pain meds..... | Arthritis Information

Well, I got a formal diagnosis of fibro this week, and I got bold and asked my RD for stronger pain meds.

I said to my RD "Isn't it true that if I use them as prescribed, I don't have to worry about becoming addicted?" He said yes, this is true. Then after a long explaination about how to take them, he gave me darvocet!! zanaflex, and lidoderm patches. I've had darvocet before, it does nothing. And so far, it seems zanaflex doesn't either. I asked him about vicodin but he didn't say anything.

Honest to pete, I just want to be out of pain for a few hours but it's like pulling teeth.

So much for "being strong" and "demanding to be heard" as I meekly left his office with my little prescrips.

Wait for the expert she will tell you when she gets on line. Miles, I am the same as Milly, my regular doctor (GP) deals with my pain medications. She seems to have a better idea of what I need and the beauty is I see her regularly so I don't have to wait months to see the RD to get some pain relief sorted. She has consulted my RD on pain medication when she felt at a loss to control my pain and they worked out a solution together, which has really worked for me actually too. I would be putting your regular doctor in charge of your pain relief stuff. I don't think RD's want to 'waste' their time on it sometimes as in reality it can take quite a while to find a combination that works for you so it's tedious and time consuming.

Give it a try, maybe that will work better for you than trying to get pain relief off the RD.

Doobgirl, I take oxycodone. No, oxycodone is hydrochloride not hydrocodone. I think they are different but probably in the same opioid family as the names are similar. Yep Jasmin will know when she comes on.

What about the drug Lyrica for fibro. I keep seeing commercials for it for fibro pain management

I take Vicodin, generic of course. I/2 tab of the 500's. I take it to stave off the pain and when the pain is simply unbearable I take them every 4 hours. Never a full pill. Always half.

When it is a minimal pain day I work towards more of a 6 to 7 hour span. I do this in the event that I am in a horrible accident or need surgery.

I had a friend that when he accidentally shot himself in the leg with a nail gun needed 3 to 4 shots of Demoral.....ooops, that is a dead giveaway on drug abuse...I believe that would include cocaine? AM I right on this or no. Anyway, if it takes 3 to 4 shots of Demoral to kill pain, something has raised your tolerance. I nor the Dr.'s said anything but they did do blood work for drugs....not sure what the results were but I could just about tell you they came back positive.

You have to be tremendously careful with these drugs, but it is my view that most people in here are well aware of that and I do not see any reason why a Physician would not allow a prescription of Vicodin. I mean ...cmon!

jode

For oxycodone you are not supposed to break them in half. They are stronger but the coating is for a reason. The hydrocodone are scored so i believe this is o.k. . But it is a big no no with oxycodone I think. This is how people get addicted to it. I had read articles about addiction and intire towns going haywire from oxycodon. So with the strong drugs take the whole pill or don't. That is the only difference i know of.

Thanks for your replys, everyone. One big problem right now is that I'm leaving for Oregon (3,000 miles away) for 9 weeks, in a couple of days so I won't be seeing either of my Dr.'s until I get back. I'm worried about how my body is going to hold up with my baby grandson picking him up, putting him back down, cause you know I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off him.

I'm wondering something about pain meds. I'm thinking they should work right away. They shouldn't have to build up in your body, right? I mean, I should know by the first day or two if they work for me or not, right? Not like nsaids. After I had surgery, I had percocet, it worked immediately.

Midnitestich: I tried Lyrica, it didn't have any effect on me.

Darvocets have a biuld up effect sometimes takes a few days to get the full effect. I do not know about this muscle relaxer. Flexeril is a biuld up drug but the one you are on i do not know. And the patch i have no idea. But probably if that is your only alternitive for pain at the moment then keep taking them and they may well give you more relieve in a day or two. May make you tired a bit hard to say. Be careful with this baby don't spoil him to bad. I know you will.

Oh, I didn't know that about darvocet. Thanks, Milly. Yes, this will be my only alternative for now, and my trusty heating pads!

And boy am I going to spoil that baby, if hugging and kissing mean spoiling that is

Thanks Cordy, you're right, I'll google them. Hope you're feeling well!

Oh have fun with the new baby!Give all the hugs and kisses you can get in!

