After all the nausea from too strong of patch I came back to tramadol but the pharmacist was not sure that it would be enough and he was right. I have added celebrex and 8 paracetamol a day. I have had the heat pack on regularly but still I am in increased pain. I just wish I could stabilise the pain. It seems we all have the same problem juggling medications to try to just get through each day without going mad. It is a horrible disease that will not let up. I am also scared the when I see the ortho surgeon he will send me off to physio or something I have done over in the past and didn't repair the damage.
So here I am again not knowing what to do. Maybe back to the pain specialist for more injections and another drug? I will see how I go this week. Allan
Tramadol is nothing for severe chronic pain. I've tried that and it did NOTHING for the pain. Physiotherapist(physical therapist)does nothing to treat the pain. It's too late when the pain is chronic.
In the past I've tried the tens and ultrasound and change in posture but it stopped working.
Tramdol really isn't intended for severe pain. The only time I had any luck with it at all was after surgery. I had tirated down off both percocet and vicodan and was mostly taking naproxen, I only took vicodan for right after PT. Then I had my allergic reaction to naproxen (er, throat swelling shut and all). Since I still needed something my ortho put me on tramdol. For that it worked. I tried it later for the CMP and it was no help at all.
I know after the nausea the idea of trying something stronger probably doesn't seem like such a good idea, but don't suffer needlessly. There are enoungh different meds out there that they should be able to find one that works for you. Have you tried anything like MS Contin or one of the other morphine based meds, or oxycontin? I have reactions (usually weird ones) to a lot of medications, but I responsed well to MS Contin and use percocet for BT. They only reason my doc went with MS Contin rather than oxycontin is that the MS Contin is available in generic and much cheaper on my insurance. Changing medications seems to be a challenge for all of us. I've never had this much problems with changing allergy meds - it's usually 'that one isn't working anymore - ok take this one' and it's fine.
I hope that your ortho appt goes the way you want it to. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Sorry to hear you are not doing well with the pain meds. Did that new drug come out by you yet. Nucynta? I tried it. It didn't help me but may help you. I have a very sensitive stomach and it didn't bother it at all. It is suppose to work with transmitters to the brain or something. Can't remember the specifics.
I hope the Dr. can give you some relief. I know it is hard. I'm in the same boat. So sick of being in constant pain. Why me? Why you? Just sick of it. I'm on 50mg Fentanyl patch and Percocet in between. Still always in pain. Never goes away. Wish they would invent something to help us.
I really don't want to go back to any long acting narcotic med's if I can help it (side effects) so I am trying my hardest to cope with were I am now. I don't know how long it will be before I cave in and head back to the doctors for something stronger as it has not been easy. I have been taking the max of Paracetamol and occasionally having to use my endone but I have to save those for when I most need it. That has been once a day this week though I don't usually have to all month as I run out and asking for them doesn't always mean I will get another script. This time though if I can't the doctor will have to change me up to something stronger SR. I am only just coping. I get about 4 to 6 hours relief from an endone (on top of the Tramadol, panadol and Celebrex) so that has been enough each day to keep me sane so far just. Wish me luck for the rest of the week. Allan
No I haven't heard of Nucynta but will look into it.
Last edited by allanbruce; 09-01-2009 at 06:30 AM.
Reason: Nucynta
sounds like australia is not that easy on pain meds, it's probably the british system/european system, conservative.
Try percocet, it has oxycodone and paracetamol(acetaminophen), it's probably not as strong as the the "pure" endone over there in australia. Percocet is not long acting, so far so good. No side effects. It can make you a little bit tired(but after one cup of coffee in the morning you'll be fine).
You are wasting your time with the tramadol.
and hessie28, I know what you mean. I'm suffering 24/7 from severe chronic pain, plus + sleeping problelms which make it harder. I always ask myself why me? why not other people. Like, what have I done to deserve this. you probably know what I mean...I also WISH they will invent something to help us.
Endone is just 5mg oxycodone without the paracetamol which I take as well separately. But I do have trouble getting scripts. I will need them though if I stay on the tramadol as it is not enough on it's own. I know I am not getting al the side effects form tramadol then I was on the patch but it is a trade off for extra pain and I wish I could bring the pain down another way.
How many people use meditation etc to help with pain? I know it would take a bit of practice to get any benefit
Allan.
I use yoga to help with my pain and it does make a difference - though sometimes it sends me running to the cupboard for Oxynorm (10mg oxycodone SA). The meditation part of it always helps though and I can't recommend that enough.
