Pain making me lose my sanity =(

[Lolie]

That's actually a pretty near ideal medication schedule for back pain. It's got an anti-inflammatory, a muscle relaxant, something for neuropathic pain, local pain relief, plus the long acting narcotic.

What's missing is physical therapy (really important in degenerative conditions like arthritis both to maintain function and to lessen pain) and non-drug pain management techniques such as meditation, relaxation, etc. I'm sure you've already been advised that losing weight is highly advisable to lessen the amount of stress being placed on your spine.

For what it's worth, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex aren't advised for use in people who have existing cardiac risk factors as they seem to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in those people (which is why Vioxx was pulled from the market).

One thing which I find makes a considerable difference to how much arthritic pain I get is taking a calcium/vit D supplement. I really notice an increase in pain when I stop taking them. They may do nothing for you as your arthritis is not in your joints, but I'd put them in the "can't hurt, worth a shot" category.

 

[Ksa]

^ This

glucosamine sulfate is good too.

 

[LayedBack]

I myself have learned to ignore physical pain. Broken bones, slices, GSW's, ect. If its not urgent to my staying alive, I just regard it as a pointless sensation and zone it out. I suppose it took alot of training to do that, but its something to consider. Try to dismiss the pain as non useful sensory input and therefore irrelevant.

Not trying to trivialize, just sharing something that has worked for me.

The pain of a broken bone is a completely different situation than being in severe chronic pain every day for years. Knowing you will be in pain the rest of your life. In fact a broken bone is laughable compared to the hell a lot of us endure. (I have severe chronic pain, but have also broken bones and dislocated both knees)

You might be able to zone out 3 days worth of pain. But try doing it all day every day with no breaks ever. Then to top it off, it's depressing realizing you physically can't do anything you used to enjoy.

To the OP - I hope things get better man. I'm not doing well myself. But I still self medicate with pods that help a lot, and I finally got a few hydrocodone scripts the past couple of months which is very much appreciated.

 

[panic in paradise]

my spine should eventually fuse, maybe 40-100%, it will(is?) developing inoperable, untouchable tumors.
thats one part of my aging process, hahehmm.

it is profoundly different then a superficial wound, but receiving such an injury you are able to allow the adrenalin, dopamine, cytokynes etc. to take over.
understanding this, having the ability to control this, will leave you more sane over the years...
understanding the actual physiological action of the sensation of pain, harnessing it, traveling/changeling into it, as i believe rangrz is trying to convey is very important... indeed.

discovering many small coping mechanisms is critical, you cant depend on one two our three sources of pain diversion, and i dont mean drugs only.
cali kid! get to a point where you are physically and mentally (financially ahh!) to grow, nurture, study, marijuana. ffs it is so very therapeutic in so many ways, and often laborious (ive had several die off)

any plant really, just waking our my bedroom and seeing my orchids and roses in the great room is a snap of dopamine and pride.

practicing "out of body" techniques, traveling into deep profound thought is very good, at times, i benefited greatly from hypno/suggestive therapy, and definitely plan on going back; i went originally to help, ignorantly dangerous alcohol w/d.

a lot we went into i had learned, used affectivly for years, and then forgot over the years.
if you would like.... i would really enjoy, and have been needing to for a while for instances like this; a self guided, one page suggestive deep relaxation scenario/schematic/thought guidance reference, that after reading a couple of times, you would add your own personal notes, but the "process" is the same.


and seriously, you could call me, or i could call you,,, some time, either way i believe we would both benefit greatly.

 

[Help me please]

i never took Opana before (oxymorphone) only morphine and dilaudid. Did it seem to work well? I know theres a ER type. For now im just taking 1-2 10/325 percocet every 6 hrs, and wearing 25mcg/hr fentanyl patch. Diphenhydramine and Hydroxyzine seem to help me take less percocet though

I took Opana ER 20 mg every 12 hours and then went to the 30's. They lasted about 10 hours on average so I needed the norco 10.325mg for BT pain. I really like the Opana as it provides excellent pain relief and I never got that stoned feeling people spoke of. I have a fear of drugs in general and one day just said WTF. I don't get why I needed such strong meds for a bad knee. I really think it is getting better though as I do lots of exercises for it and also stretches. That's why the morphine works now but I still want off of it too. I tried cortisone injections but those don't work on me.

Pauly just be careful. Keep in mind not matter what you take you will need a stronger dose eventually. I'm not prepared to send the rest of my life on opiates Try any kind of alt therapy you can along with the drugs! My back and hip feel better today as I have been taking it easy and doing hot showers too! Icy hot is great too!