Misc Pain Relief alternatives

[DeathIndustrial88]

I'm interested in hearing what other people do for their pain when they can't get opioids?

I deal with chronic muscle pain, all over my body. I assume it's from depression or undiagnosed fibromyalgia or something.
I tell doctors I'm in constant pain all over my body and of course they just sit there with that "Oh well that sucks" look on their face.

I had mono as a pre-teen, which I have since learned is the Epstein-barr virus & it never leaves your body. It apparently can "come out" and "attack" your body later in life and causes issues like I'm having now. Although I have no idea if it's related.

To put into perspective. I'm sure many have done a good work out and been sore the next day a bit. I feel this way, except I feel this way even without exercise. And it's been a daily thing for almost 2-3 years now.

Ontop of it I've had a fucked up back for almost 2 weeks and now I have a swollen and inflamed tonsil.

I have a tolerance to buprenorphine & gabapentin, so these don't really do anything for pain anymore, although I'm dependent on them, so I have to take them or it just feels worse.
Kratom doesn't work, because I assume my buprenorphine tolerance prohibits any effects from it.

Already tried NSAIDs, dextromethorphan, myrhh oil (which I like, but is expensive as fuck), muscle relaxers, benzos, capsacin, poppy seed tea (although I haven't had good seeds in awhile) etc....

Stil nothing. And feeling this way is not good for my mood or quality of life, but of course I can't count on our lovely doctors and health care system to do anything about it, especially since I have "addiction" on my record now.

I've even felt like fucking with loperamide out of desperation, which I know how risky and dangerous it is and is unlikely to get and stay across the blood brain barrier anyway.

No access to illicit opioids. And even then, having to break the law to get relief truly pisses me off.

Already at the max dosage of bupe. And I assume taking even more will not do shit, as most of your receptors are covered by this point anyway. In fact, when I've tried higher doses, it actually seems to make me feel like I'm in withdrawal.

Methadone is not a viable option either, as I can't go to a clinic every day and it would most likely require giving up my benzos and gabapentin, which I'm also dependent on.

I'm curious if any one else has a similar experience or what you have found to help you. It's truly ridiculous.

 

[simstim]

I've always been curious about nefopam. I haven't tried it myself so I couldn't say but it is a non opioid that is supposedly as effective as morphine and oxycodone.

Nefopam - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I've always been curious about nefopam. I haven't tried it myself so I couldn't say but it is a non opioid that is supposedly as effective as morphine and oxycodone.

Nefopam - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Thanks stimstim!

I will have to look into this. Have never heard of it. Curious about it's availability or if it's something I'd need to get through a doctor.
Sounds like it could have some decent painkilling effects. Anything is worth a shot at this point if it allows me to get my life/self back.

Appreciate it.

EDIT : I see it is prescription only. But totally worth mentioning to one of my quack doctors.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

I have the same question but about nerve pain?
I'm on Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin, both at the max. dose but still suffering. Diabetic Neuropathy in my legs is unbearable today.
NOT trying to highjack your, thread, OP, just asking for help, too.
Oh, I take Naproxen, too.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

OP - I second Nefopam, Naproxen is also moderately helpful and I find the "Ice Freeze" lotion/spray/whatever helps a lot, too (if you don't know what it is is like that opposite of deep heat, it doesn't feel unpleasantly cold, though and smells of peppermint xD)

EDIT: Sorry, just realized you said you'd already tried NSAIDS. But Naproxen specifically is very good (none of the others worked for me and I tried Ibuprofen, Diclofenic and Celebrex before I got Naproxen). Naproxen also potentiates both opioids and gabapentin, which other NSAIDs do not.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I have the same question but about nerve pain?
I'm on Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin, both at the max. dose but still suffering. Diabetic Neuropathy in my legs is unbearable today.
NOT trying to highjack your, thread, OP, just asking for help, too.
Oh, I take Naproxen, too.

No worries! You are welcome to share this thread with me! And share your experiences and questions too. I made this pretty much for a general thread for others to help each other who are in pain & can't get any relief.

