ladybuggy02
08-04-2008, 07:13 PM
i have a back injury one reason im in a deep depression among many any way at what dose does or can effexor xr start helping w/ back pain? i've been on it for years but my phsc. has me raising it to 150 i've only ever been on 75 xr would going up to 150 xr help with pain?
any one??
i also take xanax , vicodin,flexeril
2 epidural
1 si joint injection
3o trigger point injections
also increaseing the effexor i'm just unsure
if i should try going to the 150 its hard
enough trying to get back to the 75 xr
but if thats were the pain relif comes in then i'll try
any one??
i also take xanax , vicodin,flexeril
2 epidural
1 si joint injection
3o trigger point injections
also increaseing the effexor i'm just unsure
if i should try going to the 150 its hard
enough trying to get back to the 75 xr
but if thats were the pain relif comes in then i'll try
Sponsor
brianpain33
08-04-2008, 08:58 PM
As you may well know, depression and pain go hand in hand and can form a downward spiral. Therefore if you are able to get your depression under control, your pain can get better. Actually it is your "perception" of the pain when you are not suffering from depression makes it "seem" like the pain is not as bad.
I would definitely increase it because it can only help at this point. And trust me I know how difficult it was to get off of Effexor. I would give it a couple of weeks and if the depression is better but the pain is no better then it's time for something else, maybe going from Vicodin to Percocet. Let us know how it goes. I am still trying to get better from my severe depression episode. However, I am about 40% better than I was a month ago.
brian
I would definitely increase it because it can only help at this point. And trust me I know how difficult it was to get off of Effexor. I would give it a couple of weeks and if the depression is better but the pain is no better then it's time for something else, maybe going from Vicodin to Percocet. Let us know how it goes. I am still trying to get better from my severe depression episode. However, I am about 40% better than I was a month ago.
brian
ladybuggy02
08-04-2008, 11:03 PM
hi thanks for the reply i'm at 75 xr right now for like 3 days so i wait 1 week then what i do causei'm soo sensitive is increase it by 1/4 of a immedete release ever 2 days tell i hit another 37.5 xr then stay for 1 week at least thats what i'been doing my pain is soo high but partaily cause i'm so depressed in don't really move and that makes my back pain shoot through the roof the i get more depressed etc...you said your feeling 40 percent is great you said your on effexor to help along w/ your pain how much are you taking?? i'm also going to ask my dr for soma have you taken that? flexerl nocks my out i'm ellergic to methocarbamol my lips sting and start to swell although the methocarbaMOL relaxes my muscles go figure.. well i hope you can understand my post if not just ask please
ladybuggy
ladybuggy
brianpain33
08-05-2008, 04:51 AM
.you said your feeling 40 percent is great you said your on effexor to help along w/ your pain how much are you taking?? i'm also going to ask my dr for soma have you taken that?ladybuggy
No I do not take the Effexor any longer. I am taking LEXAPRO. I don't know if it is helping with the pain much but it is helping my depression. I meant I am 40% less depressed than I was before I started taking Lexapro.
I have only taken 1 pill of Soma ever and that knocked me out very quickly. It can relax you very quick but be very drowsy at the same time. You have to be careful on Soma because it can be habit forming and possibly addictive. Just make sure you follow your doctor's directions if you do start taking it.
Why are you not on a narcotic medication like Vicodin or Percocet or something LA like Oxycontin? Does your doctor not believe in narcotic meds for pain? I was just curious.
brian
No I do not take the Effexor any longer. I am taking LEXAPRO. I don't know if it is helping with the pain much but it is helping my depression. I meant I am 40% less depressed than I was before I started taking Lexapro.
I have only taken 1 pill of Soma ever and that knocked me out very quickly. It can relax you very quick but be very drowsy at the same time. You have to be careful on Soma because it can be habit forming and possibly addictive. Just make sure you follow your doctor's directions if you do start taking it.
Why are you not on a narcotic medication like Vicodin or Percocet or something LA like Oxycontin? Does your doctor not believe in narcotic meds for pain? I was just curious.
brian
atwork
08-05-2008, 12:30 PM
Have you asked your Doctor about Cymbalta? I know its not for everone but the last two years I would have been lost without it. I started it 6 weeks after a two level back fusion becasue the pain was overwhelming me as was the realization that I would be in some kind of pain the rest of my life and would never get back the lvel of activity I had been used to . I am only 47 years old now with two teenage daughters still at home, I have to work full time, and still want to enjoy things like gardening and shopping.
