]

If you tke narcotics for a period of time..Every person will become "dependent " on them..And thats O.K. It's to be expected...Whats not O.K. is to become "addicted" which is abusing..But if you use your drugs as precribed by your Pain Dr..You should not have any problems at all. I have am dependant on all my meds..Even my blood pressure meds...Take that away..And Boom, My bp goes Sky high, Take my narcotics away, Same thing except it's my pain..Is sky high..So don't look at your narcotics any differnt than your BP meds or Blood sugar meds...You need them no matter ..I can't live without either..JMHO, Hugs, Cindy

[Rozia]

Depends on what kind of pain you have . I use Keppra and Tramadol

[Pharmacist.steve]

My greatest concern is the articles I am reading about us being dependent on the drugs Mark...I never thought I would become dependent on drugs...I am very independent and do not like this feeling...I also do not like that now my PM doc's office seems to be giving me a difficult time about calling for refills. When I first went to this office I told him too that I did not want these drugs, but I thought I was going to have the surgery and have less pain, not more. He told me himself though that my pain was not well controlled, but now they seem to be bulking at writing the scripts...so maybe it is time to just move on to someone else...

Your "condition" requires some sort of opiates to help keep things managed. You are also dependent on air/food/water... I don't see anyone wanting to "give them up" Our society has been brain-washed.. just look at the nightly TV ads... you take enough aspirin to make your ear ring... enough aleve to make your GI tract to bleed or enough Tylenol to flatten your liver ... that is OK.. but if your pain is past the mild-moderate level... then you should just "tough it out"... Our society gives a lot of lip service to the 15,000 people killed by drunken drivers.. but to a larger degree it is acceptable... but a similar number of people commit suicide because of unresolved/under treated pain... do you see anyone out there on a crusade about this? No Mothers Again Untreated Pain.

Your quality of life is more important to you and your family than anyone else... you need to stiffen up your aching back and ask questions of your doc and/or s/he's office manager.

[Jibokri5]

Hi Gloria,

Old time member, old friend, new name. ;) Hon, there is no shame in taking pain meds to control your pain. You should not live with pain, pain is NOT your friend trust me.

Anyway, yes, your body will become dependent on them, *To lower your pain levels ONLY* as a diabetic is dependent on insulin, and as others have posted.

I fought it for too long, tried tramadal and things like motrin, arthrotec and any anti inflammatory med, didn't work. I finally gave in and was started on strong meds and got worried I too would be addicted(I had listened to too many ignorant people), but trust me, I'm not addicted. I am very thankful for my meds and I'll always wish I didn't have to take them, but this is my reality and my life and its made a world of difference in my functioning level and moods.

Also, I am stabelized on a regimen of meds and have not increased them in 7 yrs. They could be upped IMHO, I do seem tolerant after the same doses for that long, BUT.....I am functioning on what I take and life without them, well...I'll never go back there again.

If your doc is or pain doc balks now at prescribing you pain meds, time to move on Honey. There is no need to suffer, even if your not running marathons. Its simply called, "quality of life" and keeping you "functioning". They can start you out on low doses and maybe thats all you'll need. They won't start you out on the big guns either. So please don't worry hon. You've had ALOT of work done and we've all been fooled(sorry thats how I feel), that, "Surgery will fix us", but reality is, the more hardware added, you'll have mechanical pain and that hurts in itself.

Love ya! :)

[GJZH]

I guess what you are all telling me is that there really is nothing for pain that is not going to cause dependence. I did not really think about being dependent upon medications for blood pressure or allergy either. I guess it is all the talk this week and people posting articles about pain and being dependent or addicted to these medications....I did not think about these medications the way that you posted here though...I am glad that you have all posted back to me. It has given me something to think about...and talk to my husband about...and my PM doc about as well...He was the one that told me from the beginning that I would always have pain...If that is so then he should not balk at wanting to treat it and maybe he isn't....It may be his receptionist that answers the phone...

I got a little freaked this week too when I went to a meeting about Medicare...I will be medicare eligible in September. This meeting was for BS coverage and the drug program....The rep went over my meds with me. When we went through the lists she told me I need to get on the generics or I will be paying a lot of money out of pocket. It seems it is the pain medications that throw me into that bucket where I will paying out a lot of money....

[cindybear]

Sorry, GJZH,
I never answered your question...I am on medicare and yes some drugs will eat your moneys away...Like Kadian..Had to Quit it..Darn.IT !! That was/Is a good drug for me but to expensive...I switched to generic morphine..Still a little expensive, but not close to Kadian..Another cheap drug and good drug for me is methadone...Very cheap...5 dollars for 200, 10 mgs pills. What is the most expensive drug for me is Topamax..And I just can't live without it...I take 200 mgs a day..And now I am at the place where I am at that the Donut..Where I have to pay the next 3 thousand dollars..So that script is going to cost me..Or I am going to have my TN back from He !!..And That I can not face...So hopefully I will be able to pay the 1500.00 drug fee each month for 2 months..Scary...Then it will be very cheap for a couple of months until it starts all over the beginning of the year...Hugs, Cindy

[Mark N]

Gloria, Steve and others have said it very well. I am glad you are starting to reconsider. I had a talk with my temp. doctor about use of the word addiction instead of dependency. I told her that unless you misuses or abuse the medication the medical profession should talk about dependency because of the stigma society has on addiction.

As Steve pointed out, we are all dependent on air, water, and food because it is the way our bodies operate. Our bodies just happen to need help much like a diabetic needs insulin. Don't let the news or print press worry you about dependency as long as you are not abusing your meds.

[debhun]

I have been on pain meds and I did a step down with them and I had no trouble. I just came off Tramadol step down again no trouble as far as withdraw. If you have use them use them. Just go buy how your Dr wants you to take them.
You will do fine.