I'm not sure what's causing my issue. No diabetes. Bloodwork always comes out fine, except that my cholesterol is high and my hemoglobin is always high, which doctors tell me is simply from me smoking cigarettes. Although it never use to be high but now it is every time I have blood work. Last doctor said he didn't see any T-cells or white blood cells indicating that I had cancer or anything though.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

OP - I second Nefopam, Naproxen is also moderately helpful and I find the "Ice Freeze" lotion/spray/whatever helps a lot, too (if you don't know what it is is like that opposite of deep heat, it doesn't feel unpleasantly cold, though and smells of peppermint xD)

Yeah I'm prescribed the max dose of naproxen too. Although it hasn't been helpful and I worry about the stroke & heart attack risks they carry when taken long term or daily.

Some times I rub myrhh oil on my muscles, feet, legs and places that hurt and it feels kinda good but is very short lived.
Myrhh has some opioid properties, but i'm not sure how they work when applied topically and drinking it is probably not a good idea. lol Especially commercial brands and without proper dosages.

Yesterday I pulled 8 tonsil stones out of my left tonsil by myself. I had no idea they were there until I woke up with a swollen neck and pain in the back of my throat.
Upon inspecting with a flash light, I discovered them. I hope I got them all, but now I'm regretting not having my tonsils removed as a kid. lol

They say you shouldn't self medicate or treat yourself but honestly, it's like I have to do all my own research and treat myself anyways cause doctors are opioid-phobic these days and too lazy or overwhelmed to do anything further. I assume they all think I'm just crazy or it's in my head. And maybe it is (my depression gets terrible) but it doesn't mean I'm still not in physical pain & losing myself because of it.

I use to work out, lift weights, take walks, etc.. I can't do any of that shit now without feeling like I'm dragging lead weights on my feet.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

No worries! You are welcome to share this thread with me! And share your experiences and questions too. I made this pretty much for a general thread for others to help each other who are in pain & can't get any relief.

I'm not sure what's causing my issue. No diabetes. Bloodwork always comes out fine, except that my cholesterol is high and my hemoglobin is always high, which doctors tell me is simply from me smoking cigarettes. Although it never use to be high but not it is every time I have blood work. Last doctor said he didn't see any T-cells or white blood cells indicating that I had cancer or anything though.

Thanks! That's kind of you

Glad you don't have diabetes or cancer. The shitty thing about the diabetes and the neuropathy from it is that's I'm to blame for them. At least to the extent that addictions or eating disorders are a persons fault. I got Acute Pancreatitis from the combination of alcohol and bulimia (either/or can cause it) and 95% of my pancreas was destroyed (only your pancreas can make and secrete insulin) so I got diabetes in a weird way in that I wasn't born with it like type 1 and it's not due to diet/obesity (I'm thin) like type 2. Also, insulin makes you gain weight. Basically your body cannot absorb sugar - which is why so much gets in your blood - so you don't absorb any calories that come from carbs, either. So I never take my insulin because that way I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want and lose weight. But that's why I have the nerve pain now.
*sigh*.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Yeah I'm prescribed the max dose of naproxen too. Although it hasn't been helpful and I worry about the stroke & heart attack risks they carry when taken long term or daily.

Some times I rub myrhh oil on my muscles, feet, legs and places that hurt and it feels kinda good but is very short lived.
Myrhh has some opioid properties, but i'm not sure how they work when applied topically and drinking it is probably not a good idea. lol Especially commercial brands and without proper dosages.

Yesterday I pulled 8 tonsil stones out of my left tonsil by myself. I had no idea they were there until I woke up with a swollen neck and pain in the back of my throat.
Upon inspecting with a flash light, I discovered them. I hope I got them all, but now I'm regretting not having my tonsils removed as a kid. lol

They say you shouldn't self medicate or treat yourself but honestly, it's like I have to do all my own research and treat myself anyways cause doctors are opioid-phobic these days and too lazy or overwhelmed to do anything further. I assume they all think I'm just crazy or it's in my head. And maybe it is (my depression gets terrible) but it doesn't mean I'm still not in physical pain & losing myself because of it.

I use to work out, lift weights, take walks, etc.. I can't do any of that shit now without feeling like I'm dragging lead weights on my feet.

