Pain meds - From OTC to RX | Arthritis Information

Alrighty.

So here's the deal. I've been doing the Tylenol scene for years now (hello since, what 3? or something?) And it just doesn't work very well, if at all anymore.

I can't take Ibu or anything like that it KILLS my stomach.

HOWEVER.........I don't feel that my pain warrants an RX pain med. I'm hyper sensitive to that stuff. Of the handful of times I've been given an RX of pain meds 50% of the time they made me puke, because I just wasn't in enough pain.

I have to be a 9 or a 10 for them to NOT make me throw up. This pain I'm having is like a constant 6 or 7. When tylenol doesn't touch it, and it's lasting for days in a row I'm ready to rip my hair out and scream.

But I still debate asking my RD or PCP about it, because I'm split on what to do. I don't want RX meds if they're only going to make me vomit. Who wants that?? But I also don't want to just sit here popping tons of tylenol that's just rouging up my liver and not helping me.

Soooooooooooo I dunno. ? Help?
Um, maybe you do need to consider them. I wrote a post explaining all the RX pain relievers a few weeks ago for Joonie.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14074&KW=Pain+Meds

Maybe you might need a sustained release one soon, honey. I explain all of them in that post.

So I suppose the kinds of things the ER hands out would be the same they'd use for break through pain? That's pretty much all I've ever had. And like I said, pretty much they just make me hurl. :( Yep, the ER would hand out fast acting acute pain meds. But for chronic pain like we suffer from, long term, the docs prefer to use sustained release. They are better for our bodies and for controlling chronic pain. So you're saying I should just buck up and talk about it with my doc? LoL

I'll have to mention the puking thing though. I have this innate fear of throwing up. *shudders* I'd seriously rather be in pain than have to throw up. ANY day of the week.
Yep, I am saying that, girlie. I think you need more resources on hand than Tylenol. Maybe it's time to look for something else. Yes, talk to your doctors. The longer you leave the pain too, the harder it will be to get under control too. I toughed it out for ten years , Katie with no relief it getting worse and worse as time went on. Then it took many medications tried and two months before they could get it under control.

Not enough pain relief does not make one tough. In fact, it can make one stupid. _popupControl(); Good advice from Cordy. Just wanted to add that maybe you could try a prescription NSAID like Relafen (or one of the dozen that are out there), rather than a prescription "pain med". That might just be enough to help you along with the Flexeril. The NSAIDs do tend to be tough on the stomach, but I don't think vomiting is normally a side effect.

Do get it taken care of....chronic pain leads to other problems, not to mention it makes life suck!
tylenol 3 (tylenol with codeine), ultram, and darvocet are all relatively mild pain relievers. Ultram is the only one of the 3 that doesn't contain codeine.

Innerglow is right. Tylenol is a good but mild pain reliever but is doing nothing for the root cause of the problem which is the inflammation. A good NSAID might do you some good
Katie...I was the same with pain medication...it always made me puke. I've found that I don't puke anymore if I take tums with my pain medication. As soon as I start to feel a bit icky, I take a couple tums and I've not been sick yet since doing this. Before, I would ALWAYS get sick when taking pain meds. That's one of the reasons why my doctor suggested the fentanyl patch. He then suggested I take oxycocet for breakthrough pain...and that's when I tried the tums...works great!NSAIDs have been taken out of the picture at this point. They don't make me puke or anything like that, they give me horrible pains. I can't physically stand up straight or walk when I take them, the pain is too intense. If I didn't know what it was from, I'd have visited the ER.

RD says "well.........THAT'S not worth it, now is it?" Katie, not that I want to add any possible pains, but was it just one NSAID that you tried, or a couple different ones? Some people tolerate some NSAIDs better than others. I have successfully been on Mobic, Relafen, and a bunch of others over time. I've just "upgraded" to Indocin which is more potent, but I am getting the stomach problems for the first time, although that may be related to taking the antibiotic Augmentin at the same time, so I'm going to wait and see.

Following on what Buckeye said, I've also in the past used Ultram as a pain med and it is fairly mild, also comes in a extended release formula.

I hope you find something that works for you.
[QUOTE=InnerGlow]Katie, not that I want to add any possible pains, but was it just one NSAID that you tried, or a couple different ones? Some people tolerate some NSAIDs better than others. [/QUOTE]

I had the same thought. I threw up a lot trying to find the right thing for my back (which of course, didn't help matters). Lodine worked the best and never bothered my stomach (but I have seen people post the opposite!). I always ask for that one now, if they want to rx an NSAID.

Prescription strength Naprosyn? Hugging the commode until it is gone. OTC Aleve, same stuff practically, right? Might as well give me a handful of Valium.
Done 'em, done 'em and done 'em.

The only NSAIDs I haven't done, are the really really random ones. I'd pull up the AF's list, but I'm at work and pretty busy. I think I counted last time and there was only 2 or 3 I hadn't tried. :( Believe me, I wasn't happy about that but at this point I'm over it and I just want HELP. Ya know?

I swear it was the Mobic that did it. I wonder if I had never had it, if I could still take NSAIDs. It wasn't until that specific prescription that I got all the horrible cramps and pains. Now it doesn't matter which ones I take, it does it with all of them.