Allan, you've gone from the strongest med to one of the weakest - what about trying something in between or going back on a lower dose of the patch with endone for BT? I don't know how you're doing this, you must be in agony. There are also tons of other meds like Kapanol (morphine) and oxycontin. Have you seen your PM? Do they know that you've gone from 100mcg to tramadol? That's a massive, massive jump. I really think you need to make an appointment and have a chat to find something that will suit you better. For me it's OC for you it might be something else. I really worry about you trying to manage your pain levels (which required 100mcg of Fent) with Tramadol. Also the high doses of panadol are a worry long term and not something you want to do for more than a few weeks at a time.
I am getting by just but I will have to see my PM as this is ridicules. I don't need this but I have tried to bring down my dependence on the patch. But I think I am ready for something else. My toilet habits have improved ten fold and I am eating again, but some time I will have to expect to end up with the side effects again, maybe not as bad as they were though. Thanks for your support. Allan
I am still in a lot of pain this morning. Things arn't to bad until I stand or even sit up. As soon as any weight goes on the S1-L5 and L4-L5 discs The pain hits. So every morning I dread getting out of bed. So I have had to take 2 paracetamols and an endone before I even think about getting up.
I am going over to Dad's for fathers day today but am calling into see me doctor and try to change off the tramadol to something stronger. I can't take this level of pain another day.(or don't want to). Thanks for listening.
Allan
I have had a bad night tossing and turning so I am having to bit the bullet and luckily my doctor is on at 8am this sunday. So I am going to take back the remaining Tramadol and script and ask her for something stronger. I am not certain what she can give me but anything has got to be better than this. I think it is about 5.40 am and I have been awake for hours struggling in my mind what to do. I just had to get off the patches because of the nausea but there has to be some thing half way between. If she can't help me I wil have to make an appointment with my Muscular Skeletal Specialist and ask him if I can try something else. He has been my Pain Specialist since my usual PM died of cancer. Thanks for your advice, I really gave this a good try but the tramadol just is not strong enough anymore for where I am at now.
I have even considered turning to marshal arts or meditation classes, and other options in stead of pain killers but I don't think I could do any of them without some better med's to enable me to function on a better level to start with.
I really didn't want to go back to the side effects I was having with the patches but I have metamusil and will try the extra amount Ex has suggested. Thanks. Allan
I wonder how many endone you take a day. If it's 5 mg oxycodone then you need to take 3 TIMES a day(that's what I do). But you know you will need to take the paracetamol together with it.
Percocet is 5/325. So you will need to take 325mg of paracetamol together with it.
I wonder if they have percocet in australia?. Percocet is in between tramadol and pure oxycontin as far as I know.
But sounds to me you need the 10mg of oxycodone and then add to it the 325 paracetamol. (not sure how it the percocet 10mg goes with 325mg paracetamol or with 500mg paracetamol(acetaminophen). or more than it, never tried percocet 10mg, I'm on my way there as it looks. I seriously suffer.
I don't understand. don't they have percocet over there in australia, do you really need to do all this "mix up" and be your own pharmacist.
last but not least, I don't believe in yoga for chronic pain. but what about hidrotherapy?. some people say it helps.
all the best...
I only know of Endone or Oxynorm which is stronger and Paracetamol is always separate I suppose if the oxycodone is enough it is our choice if we take the paracetamol with it. It normally comes as 500mg and would normally take 2 four times a day maximum. I try to avoid taking that much but my doctor told me to keep them up to help all day. I don't know as I have only taken them as needed in the past. I didn't know that there was any benefit in the mixing of them both. And I had only heard here that this was normal in the USA.
I have not been able to see my doctor so I will be making an appointment to see my PM before my endone runs out as I have about 8 left, that is why I have only been having one or two a day. Wish me luck with the Pm as I hope he is there this week. My GP is of sick so she is no good to me at the moment.
Thanks. Allan
Only for the endone I would have gone mad by now. But I finally got to see my specialist. He gave me a different injection today right down into the S! nerve roots on both sides. They actually helped and has given him an idea of what might be a help to me. I will tell the Ortho Surgeon that the injections gave me as much as 50% pain relief and he may confirm that with CT guided injections to find that there is stenosis involved there and according to my specialist there is an operation that will relieve the nerve damage or aggravation.
I am not right up on what that means but at least I know that the injections in this area will help reduce my pain. If it gives me enough pain relief I may be able to cut down on endone and stay on tramadol instead of having to go back on narcotic medication along with the side effects that come with that.
