Opioids Need help with severe, severe muscle and nerve pain!

[incaseofaburglar]

Nerve pain and damage. Oxycontin, Phenibut, Gabapentin, Baclofen...need advice!

Hi! I just got out of the hospital after a sporting/outdoor activity injury that resulted in severe nerve and muscle damage/pain primarily in my left foot (but also my right leg and foot and left leg - but less severe). I was out of the country when it happened and have now flown back to the states for physical therapy and better medical treatment. My pain is near debilitating and I have quite a high pain tolerance. At times the only way I can deal with the pain is by crying and vocalizing it. My left foot and ankle is swollen and I cannot put pressure on it most of the time. I can still walk on my right foot and am using crutches, with some difficulty - due to the severe nerve (and what I also think is muscle) pain. I am also unable to sleep, due to the pain (and that every position I put my foot in is excruciatingly unbearable after about 5-10 minutes).

I am taking a variety of supplements - B complex, magnesium, turmeric, etc. I am also taking 40 mg of oxycontin twice a day (usually with aspirin or naproxen), in the morning and then 12 hours later. I do not want to raise the amount of opiates I am taking. However, the opiates are only making a dent in my pain. They take away about 40-50% of the pain for about 3-5 hours. Once a week I take a large dose of phenibut. For about 24-36 hours I experience no pain whatsoever and do not need the oxycontin. For about another 12 hours the pain is decreased significantly and I need about half the amount of oxy I would usually take. So, I have heard Gabapentin is great for nerve pain - maybe even better than the oxycontin. I have heard it works well in conjunction with oxy, as well. Where can one buy it? I see it at supplement and herb stores - is this different than the Gabapentin being sold with a prescription? If anyone knows of a website that is good for this sort of thing, can they PM me? Thanks. Can I take Gabapentin if I am taking Phenibut once a week, assuming I stop the Gabapentin before I take Phenibut? I know Baclofen is a GABA agonist -- would it possibly help with the pain? Is it a hard script to get? Any other recommendations?

All recommendations for nerve pain and muscle pain would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you! I am suffering, hard.

 

[incaseofaburglar]

Literally experiencing pain 24 hours a day, but go into nerve pain attacks that are excruciating. Any advice on even just cutting the pain down a bit would be so appreciated!

 

[tacodude]

Gabapentin aka neurotic is a prescription med. Talk to your doctor about it

 

[kosmokramer]

You might look into tapentadol (Nucynta)
Apparently very effective when it comes to dealing with nerve pain.

 

[T. Calderone]

Pregabalin (lyrica) is also helpful for nerve pain. You might want to ask your doctor about this.

 

[AA357]

Ever tried MXE? That stuff will take care of pain that even opioids won't touch and IME is especially great for nerve pain (e.g. sciatica and exposed dental nerve). It works wonders for a friend of mine who suffers from chronic nerve pain in one of his shoulders.

Last year I fucked up my hip quite badly after getting knocked off my bike by a car. It hurt like hell. I snorted 100mg of MXE when I got home and once that kicked in I couldn't feel a damn thing.
Another time, I took it for excruciating dental pain. I had already taken 150mg codeine that night, which didn't do much to help the pain. About 2 hours after falling asleep, I woke up in agony with tears streaming down my cheeks. I snorted 75mg MXE and after 5-10 minutes, the pain was GONE. I was able to get to sleep about 60-90 minutes after it kicked in.

NMDA antagonism is about the most hardcore way you can tackle extreme pain.

 

[Kel44]

Does anyone have any experience in using Kratom for nerve pain (Fibromyalgia?)

 

[razdaddy]

Weed helps a lot

 

[jamesBrown]

Yea Gabapentin is NOT a herbal remedy. You need to have your doctor prescribe it for you as long as he thinks it's ok. And yes, I know from personal experience that it works well with opiate painkillers. I have both severe "physical" pain(you know what I mean) as well as nerve pain. I also am prescribed lyrica. Many doctors have told me that its just like Gabapentin, just better.....I disagree and so do my friends who are somewhat in the same boat that I am in(health/pain-wise). Go for the Gabapentin.