You guys have to remember that I've been taking various NSAIDs for *almost* 24 years solid. Drop out a few years for remission here and there and if I had to guess it's probably a total of 19 years of various NSAIDs. And that was all started on my baby stomach :(
I still think you are going to have to go pain relief, Katiekins, especially if you have tried many, many NSAIDs and they are not helping etc. Hang on, Katiekins...why are you not on any DMARDs and which have you used in the past???

Because they should be treating you that way as well as pain relief if you need it.

Please explain as I just can't remember???
I haven't tried any. That's "on our list" I'm suffering through a 3 month "document your symptoms for me" thing right now.

RD appt is on April 28th. I may break down and call to up it a few weeks if I can. She also had some x-rays done but I haven't heard back. Which in our world means no change. She only calls if things are bad.

Sooooooooooooo I dunno. Depends on how much longer I can keep doing this Up 2 days, down 3 days, up 2 days down one day, etc etc etc. GARBAGE! LoL
Katie, have you got a PCP? I found my GP a much better person to manage my pain meds than my rheumy. She does that as I have access to her more frequently than him. He is better at the DMARD stuff but having you PCP handle your pain meds is what I would do as they take a lot of playing around with to start off with until they find the right one for you.

The three months 'document your symptoms' sounds like a crock to me. Meanwhile you are obviously suffering and that is not OKAY.
It's not REALLY a crock....

We're working with basically nothing. 24 years of documented history out the window. It's like starting all over.

When I seperated from the military health care, the only thing I could obtain was a "copy" of my records. You can't read enough of them to be of any help. It's rediculous. So 24 years of my medical life is down the toilet. It's enough to make you cry.

It's not that she doesn't believe anything I say, it's that I was a KID and my memory isn't that great. And then of course, I NEVER swell when I'm in her office. Blah. So she said she really needs some good documeting of how I'm feeling. We scheduled my appt for 3 months out, but she told me PLEASE come in earlier if you need to.

So it really is up to me when I go back. I'm just kind of hoping with a solid 3 months to show her, she'd make a faster decision? I dunno. My little planner looks pretty sad. I put smiley faces on my good days, and there aren't very many. lol
PCP and pain relief, Katie darl, I think you need some.

I do realise what your rheumy is trying to do. It's just often they don't realise how much not being on any meds like that and waiting can impact on our lives as they don't have this disease.

If it is up to you when you go back, I think you should make an appointment and go back because it does not sound like you are doing that well, honey.
Yeah I know. I have an easier time admitting to you guys that I'm not doing well, than I do to her.

I've got 24 years of "hiding it" under my belt so when ya see me, you have no idea. Get me alone, and I'm a mess. Justin is really the only one who gets to see it, so he's going with me to the rest of my appts. And that was HIS decision! :-D
Katie darling, I am simply the older version of you...so you bet I know...you are completely busted, girl.

Yes, you are good at hiding it and good at soldiering on but in the long run you're health will be worse for it. There is denial going on here for you, I sense and you having difficulty accepting where you are at with your RA. I so understand all that, darl. I really do. And I can be just as stubborn and pig headed as you can.

But I will tell you off before I see you put your healthy in jeopardy. Especially since you are young and need to keep working etc. You and Justin have enough on your places, dearie without you going down the gurgler RA wise.

Go back and see your RD again. Get it sorted. And see you GP for pain relief. When we aren't in pain all the time, it puts a lot less stress on our bodies and they can heal and recover better.
I know. It's so hard because I DO make it to work every day and I still shop and pay bills etc etc etc. Hell, I drive an hour one way to work! So I feel like I'm "cheating" someone by crying wah wah I need this, I need that.

It's stupid, I know but in the end it's how I feel and I'm working on it. I promise. lol
I am look, look looking for the people you are cheating!!!!

Oh, hang on, isn't it you, kiddo???

Now do I have send myself into a flare by coming across the pond to shake you personally???

Hmmm....

I so know how hard it is Katiekins, I really do. You are not whining. You are not coping very well. This is not good. You need to take care of you and go see the RD again and go to your GP and get some pain relief happening. I will be tough on you about this as I can see you spiraling down here and you don't have too. Keeping working and managing is important, especially at your age. Best to get this thing controlled now than later, kiddo.

You know all this and you will step out and do it when you're ready, which is when you have worked through the emotional stuff about it. Meanwhile take care of yourself.
I know it. Thank you hun. Sometimes it's better for me to hear it from someone else.

I used to be really vocal about how my days were going. (at home) And then I just kinda stopped. I felt like I was being a whiner. But Justin sees through my anyway. I know it's why he let me sleep in this morning. Usually I get up and hang out with him before I go to work. But he knows how these storms beat me up. Hehe

I also hate handing over money every time I see a doctor...lol I don't have that much in the first place!!! I am very similar. Often I need one of my dear friends to whack me over the head for me to get what I need to do to take care of myself.

I know handing the money over when you don't have much is hard. I don't have much either and luckily here most of my treatments here are free or near to free.

But if you don't take care of yourself, honey, you may not be able to earn what you have now.

Better to look after you and do what you have to know to get things in place to stabilise yourself than you become an RA wreck, girlie.

Consider yourself whacked!!! Cordelia2008-03-04 19:02:08Arliss - somewhere while researching I read that Aleve was the best NSAIDS for RAers to use. Have no idea if that has any truth to it or not. CathyAK
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com