I take 90mg of Cymbalta once a day in the AM. I also take Vicodin 750/500 twice a day and Lyrica twice a day for nerve damage. I have to use aleve and ice packs for break thru pain and try to take a dose of it mid-morning daily in anticipation of the Vicodin wearing off before the next dose at 2:00.
Cymbalta is the one thing keeping me going now. I did have four days of intense nausea the first time I took it but after it was like the sun breaking thru the clouds.
blessings,
Michelle :angel:
I take 90mg of Cymbalta once a day in the AM. I also take Vicodin 750/500 twice a day and Lyrica twice a day for nerve damage. I have to use aleve and ice packs for break thru pain and try to take a dose of it mid-morning daily in anticipation of the Vicodin wearing off before the next dose at 2:00.
Cymbalta is the one thing keeping me going now. I did have four days of intense nausea the first time I took it but after it was like the sun breaking thru the clouds.
blessings,
Michelle :angel:
ladybuggy02
08-05-2008, 07:08 PM
brianpain33 , thanks for repling bascilly my pm dr is to far away to be able to perscrib he makes recmondations to my reg dr my pm wants me on methadone but i haven't really had a chance to talk w/ my dr about it i turned one of the nurses in for treating me very badly now i can't get in for 1 month and he doesn't get my messages so i e-mailed him through my insurance plan and asked tuns of questions and i directed it to my dr ONLY so then it has the date and time i sent it iwould change drs but its to painful to try and find one that just means more app etc so i'm trying to make this work
momzworkin , hi they don't really want to change my anti=depressent because i've been on this one for yrs but i weened my self down to 37.5 xr for the past few yrs and can't get off it so we decided to increase it i just have never been up to 150 before and am scared but i'm praying that it helps w/ my severe pain levels i've heard that effexr xr and cynbalta are alike ??
i've heard of lycra on here is that for sezure med but used for pain what is it i've readvon hear alot that it does help that burn i have that sever burn in sacrum and sit bones its horrible does this help alot?
ladybuggy
momzworkin , hi they don't really want to change my anti=depressent because i've been on this one for yrs but i weened my self down to 37.5 xr for the past few yrs and can't get off it so we decided to increase it i just have never been up to 150 before and am scared but i'm praying that it helps w/ my severe pain levels i've heard that effexr xr and cynbalta are alike ??
i've heard of lycra on here is that for sezure med but used for pain what is it i've readvon hear alot that it does help that burn i have that sever burn in sacrum and sit bones its horrible does this help alot?
ladybuggy
brianpain33
08-05-2008, 07:48 PM
yes the Lyrica can help the burning pain. It usually helps alot better than narcotic medications. If I were you I would give the Methadone a try. I know that it seems to be a "miracle" drug for many people here. It helps out when alot of other meds have failed. I would definitely consider it. If it doesn't help then you can always stop it, right?
brian
brian
ladybuggy02
08-05-2008, 08:14 PM
yea the prob now is just talking to my dr... do you know what lycra is acutally for? is it for pain or is it like neronton where it started out for sezures?
ladybuggy
ladybuggy
brianpain33
08-05-2008, 09:13 PM
Lyrica is a relatively new ANTI-SEIZURE medication. I think it was FDA approved in 2005. It was approved specifically for: DIABETIC NERVE PAIN, POST-OP NERVE PAIN, SHINGLES, and also for pretty much any type of NERVE PAIN or NERVE DAMAGE.
Neurontin is an ANTI-SEIZURE medication and has been around for quite awhile. It was initially used for epilepsy and people that have seizures. It is used off-label for nerve pain and nerve damage. Some people do well on one versus the other. Usually a person will do well on either Neurontin or Lyrica. Everyone respons differently to medications so you might not get lucky with the first one you try. I am on Lyrica and do well with it. I was previously on Neurontin and was taking the Maximum dosage and did not get much relief.
