The only pain medication I've ever taken for my RA is darvocet. Once I started taking the mtx, the flares calmed down and I didn't need it that often. I had a flare with my hip the other day and took 2 (100mg each) and that helped me get through the 2 - 3 hour flare, which is my usualy pattern.
My husband had a bad tooth ach one time and took one of my darvocet and when he visited the dentist and told him this the dentist said Darvocet wasn't much stronger than an aspirin.
Question - can anyone list the pain medications in order of their strength? I don't really need anything stronger right now but after the recent post on pain I was just wondering. Thanks.
Mary the doc was not too far off about darvocet...it's not a strong analgesic but it is stronger then aspirin. darvocet gives me awful headaches so i cannot take it. For some people anyway plus if a person has problems with codeine or any related opiates it's often the only option.
As for the strength of each opiate. Really it is not a matter of one being stronger then another. It is more a function of release into the system and the amount of opiate in the pill (ie the dose).
All of the opiates are essentially the same. Though there is truth to the argument there are differences and they are significant. But for you and I in seeking pain relief they are not all that different really. It's just a matter how which works best for any individual and the situation.
If I had to list them in order of increasing order it would be something like:
I was the darvocett QUEEN
PS I don't feel "high" at all from the drugs I am on. I just don't trust my reaction time driving. I am also very conservative about driving on anything as I used to respond to accidents regularly as a ranger and most were DUI.
Actually Percosett should be #4 before morphine. The generic term is Oxycodone, usually w/tylenol. It comes in 4 different strenghts, I am on the highest 10mgs oxy and 325 tylenol. Oxycontin is the same but in timereleased form. Usually in doses of 20 to 40 mgs, so stronger and time released. That is one reason it is so dangerous as a street drug cause people open it and shoot it, to get the entire dose in one shot.
Percosett is used by many people w/RA who are in a lot of pain.
Just wanted to be clear about it. Hope you don't mind.Thanks for all of the information. I'm sorry that some of you here are in enough pain to need something stronger. It took very little time reading the posts here to realize that my RA is mild, or "under control". I just wanted to know what would be available.
On one visit to my RD I asked him about other pain medications and if I would need them. He said, "Don't worry, when you're in enough pain you'll let me know". I'm lucky that my occasional flares of intense pain only last 2 to 3 hours and 2 Darvocet will get me through that.
Marycrispy...d'oh forgot to include oxycodone by itself...yeah, it should be about there. Problem I have with percocet is the rapid onset-short duration it has. That is especially so for long term use in chronic pain.
If I ever got to the point of needing percocet I would maybe prefer the methadone. I have used them all pretty much, except for demerol. And from the point of pure pain relief I got the most from methadone and next from oxycodone. But the duration of the oxycodone for me was never more then a couple hours. The methadone gave about the same relief but after using it for a week or so I could actually reduce my dose because of how it is stored in in the body. Of course that is why is can be problematic for people who are not attentive to the dose and schedule...better to use something safer like oxycontin.
Anyway, thanks for pointing out the miss!! If I can I'll add it to the list... I take oxycodone 20 mg, which is a sustained release, every 12 hours. I also have oxy IR (immediate release) which is a 5mg pill that I can take for breakthrough pain but I am only allowed two of those a day on top of the sustained release. Most days, I can survive on that but this last flare, it has not been enough for me.
I occasionally take dilaudid. Does anyone know where that fits into the list?
I think dilaudid would be between demerol and heroin??? I THINK. Maybe before demerol? Someone here has to know for sure. I had that on PCA pump plus continual basal dose in the hospital for that stupid flare I had to be hospitalized for. My doc said they only prescribe Demerol in a hospital setting????? Not surprised, it really gets you HIGH.
Oh, I can second the high from demerol! Oh man. I was in the Er two
weeks ago for my back, and they gave me a shot of that. Apparantly I
called a bunch of people on the drive home (don't remember) and
arranged a dinner party for 3 days later. LOL Two called that morning
(of the "arranged" party) wanting to know what time, and I was like
"Huh, what the hell are you talking about???"
ONe of my friends was like "girl, I told you that you needed to NOT
plan that after your pain shot....but you told me you were okay, and it
would be great!"
LOL. I have ZERO recollection of that. I also came home, took a shower,
made cookies, ate half the batch, and went to bed. I only believe it
because DH took pictures. I look crazed! hahahaha
Never again...first and LAST time I've had demerol. Ick!!
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