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MedHelp Member's Question

Pain killer alternatives

by broom, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
I'm a computer programmer.

I have tendenitis on both forarms,

Ehler Danlos (mild), and a history

of drug addiction.  The drugs

were from age 13-18, and I've been

clean about 20 years (rehab, NA, AA).



I live on Viox for my arms, 50MG a day.

I'm still in a lot of pain, and I can only

code for an hour or 2 before I can't

type anymore.



What are my alternative drugs?  Anaprox

and familiy rip holes through my stomach,

and real opiates are off limits.  I see

Ultram, but it seems like some kind off

opiate cross-over that I should stay away

from.

Member Comments (48)

by Thomas02, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: broom
tell me, did you experience any relief from the anaprox family of drugs, or even from aspirin? The reason I ask is that there's a new, very popular NSAID (anaprox family) of drug which offers the benefits of the anti-imflamatories like anaprox, but doesn't harm the stomach. It's called Celebrex. It's a Cox-2 inhibitor. They're are others coming out just like Celebrex, but that's the one that's available now. Out of curiosity, have you ever tried taking Enteric-coated asprin, like Ecotrin for the pain? Enteric asprin passes through your stomach before it gets broken down and this seems to convey all the benefits of asprin (which are considerable) without damaging your stomach. Celebrex is prescription only and, you guessed it, pretty expensive. It wouldn't cost you much to try the enteric asprin. Hope that helps.

by cindi, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: Tom/Patrick
Have you ever heard of MOBIC?  I think it may be a new NSAID?   I believe this is very expensive also..And by the way, Yhanks for your words in the other thread...You are the sunshine on a snowy day like to day...Oops  forgot, California? Love to all  cindi

by broom, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: Patrick
Celebrex was worthless.  As a pain killer, it is less effective

than tylenol.  This is based on both personal experience,

family experience (my brother is in a lot more pain than me,

and had the worst year of his life on Celebrex), and finally,

via a Celebrex sales slime.  This person is related via

marraige to me, and told us that she was aware of the

almost valueless pain management equation concerning Celebrex,

but it was her job to push it to Doctors.  Scum.



I am aware of the Cox/2 issues, and I was under the impression

that Viox was the most effective of the family.  Celebrex was

an accidental discovery, Viox was engineered after they

found out about it.



The key issue with the COX 1 VS 2 is that NSAIDS in general

inhibit both, and Celebrex and Viox do (mostly) just 2. COX

1 is used by the stomach lining to move mucas around,

protecting it, which means that when it gets inhibited ulcers

start because your stomach acid gets to the lining.  





Concerning ecotrin (and other coated asprins), they STILL

inhibit COX 1, that just don't directly damage your lining

since they dissolve in the intestines.  Since the COX 1 is

still inihibited, your own stomach acid can cause an ulcer

after extended use, you just won't realize it is connected to

the ecotrin since you didn't spit up blood when you ate it.



As far as cost, while I am not wealthly, I am well paid

as a programmer, and have a prescription plan, so it

should not enter into the picture.



Thanks for trying.



Barry

by broom, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: Cindi
According to this:

http://www.mobictablet.com/mobictabs7-5-15mg.htm



There are serious stomach bleeding issues associated

with this drug.  It's an old line NSAID with COX 1

inhibition.



Oh well.



Barry

by BadBob, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: broom
Having struggled with addiction during my youth, I certainly understand your reluctance to experiment with "real" narcotics.  It is possible that your present potential for addiction is far less than you believe it to be.  The Twelve Step Self Help programs, while they do often work and frequently offer a solution where none could be found before, unfortunately leave one with the impression that there is no possibility for fundamental change.  This is probably true for ETOH and likely also for the hard narcotics like opium and heroin which are taken without medical supervision but perhaps less so for such drugs as Vicodin and Percocet; certainly far less for Darvon.  Could you take theraputic ammounts of Hydrocodone or Codeine at this point without becoming an addict again? Probably so.  Should you?  Probably not if you're worried about it.  We must all bear in mind, however, that there really are NO viable alternatives to narcotics for effective long term pain control.  That said, have you heard of a drug called Talwin-Nx.  This is a compound of Pentazocine and Naloxone.  I don't know much about this combination except that it is specified for use by patients with a history of drug dependence.  Perhaps someone else in this excellent forum might have more information.  You are certainly not the only one caught between this particular devil and the deep blue sea.

by broom, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: BadBob
> Pentazocine and Naloxone.

>    by patients with a history of drug dependence



Wicked stuff.



Pentazocine is a real pain killer, not a real "narcotic", ie:

opoid, but will real CNS depressant and painkiller affects.

Also, highly addictive.



Naloxone is a narcotic antagonist.  This means is binds

to the narcotic receptors in your nerves without stimulating

the narcotic effect, thereby blocking heroin, morphine, or

any real narcotic from working.  This only happens when you

inject it, and it is in this formulation to keep addicts

from injecting it.



When my shoulder was dislocated and they gave me a real painkiller  before shoving it back in, I was HAPPY.  I was

so happy, I  annoyed the staff, so they gave me this (I

assume), which brought me down in about 10 seconds.  Bummer.



I can't accept any drugs that'll make me stupid.  As a

computer programmer, I live by my wits.



Also, while Vicodan is formulated for people like me, it's

not for any real useful reason.  It still get's me high,

it just has in instant tolerance, which forces you to

double and quadruple dose for the same affect.  Worthless

for long term pain.



Percodan/cet, on the other hand, is FUN (or was).  Not for

me any more.



And I have no idea why people consider Darvon a pain killer.

I seem to recall some studies showing the placebo as better.



Oh well



Thanks anyway

by Thomas02, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: broom
What an appropriate handle. For someone in enough pain to write this forum, you have aggressively swept every solution right off the table. Every one of them has something you find totally unacceptable. I'm not sure what you were expecting to find. Opiates are opiates. They all ask a price for the relief they afford. You either pay the price or suffer in silence. You may have to compromise in order to find a solution.



A totally benign drug that preserves complete mental clarity with zero addictive potential sounds like something from a science fiction novel.



by broom, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: Patrick
> I'm not sure what you were

>    expecting to find.



Dunno.



That's the point of asking.



Since I've stopped watching the medical journals,

may a new non-bleeding NSAID like Viox but with

far better pain killing effects has shown up

without me noticing.



I apologize if I "sweep" away everything, but

I accept that I will be in pain if I wish to

continue my career, and I will be in the streets

destitute if I take the easy pain relief way out.



If any of the things I've said were wrong, please

let me know.  I may be totally full of ****, but

until someone sets me straight, I won't know.



Maybe I was hoping for somebody to say good things

about Ultram in the context of painkilling without

addiction, since this seems to be the best available

with the lowest mind  altering aspect, but it didn't

happen.



Thanks for trying.

by BadBob, Mar 09, 2001 12:00AM
To: broom
Please don't take this as a criticism but you do honestly have me confused.  Why are you looking for someone to say something; in this case something good about Ultram?  Wouldn't you be better served seeking the truth?  Anyway, the jury seems to be out on Ultram.  I have used it for knee pain post-op and it does work, at least in my case.  I did not feel any significant euphoria ar other change in mentation.  I will admit that I was not on the drug