What pain meds work for you? | Arthritis Information

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Just trying to figure out my options at this point.
 
1) Is there anything OTC that helps?
 
2) What prescriptions pain meds work best for you when you weigh effectiveness and side effects, etc.?
 
3) Do you take pain meds continually or for break through pain?  Which for which kind of pain?
A combination of naproxen and tylenol works for mild to moderate pain for me.  If I am having a flare, I will take 500mg naproxen twice a day, every day.  If I take naproxen for more than a week straight, I usually have to take Prevacid (or high doses of OTC antacids like Tagamet or Prilosec) to ease the heartburn and stomach upset.  During a flare, I will also use tramadol (brand name Ultram) or Vicodin if the pain is really bad and limiting my ability to go about my daily activities. 1) I use to take IBU 800mg up to 4 times a day for my pain, but it only took the edge off, made it a little more bareable.
 
2) Still trying to find one that works for my bad pains. But for the other pains I have on a continuous basis, Darvocet works ok for me.
 
3) I am not much of a fan of pain meds, because I have a 3 year old I have to be able to tend to, and pain meds make me sleep, except the new ones my RD gave me that have caffiene in them, but still I do not take those on a daily basis. I am more of a take them when the pain is uncomfortable or when I have bad pain that feels like something is broken or pain that feels like it will not go away by itself. Yeah never really had pain to go away by itself, but is a nice thought anyways. This is such a frustrating issue for me. I have yet to find a pain med that does not make me hyper. We have tried all classes-AARRGGHH. I can't sleep and I can't function at work-so jittery. My RD had me come in after taking a new prescription and my pulse was racing and my blood pressure was super high. I have told this story before. Once I ended up ordering a Bedazzler online in the middle of the night. Very cool item in the 80's. It attached rhinestones to jeans jackets. No sleep, too much energy.

So, for now I use a TENS unit and get nerve blocks. My body just works the opposite. Dr. says that it is not uncommon in children to have a reverse effect but MOST people outgrow it. Hmmmmm. Doesn't give me much hope for my son. He has to take Benedryl due to hives. When he has an outbreak-no sleep at our house. He is bouncing off the walls. He was singing Wiggles songs last time allll night.Nothing over the counter helped me, didn't even touch the pain.  I take hydrocodone, whenever necessary, it takes the edge off but not all of the pain.Nothing over the counter helped me either. I also take hydrocodone and I find flexeril (muscle relaxer) helps alot too. I also use a heating pad almost all the time.Percocet 650/50 and 800mg of motrinI take 1,000 mg of Relafen every day.  When I flare, I take 1,000 mg twice a day.  The Relafen really helps with the mild aching but just barely (and I mean "barely") puts a dent in flare type pain, so during a flare, I add Lortab.

No OTC meds work for me. I regularly take Indocin (NSAID, recently replaced my Relafen) and Skelaxin (muscle relaxant).  On top of that, since my symptoms are not controlled, I take Hydrocone (Vicodin HP) every 6 hours.  For flare pain, I take a higher dosage, or at times I have taken Oxycodone (Percocet) or even Hydromorphone (Dilaudid).  I have tried Tramadol but it doesn't work as well for me.

BTW, if I'm going to be exercising where I have control over how much I do (for example, my physical therapy), I NEVER take extra pain meds before because that leads to overdoing it.  I will take extra pain meds right after if I think I've somehow overdone it anyway.  OTOH, if I'm going to be doing something where I have no control over what's done (for example, being stuffed into an MRI tube for awhile), I will take extra pain meds before.

Jasmine,   I take 100mg of Ultram and for break through I take a 50 mg. Tramadol.  I'm well below the daily max dose of 300 mg.  This was discussed with my RD and was acceptable.  Guess I should have typed the dosage in my original post   I'm very careful with what I take and how I take it.  One never knows how your body will react.  I don't take antidepressents or sleeping aids so I feel a little safer taking pain meds.  Lindy I take tramodol  2 tablets twice daily.  If I don't take them it takes forever to get to a managable level of pain.
 
some days I take  an extra dose mid day  and even vicodin on occasion.
 
Tram doesnt make you feel goofy or high or out of it, just not hurting.
 
I also have little kids to care for and I find I'm a better mom when I don't hurt. If I hurt I can not attend to their needs..  my kids are  29 months and 5 years.. so I can't just plunk them down and say  well gang entertain yourself  I'm not getting up. Tram makes it so I can sometimes... anyway...  give piggy back rides and make  blanket tents and  hide under the dining room table..
 
