I was hit by a drunk driver 3 years ago at the age of 23... Was an athlete before, played softball for 14 years, ran 5 miles a day and was over all very active. Since the accident I've undergone a laminectomy at L5-S1 which failed and then a fusion at L5-S1. I am still in a consdierable amount of pain and am contemplating going ahead with another surgery. (After two years of saying I'd never have another one, but my husband and I want to start a family, and I understand the risks associated with being on pain meds while pregnant, so have decided I may try one last time to do something to get the pain under control.) Anyway, I have been on 2 Norco 10mg for a little more than a year and it is no longer working. Pain is around an 8-9 most days and the Norco, maybe if I'm lucky, brings the pain down to a 7. I have finally found a wonderful PM doctor that I respect and respects me, and she is wanting to switch me to something else. I have no idea what yet, but what is the next step, generally speaking, up from the Norco 10? I want to be informed and do a little research on my own before I go in to my appointment Wednesday. Also, are there certain things that work better than others that are, "a step up" from the norco. I am very nervous about going to something stronger, but the pain is unbearable at this point. Praying of course, that by the grace of God, another surgery may do the trick for me and I will be pain free without needing meds! Thanks so much, you all are all in my prayers!
3yearhurt, Is it just me or am I the only one flabbergasted here? You have gone through some MAJOR back injuries & surgeries and all they put you on is 2 Norco a day? No wonder you in such pain dear. Don't get me wrong, Norco (which I believe is straight hydrocodone, no fillers like acetaminophen or aspirin, if I'm wrong some will get it straight for me, it may have a filler), is a great drug for more minor pain needing a prescription or as a break-thru drug in tandem with a long-acting drug, like long-acting morphine, methadone, etc. See Norco is a short-acting drug which means it gets in your system fast to knock down the pain, but it does not stay in your system very long, only like a couple hours or so. If not for your pregnancy situation (and I wish you two the best of luck), what you need is both a long-acting AND a short-acting med so if your pain flares during the LA's duration, that's when you take your short-acting med cause it will get in your system quick to help calm down the flare til your next long-acting med is do to be taken. I've been taking hydrocodone (just it's generic name mixed with acetaminophen) since my back started with a ruptured disc & loads of other problems since about 6 years ago. First I just went to my regular Intern doc (who really didn't want to opt for surgery right off the bat), so he put me on like 2 hydros & 2 Somas (muscle relaxers for the most part) and this worked fine for about 1 1/2 years. Then something down there just plain got a lot worse real BAD and I had to have surgery, a laminectomy. The surgery technically worked fine, but there are just too many other problems going on down there, so I finally had to go to a Pain Specialist doc. We tried a few combos and I got to where long-acting morphine & hydro, along with a number of other "helpers", agreed with me wonderfully. In fact just today I had to have an impromptu appointment with my pain doc after an afternoon at the E.R. yesterday, and bless him, he upped my morphine from 60 mg. 3x a day to 100 mg. 3x a day and since I have been on the hydrocodone for so long I asked him if maybe a change would be advantageous cause I was so used to it so he tryed me on Endocet 10/325 (which is basically a name brand of Percoset with acetaminophen) but twice as strong as the hydros I was on. What started as one EXTREMELY painful day, ended up wonderfully better. I haven't had a med change in long time, and this upgrade of strength was a Godsend.
I'm not sure what type of surgery you are contemplating, but you have all my best wishes for success. If only to get you through a successful pregnancy, I realize that is so very important to you to begin a family, it would be worth it. Then if you still realize you're still having pain issues you can always see if meds are what's needed. I know you'll get lots of other good advise from others here, as I am a "Newbie" to this board (which is great by the way to finally be a part of this forum family, I've read it for years but just now joined because I finally got my own computer at home. I always surfed at work in the past and didn't feel right joining in on a forum on company equipment, there where other computers networked & I didn't want other eyes seeing anything personal ya know.)
Thank you so much for your kind words. It couldn't have come at a better time for me. I went to see my pm today and she put me on kadian, 20mg twice a day. I'm not on anything for breakthrough pain, I'm familiar with the term, but my pm didn't mention that I'd need it or anything so hopefully this will be sufficient. I was really having some major anxiety about going to something stronger. I've really just tried so hard to tough it out for so long but I just couldn't do it anymore. I took my first dose this afternoon and it has been amazing so far, I don't feel anything at all!!! I have a pain of maybe a 1, and I have NO side effects!!! Amazing! I feel like I did before that drunk driver hit me! I feel like Heather again!
I think the hardest thing for me is that my husband, bless his heart he tries, but he just doesn't understand. He doesn't understand how I can say I have a pain of a 7 and still get out of bed, but I do, I can, because I have had to for the past three years. I made a decision about two years ago that I wouldn't let the pain dictate who I was, that I wouldn't let it run my life, so despite the pain, most days I still get out of bed. I don't work, so I'm able to take it easy and lay around if need be, but he looks at me and says that I can't possibly really have a pain of a 7 or 8. But, as I'm sure u know, it's very possible, it's not easy, it hurts like crazy, but I have to deal with. I've been dealing with pain every single day of my life for the past three years. You just get used to it, you have to learn to cope. I have probably tried too hard to mask how much I really hurt for his sake, maybe that's part of the reason he doesn't understand. Anyway, has anyone else gone through this? Is there an easier way for me to help him understand. Part of me thinks he knows how badly I wish for anything other than having to be on pain meds, he knows how badly I want to have a baby, but part of me thinks that maybe he thinks I'm just being a baby and that I need to suck it up and deal with it. Any ideas from anyone?
Oh and the norco that I was on was 10/325, sothats 10 mg ofthe hydrocodone and 325 of the Tylenol. I think, not certain but pretty sure all norco have the 325 apap.
I am soooo glad you finally found some relief! There may be a time down the line where a short-term med for break thru flares may be needed, but you finally got something that is helping you tremendously and I am so very happy for you. As for your husband, believe me I know where you're coming from when you say you got to get out of bed...as hard as it can be some days. I hope in some way he finally realizes what you are saying but I hope it is NEVER in the same way you understand it. Stay strong. I noticed you also placed your message on another pain board and got some wonderful response. There's lots of knowledge to be found here.
Good Luck! LeMans
P.S. Keep us posted on any "little ones" that may be on the way in the future, I think you've got a lot of good prayers with you on that one!
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