Deb

[ErinENj]

I'm sorry, but I didn't get a chance to read all of the responses, so mine might be so completely off the mark that it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, but I wanted to add mine to the mix so that by the time I get to read everything, I know that mine has been added.

My medication cocktails is: Opana ER 140mg every 12 hours, Dilaudid 24mg every 4 hours as needed (usually 1 or 2 doses a day, one with lunch and one with dinner or near bedtime), Lyrica 100mg 3x/day for neuropathic pain, Flexeril 10mg as needed up to 5 doses per day. I also take Wellbutrin XL 300mg in the morning, rozerem and restoril at night, and birth control pills, but those aren't exclusively pain related. The birth control pills keep my 'lady friend' at bay and is prescribed in such a way that I only have to worry about my monthly friend once every 3 months. The wellbutrin helps keep my emotions in check so that they don't add to my pain (stress and depression can have a negative effect on pain levels, usually increasing them) and the sleepy meds help keep me sleeping so that I can make sure my body gets the repairative sleep that it needs each night so I can function correctly. Unfortuantely, they're not working too well right now, as you can tell by the fact that I'm posting this at 2:44am when I have a dentist appointment at 8:45am tomorrow (technically today). I don't know who scheduled that or where I was when it was scheduled, but I do know it's way too early in the morning for me to have to deal with sitting in those stupid dentist chairs!! I already hate them and they're that much worse at such an early time in the day!

Okay, time for bed, and I'll check back tomorrow (or later today) to read through all of the posts and make sure I add any information that will help answer your question more effectively!

[Kathi49]

Gloria,

I agree with everyone else. But I asked the question differently years ago. I wasn't too concerned with dependency. I asked if there was ANY med out there that did NOT cause dizziness or nausea; but I am speaking of SE's and not dependency. And the answer was simply...no...all meds had SE's of some kind. Now, I HATE the feeling of being dizzy, nauseated. I just cannot stand it. And through it all the docs were saying I must be overly sensitive...so I guess I am. But when I hit on the Vicodin and Klonopin combination, I was so much better. That combo did not hit me upside the head and I was able to function much better....that along with fusions. :D Oops, and injections too.

I might be like Mark in a way because I tried them all!!! I can't take Neurontin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, Elavil and the list goes on and on. So, back to dependency. I am NOT overly concerned about it and I think it is because I tried so many combinations that did not work. When I found something that did work or rather, managed the pain, I was grateful. It is not obliterated and I never expect it to be. And I do try to keep the doses low. One Vicodin a day might work just fine. But sometimes it is two...along with one Klonopin.

Anyway,I think I know what you might be saying. And that is the fact that you may have to the opiates for the rest of your life. I was concerned about Vicodin and liver damage at one point. But my PM reassured me I would have to be eating them like candy and I mean a lot of them. But I don't do that. So, if i am dependent on it...it is okay. I do not abuse either one of them and my PM knows that.

Did you say before that your doc was a PM or not? If not, I would find one. I know my NS has a strict rule, for some reason, that Norco for instance, is not to be given or refilled AFTER 3 months out of surgery. Although he did make an exception for me and gave me another months refill. When I asked about this later on, I was told that if any patient had continuing pain, they were referred back to the PM. Maybe it is a money making deal, but I kind of doubt it. I just think the NS feels he has done his job and then we are sent for pain management. But that is okay with me as I love my PM! If I didn't have him, I would be lost I think.

I hope you can find the right med or combo and I wouldn't worry too much about it. :)

[A.K.]

Different medications, habit forming or not, work better with different pain types too.

I take Opana ER like ErinENj does but I can't tolerate as high a dose so I do other things with it. I take 20 mg twice a day of it + 200 mg Topamax + 120 mg Cymbalta + Endocet 7.5/325 three x a day + 0.25 xanax and just had to stop taking some Seroquel they added because I picked up 18 lbs of fluid in less than 48 hours....not good!

My Topamax & Cymbalta wouldn't help my pain though I don't think if it weren't neuropathic pain. Neither one of them are habit forming. All the other ones I am on are though. However, I took a drug holiday a few months ago after consistent narcotics for 2 1/2 years and I found out that I had no craving for the drugs what-so-ever. I don't have any desire now to take more than prescribed or to take them in an unwise manner - so - my body depends on them to releave the pain but I am not addicted to them.

BIG DIFFERENCE! It took me a while to really feel comfortable with all that though so I totally understand your concern and only you can decide if you are strong enough to handle having narcotics on hand. If you aren't.....don't do it. Keep asking for something non-habit forming until you get something that works. Best of luck. A.K.

[curiousforever]

Please also realize that even the 'non addictive' ones you become dependent on. You aren't supposed to just stop certain meds - like cymbalta, neurontin, etc - because sudden stopping causes problems. Just like with opiate pain meds you have to titrate down. So technically even those you become dependent on....

And there is nothing wrong with being dependent on something if it's what you need to be able to function in life....

[jena1225]

Please also realize that even the 'non addictive' ones you become dependent on. You aren't supposed to just stop certain meds - like cymbalta, neurontin, etc - because sudden stopping causes problems. Just like with opiate pain meds you have to titrate down. So technically even those you become dependent on....

And there is nothing wrong with being dependent on something if it's what you need to be able to function in life....

So true CF. I know once I had gone into this MAJOR depression out of nowhere. I was hysterical! Then I remembered weeks later that I had stopped my Lyrica just before that happened (started again soon after). I did not know the relation at the time, but it was the only thing that made sense.

Also, my new Neuro told me at my visit that stopping Baclofen cold-turkey is known to bring on seizures :eek:


Gloria, where have you run off to? How have things progressed since you last posted? Talk to DH yet? Let us know girl!