Also....I highly recommend attempting to get a Marinol prescription(or marijuana/edibles/etc. if you live in a state where medicinal marijuana is legal). But it doesn't matter what state you live in if you are trying for the Marinol....it's considered schedule 3 even though marijuana(virtually the same thing) is schedule 1 like heroin.
Marinol has COMPLETELY turned my life around after 5 years of pure hell. I need less opiates, have more energy/strength/appetite, and the way it positively affects your mood and general outlook on life is unparalleled IMO. In the past few months that I have been prescribed it, I have gone from about 100 lbs. to 155 lbs. And I am happier than I have been in over a decade.

 

[Runtoparadise]

I agree with an above post re:NMDA antagonist. I don't know if ketamine infusions are performed in the states, but get in with a pain doc ASAP.

Rtp

 

[incaseofaburglar]

Does anyone have any experience in using Kratom for nerve pain (Fibromyalgia?)

I used Kratom for a short period of time while I was having dental issues. It definitely helped.

 

[incaseofaburglar]

I like the idea of an NMDA agonist. Do you just sleep through the pain? Are you able to function? I have had to come back to the states for physical therapy and a a result, am staying with my parents. Do not want to freak them out too much!

I have heard of Lyrica, but something about it does not sit with me quite right. I have no reasoning for this feeling! But I like the idea of Gabapentin a lot more. I do not know much about tapentadol, but will look into it.

Today is a phenibut day for me, which means I will almost be pain-free for the next 36 hours or so. I am wondering if I could get away with taking it two days in a row (or a dat off in between, or twice week without building up a tolerance super quickly.

Thanks sooo much for all the advice, keep it coming. I think I am also experiencing a lot of muscle pain, so advice in that area, as well.

xx

 

[BeachBum4u]

Marinol has COMPLETELY turned my life around after 5 years of pure hell. I need less opiates, have more energy/strength/appetite, and the way it positively affects your mood and general outlook on life is unparalleled IMO. In the past few months that I have been prescribed it, I have gone from about 100 lbs. to 155 lbs. And I am happier than I have been in over a decade.

Great med if you weigh 100 lbs and need to gain weight or have no appetite but not so good if one already weighs over 250 lbs. My mother had MS for 30+ years before passing and she was prescribed Marinol but it didn't do anything for her, not even as an appetite stimulant. She could have used putting a few pounds on. Personally, I don't hear docs prescribing it too often in the US and I don't even think I'd ask my PM for it but I do wonder if it would help my pain. Does it feel like you've smoked a joint? Do you have a stoned feeling? How would you best describe it?

Also OP, I have heard very good things about Neurontin for nerve related pain (Lyrica also). I was on it for awhile and I found it didn't help my pain very much. Mine isn't really a nerve thing but I'd definitely ask the doc for it to see if it may work for you.

 

[Lucy Bookit]

Oxy won't really help too much with nerve pain. I'd def speak with your neurologist about trying gabapentin, lyrics, or even tramadol. I hope you find relief soon. I've found gabapentin definitely dulls some of my fibromyalgia pain.

 

[SineWaveSoldier]

I don't post much I'm just up late and can't sleep.

I sell personal tens units/ electronic muscle stims for a living. They are very effective for pain releif especially because the releif is so fast. There is an accessory of a shoe that you can use with it that stops pain in the feet and legs.

They are affordable as hell and have been a godsend to people. Some physical therapists won't even tell you how cheap they are. The machines I sell work better than ones that physical therapists often use and they are smaller than an iPhone.

I'm not soliciting you, If you want more information about them let me know. You said you were going to physical therapy so I figured that at some point you have had tens therapy.
The only reason I'm even posting about it is because narcotics aren't always the best route for nerve and muscle pain. I've worked in the field long enough and figured I would throw it out there.

 

[tricomb]

Are you an IV user? If so seek immediate medical attention.

 

[AA357]

I like the idea of an NMDA agonist. Do you just sleep through the pain? Are you able to function? I have had to come back to the states for physical therapy and a a result, am staying with my parents. Do not want to freak them out too much!

