please give me some advice....... struggling w/ pain (anti-opiod) - Pain Management Message Board

ms1 · 01-24-2008, 08:54 PM

hello, i have a bit of a dilemma. i have a herniation of L-4,L-5 that effects the nerves down my legs. i know.... nothing unique. my issue is that i am incapable of taking narcotic pain meds right now (opiod based ) as prescribed. therefore, hydrocodone, etc ... is not a good choice for me. does anyone have any suggestions for the pain ? it stopped for three months after I stopped the hydrocodone and fought through the withdrawal (again). the left leg was always the problem. for some reason, the right leg/ hip/side of back are killing me !! does anyone have any suggestions for a non-narcotic, non-opiod, anti- likable medication that helps w/ pain. i am taking cymbalta 60 mg, aleve x 2 , and tylenol for pain. ( i also take daytrana 30 mg patch daily ---(first day )---- i have been taking vyvanse 50mg x 2 a day for 3 months) it's not cutting it, i'm struggling but i'd rather be in pain than actively addicted again ..... i'll lose my family. i'll try anything at this point except narcotic analgesics. everyone says trazadone is the answer but I am scared because there are plenty of postings on the recovery site (where I originate from on the board) who are abusing, or trying to stop abusing trazadone. What now ??? any ideas ??

..... ms1

painaway · 01-24-2008, 09:09 PM

ms1...I SO applaud your will-power, and I will be praying for you.

Did you mean "Tramadol" (generic Ultram), or Trazadone (for sleep/anxiety)? I suggest that you try heat and 800mg of ibuprofen (Advil). Honestly, nothing is going to give you the kind of relief a narcotic would, but I'm sure people with your condition (and mine) find ways to cope, and you can too, if you really set your mind to it. What about long-acting narcotics (like the Fentanyl patch)? They would be less likely to give you a "high" feeling, that you're so afraid of getting addicted to, yet they would keep your pain level down. Maybe I'm completely off-base, but I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Again, you'll be in my prayers, as I know you'll do what is right for you. Keep us posted!!!

ms1 · 01-25-2008, 01:08 PM

oh yeah, i meant tramadol. i always switch those two around. i went to the doctor today after waking up with severe pain. we are trying an anti-inflammatory, and a muscle relaxer. i never really gave these a chance to work in the past because I had a dual script that included the hydrocodone. the hydros did the job so why take the others? maybe the new scripts will work. i just wonder how or if they will subdue the pain generated by the disc/ nerves. like i told him, i'll try anything right now ...almost ... no opoids. thanks for the suggestion on the fentanyl patch. unfortunately i am the kind of person who needs to stay clear of anything that can induce euphoria or is abusable. deaths have been documented from people who attempted to abuse fentanyl. deterrent right ? kind of.... makes me want to investigate where things went awry, find their error, then i probably would give it a go myself on an impulsive / self destructive day. so, for now OUCH ! i guess that's just the way it has to be.

... thanks for reading .... ms1

ms_west · 01-25-2008, 03:07 PM

If you have nerve pain, have you tried something like neurotin, lyrica, elavil, or palemor?

forginon · 01-25-2008, 04:11 PM

ms1,

Have you tried visiting an addictionologist/pain management specialist? These folks are great and have meds you may not know about. I know of a local one who has prescribed Subutex and/or Suboxone. These are based on buprenorphine, a partial agonist/antagonist at the µu opiate receptor. They are derived from thebaine, one of the three major opium alkaloids (the other two being morphine and codeine). Both Subutex and Suboxone are outstanding pain medications and are being used very successfully with addicts that have chronic pain. Yes, they are narcotics, but very, very different from full agonists like morphine and such. They have a very low ceiling effect, meaning only up to about 8-16mg per day can be Rx'd, as I recall. Go over that and bad things start to happen. The one most often prescribed can't really be abused as it also contains naloxone or naltrexone, opioid antagonists that will set you free if injected.

The one requirement is that you are in recovery, as they will not Rx these meds to an addict who is actively using.

Best of Luck!

steve