Pain Meds | Arthritis Information

 

Ok, the only pain med that really works for me that I've tried is Hydrocodone (sp?), but my RA Doc doesn't like to use that for pain mgmt. So he gives me Tramadol, which doesn't seem to help at all.  Is my Dr. being Narcotic Anal or is that the norm for RA Docs?  He even told me when I asked for the prescription that he is NOT going to manage my pain with narcotics, made me feel like a junkie, I was very  upset.  Especially since I was wheelchair bound whe I went to see him last time.  That's when he put me on Enbrel and Tramadol.  If there's something out there other than Tramadol or Hydrocodone I'd love to hear about it.maybe you need to find another dr some are so weird about that.  i know one ra dr who has signs all over his office waiting room no narcotics here.  we will not prescribe narcotics blah blah blah.  they are checked to see if they are prescribing too many because one time my dr was under alot of pressure about the drugs and would not even talk to me.  he sent in his nurse practicianer.    i hate that i have to take meds because my family has addiction problems.He does sound a little narcotic anal. My rd prescribes me hydrocodone for my ra. There are lots of different pain medications out there. Also I would call your gp to see if he/she can help you with something.

do you have lyme disease?  curious to why you used that picture.  My rheumatologist will not give me narcotics either, I have to get them from my pcp.   They wanted to give me tramadol today for pain but instead I got a shot of toradoll with no relief, so I feel your pain, literally!  keep in touch.It varies among RD's. Some manage pain with the opiods and some won't do anything more than a nsaid. My RD prescribes vicodin. It really is an individual choice.

No, I don't have Lyme Disease reegie, just liked the spider (ticks transfer Lyme Disease).  I thought about trying another RA Doc but the thought of going through all that crap again exhausts me, right now my gp prescribes me the Hydrocodone 750 mg. 40 pills and they will usually last 3 months or so, I take them only when in major pain because I don't want to get hooked on them or have him think I'm an addict.   But I'm afraid one day he may not want to continue to do that and then I'm left with an anal RA Doc who won't give me any relief.

Audrey, as everyone said, all docs are different.  Does your RD know you only want them for breakthrough pain and not every day?  Anway, if your GP is alright with giving them to you for now, I wouldn't drive yourself crazy.  If your GP doesn't want to continue or you're unhappy with the arrangement, you might ask your RD for a referral to a pain management doctor.  That doesn't guarantee you'll find a doc willing to give you something other than tramadol (which didn't do enough for me either), but if they do, maybe your RD will acknowledge that's what is needed.

There are other pain meds besides tramadol and hydrocodone (Vicodin), but mainly they are stronger narcotics so I would think your doc would be even less likely to prescribe them.

 

Naproxen usually works well for me for mild to moderate pain.  From there I move up to tramadol or vicodin.  I can take tramadol at work and it doesn't make me goofy (at least I don't think so!).  I don't take Vicodin at work.  If I'm having Vicodin-worthy pain while at the office, it's time to go home (or go to the gym and sit in the whirlpool and/or sauna).

Since I started on Plaquenil last fall, I've only used 1/2 bottle of my 30-count prescription of Vicodin 5/500.
I think that it is crazy for doctors to keep you in pain when they know darn well you hurt. yes they are narc phobic, If you don't get relief I would find a differnt doc if possible. If you have an RA diagnosis, there is no reason why he can't write. One thing my doc says about Fibro is that anti inflammitories do not help , pain meds are used for managing Fibro. Also you might think about a Pain Management Doc... they are really good for helping you manage your pain better.My RD is the same way.  She prescribes tramadol.  Sometimes the tramadol doesn't work and I take percocet for those times.  My GP is the doctor who prescribes my percocet.  I have really tried to use tramadol exclusively and it works about 70% of the time, but boy, when it doesn't I know how you are struggling.  I was worried about my GP and her reactions to the percocet and we have discussions about it so we are both in agreement that I only take it when needed.  She is not concerned about it.   I asked her to tell me when she does become concerned.  This seems to work for us.  Good Luck with managing your pain.  Hiking_gal[QUOTE=chrise4983]One thing my doc says about Fibro is that anti inflammitories do not help , pain meds are used for managing Fibro. [/QUOTE] You were dx'ed in January of this year and you are already in a wheelchair? That sounds pretty bad. You might indeed want to shop around for a new RD that will at least discuss the option of stronger pain meds in the future when all else fails. For a little lady I have a high tolerance for pain meds. I also think I have a high tolerance for pain so when I need something I am not afraid to ask and not afraid to say this isn't working I need something stronger. I dont understand an Rd that would