med question - Pain Management Message Board

ladybuggy02 · 08-04-2008, 04:13 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

brianpain33 · 08-04-2008, 05:58 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

ladybuggy02 · 08-04-2008, 08:03 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

brianpain33 · 08-05-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladybuggy02

.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

atwork · 08-05-2008, 09:30 AM

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