Good luck in getting your doc to let you try Lyrica.
brian
Neurontin is an ANTI-SEIZURE medication and has been around for quite awhile. It was initially used for epilepsy and people that have seizures. It is used off-label for nerve pain and nerve damage. Some people do well on one versus the other. Usually a person will do well on either Neurontin or Lyrica. Everyone respons differently to medications so you might not get lucky with the first one you try. I am on Lyrica and do well with it. I was previously on Neurontin and was taking the Maximum dosage and did not get much relief.
Good luck in getting your doc to let you try Lyrica.
brian
ladybuggy02
08-05-2008, 09:38 PM
thanks for the info !!
so far i just talked to my dr he wants me to add zanaflex for right now along w/ my other meds see how i do ...i don't know about that one either but he said to take it with my vicodin soo pray i',m not allergic to this one my lips and toungue swell its scary...
ladybuggy
so far i just talked to my dr he wants me to add zanaflex for right now along w/ my other meds see how i do ...i don't know about that one either but he said to take it with my vicodin soo pray i',m not allergic to this one my lips and toungue swell its scary...
ladybuggy
cmpgirl
08-05-2008, 11:15 PM
Hey ladybuggy, Zanaflex is a muscle relaxer. While it might help with any muscle spasms you have, I highly doubt it does much for nerve pain. Now, if your nerve pain is somehow brought on by something muscular, then who knows......
Like most muscle relaxers, you may feel a bit of sedation for the first week or two. Not as much as with some of the more potent ones, and it should go away with consistant use.
When your PM doc suggested Methadone, what did your GP say? Did he agree that this might be a good option? I think that with the pain you have, a long-acting med like Methadone would be a good idea. This way you aren't constantly having the ups and downs of pain, in between doses.
Good luck with the Zanaflex. I hope it helps give you some relief. Hugs, CMP/MM
Like most muscle relaxers, you may feel a bit of sedation for the first week or two. Not as much as with some of the more potent ones, and it should go away with consistant use.
When your PM doc suggested Methadone, what did your GP say? Did he agree that this might be a good option? I think that with the pain you have, a long-acting med like Methadone would be a good idea. This way you aren't constantly having the ups and downs of pain, in between doses.
Good luck with the Zanaflex. I hope it helps give you some relief. Hugs, CMP/MM
ladybuggy02
08-05-2008, 11:34 PM
well i just asked him he said that methadone is a big jump from the vicodin so there are some other things we can try but he really wants me to try this first if it doesn't work to e-mail him and well take it from there... he did mention the percocet i've tried that and i didn't think it worked but it was geniric i just can't handle the generics so i kinda think thats will be the next step but i'm hoping the anti depressent and the muscle relaxer will get me out of bed so i can get a little moble again i went from doing alittle something every day for 30 min like going to the store but now i just lay here get up and use the bathroom and thats been it but it feels like the effexor might be helping alittle i brushed my dog to day i count that as movment although he is small.... have you tried zanaflex??? the flexerl just nocks me out completly but doesn't ease up my mucsles
ladybuggy
ladybuggy
cmpgirl
08-05-2008, 11:59 PM
Because I have myofascial pain and I have muscle spasms 24/7, I've probably taken every muscle relaxer that there is, LOL! I found the Zanaflex to be a lot less sedating than flexaril. But I also know people who think it's very sedating. So I guess it really depends on the person. For me, Soma has always been the best MR I've used and I had some sedation with it in the beginning, but not anymore.
I really hope that you can find something to help with the pain. If your doc feels that Methadone is too much of a jump, too soon, then there are several long-acting meds like Oxycontin, MSContin, Avinza, Opana, etc. that would not be as big of a jump. I take Oxycontin and have had very good luck with it.
Let us know how the Zanaflex works. It might take a few doses for you to notice any effects from it. I'll be praying and keeping my fingers crossed too. You deserve to have some quality of life. Hugs, CMP/MM
I really hope that you can find something to help with the pain. If your doc feels that Methadone is too much of a jump, too soon, then there are several long-acting meds like Oxycontin, MSContin, Avinza, Opana, etc. that would not be as big of a jump. I take Oxycontin and have had very good luck with it.
Let us know how the Zanaflex works. It might take a few doses for you to notice any effects from it. I'll be praying and keeping my fingers crossed too. You deserve to have some quality of life. Hugs, CMP/MM
ladybuggy02
08-06-2008, 12:50 AM
thanks you guys are such great support for me ! i'll post tomarrow and let you know how it goes
ladybuggy
ladybuggy