MXE shouldn't make you sleepy at subanesthetic doses. It's a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and D2 agonist so it actually has a slight stimulant quality to it. That night I woke up in agony and snorted it for my dental pain; I decided to stay awake for 60-90 minutes after it kicked in because it would have been pointless trying to get to sleep.

MXE is more impairing mentally than opiates, but less impairing physically. Opiates make me feel heavy and weak; MXE makes me feel light/floaty and very strong.
It is possible to use a drug like MXE for pain relief and remain functional on it (I've done it many times) - you just have to find the right dose. It's a very dreamy, spacey feeling but if you tolerate it well then I would say it's definitely better for daytime use than opiates.

MXE has the effect of making me feel a lot more fucked up than I actually appear to other people. My mother is like a human drug detector but at <50mg, this is one drug I can take without her suspecting I've taken anything.

Thanks sooo much for all the advice, keep it coming. I think I am also experiencing a lot of muscle pain, so advice in that area, as well.

Ever tried Soma? It's about the strongest muscle relaxant out there, plus it feels AMAZING.

 

[tacodude]

I agree with an above post re:NMDA antagonist. I don't know if ketamine infusions are performed in the states, but get in with a pain doc ASAP.

Rtp

If you have a crap ton of money you can already get infusions fit depression.

 

[incaseofaburglar]

Are you an IV user? If so seek immediate medical attention.

Absolutely not. I am talking about a sports injury and prescribed medication that is not working well enough.

To everyone else, I am waiting to get into a pain clinic (but the wait could be another month!!!) and hope to try something like Gabapentin. I have found a couple of herbs that help a bit and sometimes help me fall asleep. The phenibut once a week is the most effective solution I have found. Unfortunately, I do not want to take it more than once every 7 days, so the relief is only for a day or two. Physical therapy is helping a lot, but as the injury heals -- my nerve pain is still quite bad.

As far as the opiates, I have cut down my dose by two thirds. I am on the minimum amount that I have found still takes the edge off the pain (until I can get something else like gabapentin or lyrica, etc.). Cutting down was surprisingly easy. I have also switched over to percocet as my insurance in the states would not cover another script for oxy (I got the script for oxy overseas...).

I have not tried Soma to the poster who asked about that. I would also like to find a tincture of marijuana as I remember using this many years ago for an injury, but am not really in a place where I can find something like that easily -- so I will wait on that. I will look up marinol, have never heard of it.

As far as the injury, I have improved greatly. Do not need crutches anymore and have a lot more mobility.

Several herbs have been helpful -- skullcap in tea and tincture form, topical St. Johns Wort, turmeric, and vervain. Drinking a lot of teas with peppermint, lemon balm, valerian, and lavender.

Thank you for all the great advice! I would say that physical therapy and any sort of movement really helps the most, but I am looking forward to getting off the percs completely in the next few weeks and finding a better solution for the ongoing nerve pain. The muscle pain is much more manageable and has gotten noticeably better!

 

[incaseofaburglar]

I don't post much I'm just up late and can't sleep.

I sell personal tens units/ electronic muscle stims for a living. They are very effective for pain releif especially because the releif is so fast. There is an accessory of a shoe that you can use with it that stops pain in the feet and legs.

They are affordable as hell and have been a godsend to people. Some physical therapists won't even tell you how cheap they are. The machines I sell work better than ones that physical therapists often use and they are smaller than an iPhone.

I'm not soliciting you, If you want more information about them let me know. You said you were going to physical therapy so I figured that at some point you have had tens therapy.
The only reason I'm even posting about it is because narcotics aren't always the best route for nerve and muscle pain. I've worked in the field long enough and figured I would throw it out there.

Definitely interested. I have not done any therapy like this yet in PT. However, I have not been going to PT for very long. I will PM you.

Also OP, I have heard very good things about Neurontin for nerve related pain (Lyrica also). I was on it for awhile and I found it didn't help my pain very much. Mine isn't really a nerve thing but I'd definitely ask the doc for it to see if it may work for you.

Neurontin is gapabentin, right? Yes. I am hoping to try this.