How come so many people are told to take stuff like Aleve or Ibuprofin or Extra Strenght Tylenol for our back pain,....after surgery?

If you just got cut into, or if you've got flare ups, if you've obviously got something really wrong structurally, re-irritated, had multiple surgeries, you're in horrible pain,.... I don't understand why they:

(1) Are first telling you to take meds w/o answering or taking seriously the inquiry to (while appreciating the concept of pain relief) not addressing the patient's genuine curiosity to understand WHY this happened or WHAT is going on inside them.

(2) Are telling peole to take OTC meds for something that obviously requires something stronger. Ignore patient's request for something stronger.

(3) While they are concerned about "problems" that may arise from narcotic pain relief, they do not seem concerned about prescribing massively high doses of NSAID's that can cause at the least, severe stomach pains and upset and nausea, or may cause ulcers, internal bleeding, allergic reactions or even death.

(4) Acknowledge that some of what is causing pain does not have to do with inflammation, but has to do with something structural. Not all pain is related to inflammation yet that's often the first line of defense.

Mostly -- when I read these posts and I hear of the horrible pain so many people are in, either before surgery, right after surgery, with break-through pain or flare ups,....I am just so surprised to see how many of them are not being given pain medication comparable to the degree of pain they are in...they're told to take the same OTC anti-inflammatories that "non-backies" take for something like the pain they get for menstrual cramps, a headache, a pulled muscle, etc.

These are just so different, in my opinion anyway,.... so why is it that they're treated the same when it comes to offering pain relief?

Or, (this is a genuine question), are there that many people here who are specifically asking for OTC meds and such? I'm curious in general and I'm also trying to look into the future with regards to my own life.

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Life isn't what happens to you -- it's how you react to it!

Thoughts don't make us who we are -- Actions do.

Merrida:

My opinion, for what it's worth (not much some days but I haven't taken my meds yet so my mind's pretty clear) is, the OTC's meds are the first to rule out something more serious. If you can take an OTC med that addresses your pain, it's better than a narcotic. It also allows to weed out real pain.

But after surgery.....come on. People who have dealt with pain for such long periods of time know what it will take to control the pain (or at least a little some days). Doctors in general seem to have a hard time listening to what you have to say. Who knows your body better?? Make them listen (it pisses them off too because your taking up their time that you are entitled to).

Hoping you have a pain free day.

Rosie

In the first place you know when your body needs more than just over the counter pain meds. That is when you go to the doctor. For a doctor to tell you to take otc meds for your pain is an insult. You would not be there if you didn't need something prescribed. You would not have went there to pay him/her 50 to 70 dollars if you thought he/she was going to tell you to take an asprin.
That is ridiculous!! But it happens all the time and they get away with it becuase people are intimidated by them, and they know it.
It is especially hard for people with chronic back pain complaints.I admitt there is a very small percentage of drug abusers that try to work a doctor for narcotics, but the majority have real pain and deserve to be treated as such.
The root of the problem comes from legislation. Our governments "war on drugs" has made the medical community afraid to prescribe narcotics to pain sufferers, in this nation, unless they are on their death bed. Until legislation is changed, and the DEA gets their nose out of the bussiness of healing, then we are stuck with this national health problem.
There is also a unreasonable fear of addiction, and this is because doctors are not up to date on new clinical studies that show, patients in legit pain have a very low accurance of addiction, in long term opioid use. Yes, they develop tolerance and doctors confuse this with addiction. They are not the same.
As far as otc drugs post surgery, I have never heard of that,but that does not mean, that it does not happen. There is a lot of bias involved here also. Your age and race can make a difference on how you are treated.
I could go on and on about the injustice of our regulatory laws but I don't want to bore you.
Peace be with you all.
CRAZE