My granbaby is not due till June so I have a time yet...cannot hardly wait...enjoy the baby and I hope you are not in toomuch pain!

jode

Hi Miles2Go, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 23 years ago. I do understand what you're going through. I'm on Norco and Percocet for pain plus I also have the Lipiderm patches. I hate to say, they don't really work all that well. If I don't take them I know they do work. As for being pain free, I'm not!

Dotti51

What I would give to not have this dreaded disease and never have to even learn all about all these meds!

jode

Hi Dotti. For RA I'm on remicade and arava. I know what you mean about not wanting to add one more med to the mix. I didn't even want to talk to my RD about fibro because I didn't want one more disease or condition. I also have hypothyroidism. AND plantar fasciitis, AND so on an so on.....my body aches from head to toe. I think I turned 50 and it all started falling apart. Seriously.

Thanks for your support!

Really the only good thing so far about my RA DX is the pred it seems helps with the fibro. Most of my pain is RA related. I am having a fibro of the face today. Had some in my upper arm. The bridge of my nose of all places and my eyelid. I never tried the lrycia, everyone is talking about it, some seem to sware by it. I would imagine they will start me on that at RD visit. That is pretty bad Jode. It must work though, huh? I need to tape mine down, too. They don't stick very well.Oh, and Jode, you're going to love being a gramma! It's the absolute best! The is my grandson's first Christmas, he's almost 11 months and it's like re-living my boy's childhood's again. I love it!

I didn't know that about darvocett either, thanks for that info it makes some since to me now. I have had a script for darvocet from the beginning from my RD but have always tried not to take it. When I did it didn't seem to help much. In the past few months I have been in quite a bit more pain and my RD increased the dose from 1Xday as needed to 2Xday and didn't add the as needed part on there. She did it on her own I didn't ask her but was very glad to see it on the script when I picked it up at the pharmacy. I have had to take 2xday everyday this week and have noticed a little more relief today than normal. So it having to build up in your system makes sense to me. Thanks for that post.

Nora

This planter fascilitis how do you know if you have that? I had some pains in my upper thigh the other day may still have just have my pain under control for a moment. And blessed was calling her feet problems that and they sound similar to mine. Guess i could look it up sounds simalar to fibro.

Plantar fasciitis is when the tendon in the arch of the foot is stretched too tight and can lead to heel spurs, which has happened to me. I have severe pain in both feet when I go from a sitting to a standing position, and when I walk. I've had this condition for over 2 years now and I've been to podiatrists, I've had P/T, I've had orthodics made, I've bought special shoes, I've done stretches, I now have a boot to wear at night (I have a hard time though, and I end up taking it off).

Miles, realise too it can take quite a while to get the right combination of pain medication working for you.

Unfortunately I have found that it is a bit like DMARDS, it's all trial and error. It has taken them a few months to get mine right.

I am now on a Fentynal patch that is working well. Yes, I have to tape mine down also. They fall off if you don't as they are just not sticky enough.

Most people don't realise about the compound effect and try and take as little pain medication as possible as it scares them, so often don't take the tablets at the required times and then they don't work as they don't get a chance to compound.
Well have had the shrunk to tight tendon part off again on again for years. I do not think i have the heel spurs yet. I thought that was just a part of fibro. I had an entire body bone scan done once over my ischical tuberoisity. The bone you stand on and sit on. Seems that always bothers me when my feet do. I had ultra sound treatments at physical therapy for my ischical tuberosity always something.

Oh, Cordy, I'm glad you're telling me this. The whole dmard thing has been very discouraging and I still am trying to find the right mix. I've been wondering why I seem to be so medication resistant when maybe it's not that at all but only that I need to find the right combination. I mean, I knew this about dmards but not about pain meds.

Thanks for all your info.

Milly, you don't always get the heel spurs. I think from what I've read, that if you leave it too long, don't get it taken care of, then it can lead to the heel spurs. And for me, I remember feeling the pain in my arches years ago, but I didn't know what it was or what to do about it. Then I went to work a couple of years ago at a fabric store with concrete floors. That did it. I haven't been able to walk without pain since then. I think if I would have started stretching and wearing the right shoes, I've been a flip-flop girl for years, as soon as the pain in my arches started, I might have avoided the heel spurs.

