WHAT MEDS ARE HELPING SOME OF THOSE IN AGONY ???

[manyworries]

I need something stronger.  I'm on MS Contin 30 mg 2 x per day. They have given me Norco for breakthrough pain too.  My pain is not under control and Norco seems to really effect my sleep.  I am in so much pain at night.  I'm using a great moist heating pad and Icy Hot, resting, getting massages, legs elevated, light stretching, but I need more HELP!! 

I'll be seeing a different pain specialist in about a month.  Soma really helped relax the spasms and allowed me to sleep, but now the Dr. does not prescribe it under any circumstances. 

Will try to get an injection for some temporary relief, but only one out of 5 Dr's who've tried to do the procedure were successful due to the depth, scar tissue and probably not enough experience.  Will do anything about now, EXCEPT a THR, not ready to go there yet !!

[cassiewoofer]

 I found that oxycontin (oxycodone) was the only one that helped..... got two weeks supply after the op. Sounds similar to what you're on but I can't remember the dose. I would ring your doctor and ask if you can increase the dose a bit.
good luck getting something stronger

[Woodstock Hippy]

I wish I could help, but just to get everyone on the right page; you have not had surgery, correct?

My pain levels were never as bad as you are having but I used to love to soak on the tub with the water as hot as I could stand.

[brownie]

I Had my surgery in March 2009 with Dr. Frank Smith in Hamilton, Ontario. He prescribed a drug called Gabapentin which in took for 30 days. I must say the whole time I did not feel any pain. I don't recall seeing any comments on this website about other doctors using Gabapentin.

[manyworries]

Thanks Brownie will have to look into Gabapenitin.  It sounds familiar and I may have been prescribed it prior, just can't remember as I have been dealing with pain for quite awhile :(  Wonder if it's even available in the US?  Thank you kindly for your response!

Hi Woodstock (biggest regret in my life was missing the REAL Woodstock although I was only 12 years old!)  No I have not had surgery yet.  I need a bi-lat, I believe you do too?  The surgeon in my area that does HR feels I am a poor candidate since I am SOO sensitive to all kinds of metals, anything with chemicals, mercury had to be removed from my teeth, implants removed etc. :( In addition, I have osteopenia as of 3 years ago and don't have "good bone" so I agree that I may not be a candidate, but will certainly contact some of the experts recommended on this site before I would ever consider a THR, which I am trying to avoid at all costs. I am blessed to have a jacuzzi tub and I take one as hot as possible as often as I can.  Right now even a hot bath doesn't interest me, I am too miserable with my pain.
:(  I have bad sciatica in addition to groin pain, which I believe is due to the stenosis around my L4/L5.  Will be meeting with a neurosurgeon after Xmas.  Thank you for answering me!

Thank you Cassie re the Oxycontin info.  Isn't that a morphine type drug too?  I wish there was a chart somewhere that you could look up the kinds of pain meds available, what strengths and what they are a derivative of!  Maybe someone else knows this??  Thanks so much for responding.  I have heard one of the other stronger pain killers is Diladud and I have heard it works quite well.  I don't get sick on any of these meds, Thank God :))  Hope you are healing nicely !!

[cwg]

TRAMADOL !

[Tin Soldier]

I've heard a good things about Tramadol, never used it.  Before op, which I believe is your case Many, I wasn't taking anything for pain other than the occassional acetominphen or I'd do the load up on ibuprofen, but that jacked up my blood pressure.  Like I said for constant OA pain, Tramadol, I've heard good stories about.  Oxy, after surgery for me was pretty damn strong and it killed my digestive system, so I'm not sure how others can take it, maybe the system gets used to it.    I'm sorry I'm not much help.

[cassiewoofer]

 Oh you're pre-op! Don't think you can get oxycodiene (morphine type) painkillers before OP.

Before the Op. it was only the occasional day that was extremely painfull.

Only codiene worked for that. and at twice the level I was prescribed.

The Co-codamol I could get over the counter helped but the paracetamol content limited the amount of codiene I could get in my system. 16mg at a time (2 tablets)

I would ask your doc for a prescription of 15mg codiene tablets and try that.

There's a table of sorts here:- (naproxen...... the only one the doc prescribed apart from codiene didn't work for me)
I'm sure you know you have to be carefull with long term codiene use so I would only use occasionally when it got bad.

http://www.medicines.org.uk/guides/osteoarthritis

[cwg]

Codeine was hard on my stomache as well as constipating- Like I said, check out one of the Tramadol versions, if you haven't already.. I couldn't believe the huge  relief it brought

[Kiwi]

I used Codeine pre op & it was okay. I'm using Tramadol post op & it seems to keep the pain at bay very well. I also use diclofenac (anti flam) & panadol but Tramadol is the best pain killer I've found & doesn't knock me around as much as codeine did.

[cwg]

 I used sub lingual Tramadol pre-op, then cold turkey, 3 weeks post op. Voltaren and Tylenol only,  after that. The under the tongue ones were probably 50 mg and worked quickly

Around nine months later, I conceded and started Tramadol w Tylenol, the lowest version 37.5. This continues today- every day- I take 1-3 of these. Maximum 3. Orally.

Am off Voltaren type NSAIDS for two years, and the occasional Advil.

It bothers my "head" a lot, that I take Tramadol (Ultracet) daily, even if very low dosages.  When you read statistics like side effects and discontinuing it, it sounds dreadful.

Every now and then I go a bunch of hours in to the day to see if I can manage the pain, without it. The days I take only one, are unpleasant and I am grumpy and distracted... the pain is always there. Those days I don't go to the gym.. My pain, by the way, is no longer just in the hip.

I suppose I have changed the thread a bit with this concern I have over dependency. I clearly am not "addicted" but definitely "dependent".  I function much better when that edge is removed . There is no buzz what so ever. Just some relief

Back to the topic, sort of, I was always afraid of the "oxy" anythings- and vicodin- so never tried those.

