Can no longer take medications, desperate for suggestions! - Pain Management Message Board

MicheleReneeV · 05-10-2003, 02:18 AM

I really need some suggestions. I was in a car accident 2 years ago. I have had my 5th surgery two weeks ago. One year after the accident I began having stomach problems. I can no longer take aspirin, ibuprophen, NSAID's,etc. That has limiting options and my doctors have been prescribing medications with tylenol. I found out Tues. I have mild liver damage and can no longer take anything with Tylenol. How can I manage this pain without medication? I need to be able to function at work. One of my orthopedic surgeons gave me prescription yesterday for codeine. He said the only alternative I have is pure narcotics. (I have tried ultram and that doesn't help) I can not function at work on codeine. I do not want to get addicted to narcotics. Someone please give me suggestions of alternatives. Thank you!

mokita · 05-10-2003, 04:45 AM

Hi Michele...

just want to say how sorry I am that you're hurting. I hope you can find some answers that help.... the only thing I would say is I am taking oxycontin which is a narcotic at the lowest dose possible twice a day, and it has helped tremendously. After the first couple of days, I didn't feel the woozy feeling. I DID NOT want to take narcotics, either. But, this has no tylenol in it.... and I can function as a mother of 2 young girls .. my quality of life has improved 10fold.

Good luck to you. If there's anything out there that will help.... someone should be along to tell you about it!

Take good care!

Karen

HERMIT · 05-10-2003, 07:54 AM

If your condition is a lifetime thing, why worry about addiction to narcotics? Your quality of life is more important--and it seems like your liver paid the price of alternatives. I have been on pure narcs for 14 years now.

05-13-2003, 03:20 PM

Michelle,

Have you ever looked into acupuncture? I had VERY good results with acupuncture treatments for my back pain for several years before my spinal surgery. Many insurance companies now cover 'alternative treatments'. Mine was covered as long as the acupuncture was performed by an MD who was a preferred provider on my insurance paln. That doctor is now my primary care physician.

You didn't say what kind of surgeries it was that you have had on your back, so I will also let you know that the acupuncture did NOT help me with the post-op pain and I did have to take pain meds for that pain. I have since tried acupuncture for pain control and it doesn't help as much now, which my doctor said it might not due to the nature of my surgeries. (the first was to fuse my spine and the hardware attached prevented the acupuncture from working) BUT, it was a God-send and helped tremendously for quite some time. At one point I had been taking Vicodin 3x day for three months. After six weeks of acupuncture treatments the pain was gone and I no longer needed any pain meds for almost two years until I had another flare up.

I ended up with a pretty major gastric errosion (not quite ulcerated) from taking pain meds along with anti-inflamatories at one point several years ago. They sent me to a gastro specialist and he did an endoscopy to check the stomach damage and put me on meds to repair it, and I was able to continue to take the anti-inflamatories and pain meds without fruther damaging my stomach.

Hope you find something that works for you soon!

love and prayers,

aj in Oregon

------------------
~ 48 year old female; currently self-employed as an artist/designer/woodcrafter.
~ Previously worked in the restaurant biz for 27 years (not so good for someone with a bad back!)
~ Hereditary and congenital scoliosis, but it never caused any problems until I was 40+ years old.
~ 76 degree curvature had increased 2 degrees in two years 1999-2001; indicating surgery was necessary.
~ Surgery in March of 2001.
~ Fusion and insturmentation of C7 - T9.
~ Fourth rib removed; 5th and 6th rib cut back halfway; removed ribs were morselized and used for the grafting, plus additional bone harvested from hip.
~ After tthe hardware was attached, spine was straigntened 20+ degrees.
~ 2 weeks in the hospital.
~ Brace worn for five months. Bone growth stimulator device also worn several hours per day.
~ PT 5 mos. after surgery caused increased pain.
~ Follow-up surgery to remove hardware scheduled for Feb. 2002.
~ Round 2 of PT 2 mos. after hardware removal.
~ Medically released to return to full activity in July 2002.
~ Increased pain upon returning to regular work schedule.
~ Round 3 of PT in April/May 2003; continually increasing pain.

pixiepoodle · 05-14-2003, 11:54 AM

Hi Michele,
I also had liver damage from taking Ultram and Soma for 7 yrs and my dr. said he wouldn't prescribe for me anymore. I then went to a pain mgmt. dr. who tried me on morphine, but I couldn't function at work. He then suggested getting a pain pump implanted. I have posted on here many times about how great it works. The main pros are the med is injected directly into your spinal fluid bypassing your liver (and bloomstream so you are fully functional and alert and you do not build up a tolerance). My pain has been disappeared to about 95% of the time except for when I do physical things I have no business doing and when a weather front comes thru that brings high humidity and the barometric pressure drops or rises (I'm not sure whether its when it drops or rises). When I get breakthrough pain, I take my Ultra and Soma and it gets rid of the pain. You can check out the pump at the website for the manufacturer (Medtronics) or wait and see if the dr. on this board known as Sietec answers questions about them posted by me and another person.