Hi Miles, I'm glad you have asked for something for pain. Darvocet may help as it builds in your system. If not, ask for something else. Just tell him it is not working for you.

Lidoderm patches are not the same as fentanyl patches. They have a 5% lidocaine solution in them, so they are supposed to have a numbing effect. They are often used by people with shingles, as they help with the severe skin pain of shingles. I have used them for several years for pain in my back. A lot of people can use them on their legs/feet. You just cut them to size. Just remember, only 12 hrs. on then they must be off for 12 hrs, before putting on new ones. I can't use on my legs or feet, as my circulation is very bad and my skin is very thin so I bruise easily. When I take them off, I get horrible bruises. For the problems in my back, they are so deep, in the spine, that they don't do a lot. But when the pain is severe, I will put them on the worst places. Any help at all, when the pain is that bad. Of course, I also take Methadone as my main pain med, and Morphine IR for breakthru pain.

I hope the darvocet helps as you get it built up in your system. You need to feel your very best when you see that new baby! You are in for such a treat!! I think being with my 2 year old granddaughter is the best medicine there is! Grandchildren are such a delight! Give him a nibble on the cheek for me

Have a wonderful trip!

Big, gentle Hugs, Nini

It's a pleasure to help out, Miles. I thought you may not realise that is can be tedious finding the right combo. I have just been through this in the past few months and towards the end of it I realised that it is just like the DMARD thing...it can take a while to find the right combo that works for you. Very frustrating but it is the way it is. I myself, nearly three years after dx have just maybe now found the right DMARD, so it can be a long and frustrating process. Hang in there. I also thought you may not realise about the medications compounding so it is really important to take what they say to take or it may not work. Glad I could help.

Hi, again, Miles. I just realised that your grandson is not a newborn! DUH! So, obviously you already know the joys of grandma-hood (ifa that isn't a word, it should be

Enjoy your trip!. I sincerely hope that your new meds work great for your pain, once they get built up in your system. Again, Have a wonderful time with your grandson and the rest of your family. There is nothing like being with kids and grandkids for the Holidays, is there? They just bring joy to the soul!

Have fun, and feel better!!

Much love, Nini

Nini39429.8376851852Oxycodone is not the same as hydrocodone. Oxy is much stronger. Oxycodone with acetaminophen is Percocet, with Aspirin its percodan, another with acetaminphen is tylox, it's a capsule, the others are pills. Hydrocodone with acetaminophen is Lortab or Norco, with Ibuprofen it's Vicoprofen. Darvocet is darvon compund mixed with acetaminophen. It's pretty wimpy stuff. If not time released all opiates have a half life, meaning there is a time when they are most effective and then they wear off. Opiates move through the body pretty quickly, you could take Lortab today and have a urine drug screen 3 days later and they wouldn't know you had taken it. The most dangerous things about these drugs are: they are highly addictive to the right people, they can cause respiratory depression. Many doctors are scaling back on the amount of medication and the length of time they will prescribe it because of government agencies and public pressure. This means many people, including those with chronic conditions, like most of us have, are vastly undertreated for pain. If you take pain medication in the form of opiates everyday, your body becomes addicted and you can go through withdrawal if you suddenly decide to stop taking it. You also build a tolerance, meaning that the dose that contolled your pain last month may not now. People with think that their condition is worsening when it's simply a tolerance issue. Some people are very stoic, I do not like pain and don't handle it well. Fortunately I have an understanding primary care physician who will presribe pain medication for me. IMO there is no reason to walk around in constant pain.

I just wanted to add, beyond the build-up factor, that pain meds are most effective if you take them before your pain gets really severe. Once it is already bad, it can only do so much. So if you start taking them pro-actively, that will compound the build-up effect.

Of course then you have the dilemma of "do I keep taking the pain meds not knowing if I need them, just to be sure I don't need them?". Unfortunately, it is trial and error.

Good point, Innerglow. That is exactly right. Taking them before the pain builds up too badly is much more effective than waiting until it gets really bad and then taking a tablet. Thank you for adding that. This especially true of pain medication that needs to compound dose upon dose.

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