Cheers

[manyworries]

Thank you Cassie, Tin, cwg, brownie and Woodstock!

It sure sounds like Tramadol is one for me to look into, shocked that my pain specialist didn't recommend it to me, but then again they have changed the Dr's. in the office at least 7 times in the past 3 years, so no one really knows me and my challenges. Been trying to switch Dr's for 3 years, I think this time they are going to take me, thank God!

Can I ask you on a scale of 1 to 10 what your pain level was?  I know that's a hard, subjective question, but thought I'd ask anyway!!

Usually all I can do is curl up in a ball and lay down, usually with a heating pad, all day.  I have trouble getting in and out of my car and too steep a driveway to even try and get the mail.  I have NO LIFE :(

I want to be with all of you and looking towards the other side or recovering!  Here I am still doing homework and dealing with bone-on-bone x 2, discs problems, stenosis, late stage degeneration, spurs, sciatica, etc. etc.  I have needed some strong meds to just take the edge off.  So sorry for my whining.... really :((

Elle

[cwg]

Hey there MW... Sorry to be a bit gruff right now, but I think you need to uncurl out of your ball, and move. Get blood flowing thru your spine, from brain to toe. You are creating a much worse scenario by doing that (curling up in a ball) You are training your brain and body to exist this way

No disrepect intended
I have similar sht.  OA, serious/semi serious cervical stenosis, degenerative disk degeneration disease, many mucked up disks, etc etc.
My hip , am guessing, was just part of  this whole slew of symptoms

Do NOT lie there all day- Full stop
Get a little 'bing' relief from aspirin to tramadol or ????, and move! Move. Sit get up walk.
Wrap your head around getting better even a tiny bit
NO surgery or drugs are going to make it all work for you

I remember your challenges.. and I still have them, by the way.. post BHR, and with problems
BUT, they are much better

OR maybe my "head" is much better- My thinking. My readjusting my thoughts that I was dying kinda thing

You have a big spirit, I can tell. Move forward with it
Warmly

[cassiewoofer]

Have you tried asking for steroid injections? (I'm not totally sure if it's steroids) I heard a lot from other people about this but the docs don't seem to recomment it here.

read this post....

http://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/index.php?topic=3039.0

[rubyred]

Hi Elle,

First off all. You sound exactly where i'm at. I have no life due to my pain and no pain killers i've been given have even touched the pain.

So fair i've tried Co-Codamol (30/500mg), Diclofenic (25g), Tramadol, Volterol, Dihydracodeine, Ibruprofen... the list goes on. I'm currently back on a combination of Co-codomol and Diclofenic with Amitriptiline (10g) at night.... I can't say i've noticed much improvement as yet :(

I really hope you find something to help you and give you some form of life back. I, like you, find it difficult to do anything with the constant pain.

[Tin Soldier]

Cassie - I think based on what I've seen here, cortizone injections in the hip work for about a quarter of the folks that I've seen post about it.  It worked great for me, for 2 weeks.  That might not be considered very successful.  However, it was during a time where I seemed to have a lot of pain and I think I was getting mentally distracted by the pain.  I wasn't focusing on the task at hand, which was getting my x-rays to some really experienced docs, asking lots of questions here, reading some of the more accessible medical docs on the subject,...All of which lead me down a 6 or so month journey to my first HR op. 

Elle - I agree with CWG, and I don't want to be mean, I think it can be easy to loose sight of the goal.  Finding a treatment for the hip (at least with regards to our conversations here on Hip Talk) should be a priority.  I can understand pain and loss of motivation because of it all, but if you lose enough motivation, it will never happen.   Maybe picking one small task per day towards the goal will help.  Stay strong, focus on getting treatment, and keep thinking about the how you'll feel after surgery.  BTW - its ok to whine.

[ctb]

Vicodin seems to help me.  I only take it when I really need it though because the dr only gave me 25 pills, so most days I pop 2 advil a couple times a day.  There is still pain, but not as bad.  Good luck!

[manyworries]

Hey CWG, Tin Soldier, Rubyred, Cassiewoofer, Brownie, Woodstock, Kiwi and all the other wonderful people that came to my aid.  Love you all... KNOW that!!

OK... here's where things stand right now. I've uncurled out of the fetal/ball that I neatly tucked into with a nice, moist heating pad and every pain med under the sun at my bedside. I tried to regain a little bit of my life back and decided that the narcotics HAD TO GO... I just couldn't think straight for 5 minutes.  Now I'm taking over the counter gel-caps and the pain has lessened. I've been going to a chiro that specializes is Graston which is helping loosening me up, followed by an hour long massage with TRUE body workers. It's helped me ALOT.  Now that I am able to at least get in my car and drive again, and am thinking more clearly I can resume my journey to finding the RIGHT Dr. for me.  I have already been turned away by one, Dr. Ferro... broke my heart.  The nicest Dr. I ever met and less than an hour from home.

So, I am not in agony any longer.... YAY!!  Going to see a new pain specialist on Tues and praying they can find something that will help me sleep.  While I'm not in excrutiating pain right now, I know it's only a matter of time until I see AGONY rear it's ugly head again. So my journey with all of you wonderful people continues!!

Thanks for the terrific support you have shown me already :)  xo
Elle

[manyworries]

Forgot to mention, I asked the Dr. for Tramadol and they gave me Baclofen as they say it is more sedating.  I can't sleep without taking a combo of 3 or 4 meds now. Days are OK.... if I could only SLEEEEP :((  Will definitely make sure that I get Tramadol this week and pray for an injection to hold me over until surgery...

[Tin Soldier]

When's surgery?  Sounds like you need to get that squared up ASAP.