I hope I am not getting a false sense of security here and end up with the same brick wall. Wish me luck for when I see the surgeon, as I hope he can remove some bone of something not to drastic like the fusion or disc replacement surgeries that are so risky.
Allan
I'm so glad you saw your PM. Did they give you a new script? How many endone are you allowed to take each day? I just don't know how you're coping on tramadol and endone, I think I would have gone mad by now too.
When do you see the surgeon? He sounds better than the lady you saw last time. You need someone to take you seriously and unfortunately that can take time (I went through it too with the neurosurgeons and when they operated they found that the scans weren't showing the whole picture - as I'd been trying to tell them!). I'm glad you've got a good PM, I would have been happier to hear that he'd put you back on a narcotic until you see the surgeon - you went from fent to next to nothing. If the pain really keeps driving you mad, I think you need to ask for a low dose LA med like morphine or Oxy. I hope he's giving you enough endone, they're so stingy about giving more than 20 a month...yet all it takes is to ring for an authority.
Had some extra pain again this arvo so I had to use the endone. I wish he would give me something stronger than the tramadol as I just go through the endone in a week. At least I have it there to use. I am still having less of the sharp stabbing pain around the area where I had the injections so that is promising. I am having leg symptoms though and have been writing down the feelings I get like throbbing behind my knees and pain in the rear of the thighs. Also the sore feet especially my big toes and the pad behind them.
The injection also seemed to relieve the pain in the rear of my pelvis on both sides. I don't think I realise where the pain is sometimes until it stops or comes back with a vengeance. So I want to be strait with my explanation to the Orthopaedic Surgeon. I don't want to concentrate on the chronic pain, more so on the other symptoms as I will just get brushed off as a chronic pain lost cause.
I need him to know about the neuropathology and the stabbing pain (as high as 9-10 on the pain scale) also pressure in the legs and feet so he will consider treating these problems. Another thing that is a problem for me is hanging cloths up as when I reach especially if my back arches is when I get that stabbing nerve pinching thing happening. My sister bought a folding rack that I use so I don't have to reach up. This saves me considerable pain. But I also have to be very careful when I go to stand up or sit on a chair as that has been the trigger for the neuropathy in the past and can still be very painful if I don't support myself.
Oh well I can always go back to my GP and quiz her on another medication. But for now it is wait to see the surgeon on the 25th. It is not far away. I will keep up the distractions and try not to dwell on the pain.
Allan
allan, did you try neurontin or any medication for nerve pain. (it's different than lyrica).
It doesn't help 100% but you know you can "mix" it together with the endone. I'm taking neurontin now together with percocet and you know, I usually take 3 percocet a day but today I needed only two.
(you know percocet has oxycodone in it together with acetaminophen(paracetamol))
I'm not sure that's the answer for you but most people here in our forum have been trying or still taking neurontin together with other meds. I've been on it for a day and will try it for at least one month and see how it goes for me.
Thanks for that suggestion I will talk to my doctor about that at my next visit. I am not taking anything for nerve pain and I know that I do suffer from neuropathy, burning and stabbing pain when I move the wrong way lift anything or bend the wrong way. I'm sure the nerves play a big part in my problems.
I had to go and see my GP today as I could not cope with this level of pain any longer. She has started me on Oxycontin but the Pharmacist told me it was the same family as the tramadol only a bit stronger. I will give it a try along with endone to help I should manage but we will see how it goes. She has only given me 10mg every 12 hours but if it helps she may increase that.
I just hope and pray that all this gets me somewhere and I don't just get turned away from the surgeon again. I don't know how I am going to live like this for the rest of my life. At present I can't do much of anything without ending up in agony. It just doesn't seem fare though I know there are others here that are much worse than I am. We just have to deal with our own torment the best way we can. Thanks for reading my posts and your advice.
Allan
Oxycontin is heaps stronger than Tramadol - though 10mg is not a high dose at all. I was started on 20mg and I believe most people are. At least she didn't start you on 5mg! (they don't have 5mg OC in the US).
I really hope it helps. You can still use tramadol as needed but you should really stick to the short acting tramadol and endone.
I don't understand why she won't give you a higher dose. I hope all goes well with your surgeon but he's not likely to give you any pain meds either - none of mine ever have. It's all through my GP/PM. It's great you're keeping a pain diary, that'll help in the appointment.
Good luck and I hope you feel somewhat better soon. Take care of yourself.
