cottontop - Posted - 12/04/2016:  17:26:09

Some of you might remember my posts about my psoriatic arthritis in my right wrist being so painful that (at least for now) has prevented me from playing the banjo. Friday I went to my rheumatologist for my second visit. He started me on a medication that he thinks will help and he said that it will be gradual and not an overnight recovery.

He also gave me some pain medication. I have recently come to a conclusion of what pain killers really do. They don't do anything to relieve the pain, they just make you feel so good that you don't care if you feel any pain or not.

cottontop

chuckv97 - Posted - 12/04/2016:  17:51:18

Careful , Joe, if they are opiates/opioids, but you probably know about how they're so addictive. But I know pain is tough to take if it continues for weeks.

cottontop - Posted - 12/04/2016:  18:33:29

I know Chuck, and thanks for the kind words. I was just trying to inject some humor into an otherwise non humorous situation. Kind of helps me deal with it.
cottontop

wizofos - Posted - 12/04/2016:  20:22:27

One thing to remember is that if you are taking some  of the pain killers such as Vicodin then drive your insurance may not cover any accident you get into even if it is not your fault.   Check with your doc or pharmacist about that. 

One other thing I have heard that there is some evidence that coffee increases the affect of some pain relief drugs.

twelvefret - Posted - 12/05/2016:  03:04:41

I've noticed over the years that when something goes "over the counter" doctors stop prescribing. It must be the idea that patients expect a written prescription over verbal medical advice.

I have found that if the pain is severe, I reserve naproxin sodium as my drug of choice. Unlike Opiates, this pharmaceutical does not become habit forming nor does it slow the GI track and cause constipation. I use them for 7-10 days at sub prescription strength.

For everyday aches and pains , usually a stiff neck, I use ibuprofen 2 tabs, one dose.

bikebum - Posted - 12/05/2016:  03:58:27

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

 

Careful , Joe, if they are opiates/opioids, but you probably know about how they're so addictive. But I know pain is tough to take if it continues for weeks.

---

Prescribed Tramadol which I consider to be a pseudo pain relief pill. More like a Tic Tak on steroids for me. They only help reduce the high spikes in RA pain.  Strange as it may seem, the stronger 'Oxy', 'Hydro' whatever meds don't seem to have much if any effect, so I won't take them.

Methotrexate and an occasional Naproxen is all I take for now. (And, NO it doesn't relieve it all.)

Edited by - bikebum on 12/05/2016 03:59:48

Old Man - Posted - 12/05/2016:  04:11:26

Fish oil over a period of time is the best I have found for arthritis.After it gets so bad I don't know if anything can help.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 12/05/2016:  04:51:39

I just won't hardly take prescription pain pills.  They are always too strong for me and make me feel not in control of myself.  If I have to take a pain pill, I'll cut if in half if possible.  Otherwise, I'll take aspirin or naproxen.  Seems like people have gotten away from aspirin and, for me, it does the job much better than ibuprofen.

Lynne - Posted - 12/05/2016:  06:13:36

I recently had a partial knee replacement and was given Oxy for the pain.
I found out I like it just a little too much.

rinemb - Posted - 12/05/2016:  07:19:37

I spent too much time in college on codeine enhanced pain pills due to severe football injury(s).   Definetely affected my studies.  I did survive, graduate and only a few times since have I resorted to more than aspirin or Ibupr.   The only time now for the heavy duty stuff, is with a severe back outage every few years. 

I too, tolerate pain pills too well, so I am careful to avoid them due to my weakness.  Brad

chuckv97 - Posted - 12/05/2016:  07:48:05

Cannibis seems to work for pain with many people - unfortunately it comes with a lot of baggage with many folks

Edited by - chuckv97 on 12/05/2016 07:50:33

Leslie R - Posted - 12/05/2016:  07:49:19

Naproxen is a very good medicine for pain.  It is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID.

There are a few topical formulations of another NSAID, called diclofenac.  There is a patch called Flector, which is really good.  There are some gels which contain diclofenac which are also good, but a little messy.  Since these are applied on the skin, they do not cause the GI upset that oral NSAIDs can cause.  These are prescription meds.

There is another topical patch that can work, called Lidoderm.  It has an anesthetic called lidocaine. Not everyone can use this, and it doesn't seem to work for everyone.  But it does work very well for many who use it.

wizofos - Posted - 12/05/2016:  07:58:48

quote:

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Originally posted by Texasbanjo

 

I just won't hardly take prescription pain pills.  They are always too strong for me and make me feel not in control of myself.  If I have to take a pain pill, I'll cut if in half if possible.  Otherwise, I'll take aspirin or naproxen.  Seems like people have gotten away from aspirin and, for me, it does the job much better than ibuprofen.

---

Aspirin is one of the best pain relievers there is, it is also a good blood thinner and has some other advantages but it can damage the liver, cause severe gastritis, ringing in the ears  and a whole list of other issues.  The problem is that because 'it's just aspirin' people don't  understand that it can kill you which is why doctors are a bit leery about prescribing it.  It is also in a lot of over the counter pain relievers like Excedrin and others like that. 

steve davis - Posted - 12/05/2016:  11:50:47

I got hooked on Percodan in the 70s for back pain from hauling lobster traps by hand.
After seeing a chiropractor a few times I got a motor driven trap hauler and haven't taken any pain meds since.

Tobus - Posted - 12/05/2016:  12:07:02

quote:

---

Originally posted by bikebum

Strange as it may seem, the stronger 'Oxy', 'Hydro' whatever meds don't seem to have much if any effect, so I won't take them.

---

Same for me.  They prescribed hydrocodone to me when I shattered my wrist in a horse accident, and again when I had sinus surgery.  Each time, it didn't really do anything for me.  I struggle to comprehend how people get hooked on it, because I didn't experience any sense of well-being or a "high" of any sort.  It didn't even really take the pain away.

The only thing I take is ibuprofen, and then only when I get a really bad headache.  It'll usually do the trick, but nothing else seems to work for me.

donc - Posted - 12/05/2016:  12:52:29

Once after a day surgery I was given a shot of demerol. As I was waking up from the operation the nurse asked me how I was feeling. I really wasn't in pain but she figured that I needed something. I realized during the next few minutes why drugs were such a popular thing. That stuff made me feel more euphoric than I had ever felt in my whole life. I haven't had any since which is probably a good thing.

spini - Posted - 12/05/2016:  20:26:03

I have Lupus and it effects my joints, I also suffered from cronic kidney stones for a couple years. I have to be in real pain to take anything more than a couple Tylenol Arthritis pills. I hate the fuzzy head feeling of the prescription pain pills, also the hang over feeling when I come down from them. With that said, when I had a kidney stone I would take anything you had to make that stuff stop!