Self-medicating can be super risking (with narcotics) but as a teen I have VERY severe social anxiety and debilitating panic attacks and although I got a Sertraline (Zoloft) script which was fantastic for my depression, it was only a little helpful for anxiety. I'm in the UK and benzo's are extremely hard to get. Even on the very rare occasion they are prescribed theres a 2 week maximum and it's usually tiny doses. like literally 2mg Valiums. So I got my own Xanax. It was like a miracle for anxiety and I used to sparingly (just a .5mg when I needed it).

Sorry about the tonsils! I had mine out as a kid, never had a problem since. Could you have them out now? (unless you're in the U.S. and have to pay a fortune?)

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Thanks! That's kind of you

Glad you don't have diabetes or cancer. The shitty thing about the diabetes and the neuropathy from it is that's I'm to blame for them. At least to the extent that addictions or eating disorders are a persons fault. I got Acute Pancreatitis from the combination of alcohol and bulimia (either/or can cause it) and 95% of my pancreas was destroyed (only your pancreas can make and secrete insulin) so I got diabetes in a weird way in that I wasn't born with it like type 1 and it's not due to diet/obesity (I'm thin) like type 2. Also, insulin makes you gain weight. Basically your body cannot absorb sugar - which is why so much gets in your blood - so you don't absorb any calories that come from carbs, either. So I never take my insulin because that way I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want and lose weight. But that's why I have the nerve pain now.
*sigh*.

Are you able to stay alive without taking your insulin though? Maybe that's a dumb question. lol I assume you probably do have to take it eventually at times. Or maybe it's because you have the type 2.

I have diabetes in my family and I've been a sugar addict for a long time (love me some coke, pepsi, candy, etc..)
So it's something I try to stay conscious about when my eating habits get out of control.
Although I can down a tub of ice cream and 10 pops a day and suprisingly my blood sugar has been great whenever I've had bloodwork done. I'm like wtf...

Some times I do fasting, which feels like it helps give me some energy after a few days and my mind feels clearer. But as soon as I eat something, it's like a switched gets flipped and I'll be back to eating whatever I want within a few days.

I've also become accustomed to sitting on floors. I've been to broke & poor for years to afford real furniture and I find sitting cross legged on the floor is the only position I can get in and get into my zone (especially when on my laptop), but siting this way for years is also fucking with my legs.

Don't feel like it's your fault my friend. The human body is faulty and some of these things are out of our control. Maybe our habits or life styles contribute to it some times, but some times we're unaware that it will happen. I have days where I just wanna live in the moment and enjoy life, even if it means having that extra piece of pizza or extra pepsi is gonna give me diabetes the next day. lol

 

[simstim]

The two best prescription NSAIDs for me are diflunisal and celebrex.

Diflunisal - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Diflunisal worked better for me than anything other than celebrex.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Self-medicating can be super risking (with narcotics) but as a teen I have VERY severe social anxiety and debilitating panic attacks and although I got a Sertraline (Zoloft) script which was fantastic for my depression, it was only a little helpful for anxiety. I'm in the UK and benzo's are extremely hard to get. Even on the very rare occasion they are prescribed theres a 2 week maximum and it's usually tiny doses. like literally 2mg Valiums. So I got my own Xanax. It was like a miracle for anxiety and I used to sparingly (just a .5mg when I needed it).

Sorry about the tonsils! I had mine out as a kid, never had a problem since. Could you have them out now? (unless you're in the U.S. and have to pay a fortune?)

Yes, I'm going to ask my GP if it might be possible to have them removed now even though I'm in my 30's.
I noticed that my tonsils have always been asymmetrical and the left one is bigger and has a deeper tonsil crypt. So I foresee these tonsil stones being a recurring problem, unless I just stop eating altogether or go on a liqid diet. lol


Self medicating takes some education & responsibility. I completely agree with you. I've been a pretty responsible (or try to be) with my opioids over the past decade. Have never overdosed. Always ever took what I needed to feel "normal" or slightly "high" & went about my day. Even with heroin. I never got into mixing heroin with other drugs because I felt like heroin alone was enough for me (besides maybe cannabis). Other drugs seem to ruin the experience. I also started reading a lot about opioids & pharmacology and all the dangers. I could probably live on heroin the rest of my life & be okay. But I know not everyone is like this and some people will end up hurting themselves over time. Heroin/opiods also removed all cravings for alcohol for me, which was great because alcohol too was fucking up my life in my 20's. Crashing cars, going to jail, getting violent & suicidal. It was terrible.