I am convienced that I have mild RA -- though the rd calls it "undifferentiated polyarthritis", whatever that is.  (I have all the right joints + most of the symptoms for RA, but very seldom have any clinically visible inflammation, and then only a little.)  Anyway, I try to not take pain meds by usuing exercise 6 days a week, drink green tea, take bromelain 3xday, eat a lot of fresh pineapple (has a natural pain killer enzyme in it), and season everything I can think of with cinnamon or ginger, which also contain natural pain killers.  I avoid sugar foods and have eliminated gluten and all dairy from my diet.  On bad days, I take 500mg of Aleve, or Celebrex 200mg 1 to 2xday (NEVER together!).   I find that Tylenol doesn't do much by itself , although the rd said I could take it on top of the Celebrex if need be.  I does boost the Celebrex's effect some.  I have notice that the Celebrex works much better if I take it regularly for a few days.  Celebrex is so expensive even with our pathetic insurance, I am tying to find alternative ways to cope with this constant dull joint achiness.  So far, the rd hasn't wanted to try any other meds.  I seem to be coping OK.  Part of it was finally comming to terms with the fact that I am going to be achy a lot and just have to deal with the fatigue, by napping in the afternoon.   Lots of you suffer sooooooooooooo much more than I do, that my recipe may not help you much.  My heart goes out to each and every one of you! Nothing OTC works for me at all. I do take tramadol as needed. It was prescribed to me by my old RD. I'm still not sure if I have RD or what but the tramadol seems to take the edge off and make me feel a bit better. I do think that is part of the reason I can't sleep though. [QUOTE=LinB]Jasmine,   I take 100mg of Ultram and for break through I take a 50 mg. Tramadol.  I'm well below the daily max dose of 300 mg.  This was discussed with my RD and was acceptable.  Guess I should have typed the dosage in my original post I'm lucky in that I don't have breakthrough pain very often with Enbrel, but when I do, I go back to my old tried-and-true naproxen (or the OTC version, Aleve). 
 
To Innerglow.... I tried Indocin when I first got diagnosed 11 years ago, and had a severe seizure after the 3rd dose. Jasmine,

Extended Release

ULTRAM ER is made with Smartcoat™ technology, which steadily releases pain medication throughout your day. So you only have to take it once every 24 hours to help treat your chronic pain.

Guess I should have added ER to the Ultram 100 mg. so as not to confuse.  Tramadol is 50 mg. and can be used along with Ultram ER for breakthrough pain.  I can take Ultram ER 200 mg. but I choose to only take 100 mg. and add to it with a 50 mg. when needed.  Why take 200 mg when 150 mg. will make do.  Anyway, sorry about the confusion, hope this clears it up for you.  Lindy
I don't like taking anything unless I have to and then only for the shortest time.

I was first taking Naproxen, then Ibuprofen neither did anything discernible even in fairly high doses. I've been taking Vicodin for a couple weeks--less than prescribed (1/2 tablet) as possible. Prescription dose (full tablet) only when it really hurts.  That seems to help although it does nothing for what's making the pain. My GP won't give me more Vicodin so I'm just going to taper till my rheum appointment Thursday. Should be interesting considering how much pain I've had in the last 24 hours.

[QUOTE=LinB]Jasmine,

Extended Release

ULTRAM ER is made with Smartcoat™ technology, which steadily releases pain medication throughout your day. So you only have to take it once every 24 hours to help treat your chronic pain.

Mine are not working as prescibed at the moment. So back to the doc for me. Pred and Vicoden. Well i am taking three vicoden a day and that is working along with the pred 10 mg part of the time. Plus i had a depomedrol shot that is supposed to keep 20 mg of pred in me for 30 days. But that is not working for me at the moment how can you not hurt with two swoolen ankles and two swollen knees and two swollen shoulders. So i have traded off talking correctly for being able to stop crying and walk around and do things. Just for the past two days. I mix my words up. Mix I up words my when i talk.Over the counter pain meds don't work for me anymore after 6 years of just pain meds.
I take Co-dydramol which just takes the edge off the pain. Must admit have taken less since been on Plaquenil so maybe that's finally working.   Have you been on this drug very long, and have you had any strange side effects?[/QUOTE]
 

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