Been through the SSRI/Antipsychotic rollercoaster too. Some of the SSRI's helped a little after awhile but once it disappeared I was left feeling incomplete and apathetic all the time. Plus my depression would return after awhile anyway.

Benzos are absolutely a miracle for anxiety. Nothing can stop me in the middle of a panic attack besides a benzo slipped under the tongue (usually clonazepam). Although full agonist opioids were helpful for my anxiety as well.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

The two best prescription NSAIDs for me are diflunisal and celebrex.

Diflunisal - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Diflunisal worked better for me than anything other than celebrex.

I was just reading about celebrex the other day!!

I can't believe none of my doctors ever mention a single one of these medicines, no matter how many of them I see or how many times I have to tell them I'm hurting.

My sub doc gave me gabapentin months & months ago, which I was so grateful for & felt like I was being heard.
Gabapentin helped at first. Gave me tons of energy. Lifted my mood. I started putting out albums under my music projects like crazy (which then ended up being hits among my underground crew).

But gabapentin taken daily just stops after awhile. And it takes long ass breaks to get that effect back.

 

[simstim]

Celebrex works well and just one pill a day.

Celecoxib - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Diflunisal is just twice daily

 

[jasperkent]

Please keep the suggestions coming. I have sciatica and various other pain issues, probably the result of a rough&tumble youth. I'm now 62 and paying for my early rambunctiousness.
I finally got off opiates/opioids but am dependent on kratom. Frankly, it doesn't help much with pain but does give me energy for work. Other than that I alternate between aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and (occasionally) acetaminophen. All help a little, but not much.
I'm mainly interested in non-prescription stuff (I don't have health insurance and haven't been to a doctor in years), but I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks for this thread!

 

[simstim]

I get decent pain relieving effects from the related drugs phenyltoloxamine and orphenadrine.

Phenyltoloxamine is hard to find these days. Most companies have replaced it with diphenhydramine.

Diphenhydramine also has some pain relieving effects

 

[jasperkent]

Diphenhydramine also has some pain relieving effects

I sometimes use it for sleep, but never noticed any analgesic properties. Then again, if I'm asleep I'm not in pain-- so yeah, sure.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Celebrex works well and just one pill a day.

Celecoxib - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Diflunisal is just twice daily

Thanks man!!

I will be writing these down and mentioning them at my next visits!

A little weary of NSAIDs. I'll probably sound crazy but I've always had a good intuitive sense and something about them and their stroke/heart attack warnings makes my gut tell me not to use them, or at least not use them often. If they help, I wouldn't mind taking them once in awhile, if it gives me a day or a few days a week pain free.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I get decent pain relieving effects from the related drugs phenyltoloxamine and orphenadrine.

Phenyltoloxamine is hard to find these days. Most companies have replaced it with diphenhydramine.

Diphenhydramine also has some pain relieving effects

Diphenhydramine boosts my other meds, if my tolerance to it is nil. Some times it boosts them to the point where I do have some moments where I feel okay.

I have an arsenal of everything from clonidine, topamax (yuck), to l-tyrosine, milk thistle, 5-htp, melatonin & even fenugreek, etc.. etc... All in pursuit of finding something that helps.
I've read 5-htp can enhance analgesia from opioids at times, but the effect is very mild if noticeable at times.

I have a feeling my life will be a long "trial and error" type of thing, since there's so many things to try. And some work for a bit and then stop and then other times it's like it's impossible to feel better.

Even getting my bupe to be more effective would be nice. But bupe is a very cruel mistress who will only let you feel okay every once in a blue moon.

 

[jasperkent]

I have an arsenal of everything from clonidine, topamax (yuck), to l-tyrosine, milk thistle, 5-htp, melatonin & even fenugreek, etc.. etc... All in pursuit of finding something that helps.
I've read 5-htp can enhance analgesia from opioids at times, but the effect is very mild if noticeable at times.

Hey DI88-- I'm familiar with clonidine, milk thistle, melatonin, and fenugreek.
What are 5-htp & l-tyrosine and where might I find them? Just some easy info off the top of your head.
Thanks.