Aa
POLL..Everyones Opinion Please
I see this question asked a lot and I know we are all different. What works for one might not work for others. Doing a Survey to see what Non-Additive Pain meds comes up the most. I do not like to put myself out here in the front line, but I have not seen a post on this since I joined. I sure many have been done and will roll around again someday.
I also wanted to share something with you all. As some of my MH friends know, I was in real bad all over body pain the other week that was just very, very painful. I am walking in my 11 month and it was not due to detox..BUT guess what??? The Dr called it SOMATIC SYNDROME..This is physical pain due to Emotional Distress and Turmoil in the Brain. Meaning that my Transmitters are trying to balance back at it is sending signals to the body. It had nothing to do with Fibro, Arthritis, Nerves, or Muscles. Just a Brain Pain..haha.
I also wanted to share what he said about prescribing ME any pain meds. Even if I could hand them to someone to hand out he said NO. Being a Addict he said that it will just start this back up and he will see me in 3 months or so in the same condition I was in Months ago. He said once it gets going again he knows I will find places or do things to get them other then being handed out if I want more. I just Love my Dr he talks to me in Dr language about the Billions of Brain Transmitter and Receptors because he knows that I find this very interesting these days.
I sure do hope this info helps some out here that are still in early recovery and experiencing some strange pain other then there original pain that they got the pills for in the first place.
SO What do YOU ALL use that is Natural or OTC for pain?? OH! Yes Exercise is the Biggest Key to it ALL..lol
Bless
vickie
I also wanted to share something with you all. As some of my MH friends know, I was in real bad all over body pain the other week that was just very, very painful. I am walking in my 11 month and it was not due to detox..BUT guess what??? The Dr called it SOMATIC SYNDROME..This is physical pain due to Emotional Distress and Turmoil in the Brain. Meaning that my Transmitters are trying to balance back at it is sending signals to the body. It had nothing to do with Fibro, Arthritis, Nerves, or Muscles. Just a Brain Pain..haha.
I also wanted to share what he said about prescribing ME any pain meds. Even if I could hand them to someone to hand out he said NO. Being a Addict he said that it will just start this back up and he will see me in 3 months or so in the same condition I was in Months ago. He said once it gets going again he knows I will find places or do things to get them other then being handed out if I want more. I just Love my Dr he talks to me in Dr language about the Billions of Brain Transmitter and Receptors because he knows that I find this very interesting these days.
I sure do hope this info helps some out here that are still in early recovery and experiencing some strange pain other then there original pain that they got the pills for in the first place.
SO What do YOU ALL use that is Natural or OTC for pain?? OH! Yes Exercise is the Biggest Key to it ALL..lol
Bless
vickie
Best Answer
I am learning so much. THIS IS AN AWESOME POST. I'm in very early stage of detox and in tons of pain... Mental physical etc... I'm taking one a day vitamins for women, melatonin, LOTS OF H2O and tea, and believe it or not MIDOL for the all over pain. And the HEATING PAD has become my very best friend..lol
I think I will get my Hub to get one..He is in really bad shape like ariley13 with his 3 disc, hips and a shoulder that pops out..My pain is nothing compared to some of these other people on her this is for sure. SO Ang get one too..lol
I LIVE on my Tens unit! Got it 5 years ago and do it practically every day for 45 min. I highly recommend one for pain..............
YOU GUYS ARE ALL GOOD..I WILL GIVE A CHECK MARK TO ALL..But I think I will give it to the new Kid on the Block..lol
SO glad you posted this. I always talk about a book called "healing back pain" by Dr. john Sarno. Its and excellent book that helped me get free of back pain.
The industry is just that, an industry. Nowadays if someone has pain they are MRI'd and diagnosed with slipped disks and yada yada. I have a couple slipped and a couple herniated and yada yada too. The future looked bleak. This industry keeps people in pain for surgeries and drugs and salaries etc. Years ago when life was so much more tough that it is today, when people worked the farms and did laundry by hand and everything by hand, were people complaining of these horrible back problems? It's today's society and the stress it brings, and we internalize that stress, the anxiety and the fear we internalize it and as a self defense mechanisim we bring it out in another form, because its easier to deal with pyhiscal pain than mental, and sot he mind saves itself by reverting that pain. The back pain industry is rich thanks to today's society of stress.
Stress will also give you cancer and other disorders.
It's not just back pain either, it can be neurological pain, as in my case.
anyway, thanks again for posting and opening this up!
hugs,
Lily
The industry is just that, an industry. Nowadays if someone has pain they are MRI'd and diagnosed with slipped disks and yada yada. I have a couple slipped and a couple herniated and yada yada too. The future looked bleak. This industry keeps people in pain for surgeries and drugs and salaries etc. Years ago when life was so much more tough that it is today, when people worked the farms and did laundry by hand and everything by hand, were people complaining of these horrible back problems? It's today's society and the stress it brings, and we internalize that stress, the anxiety and the fear we internalize it and as a self defense mechanisim we bring it out in another form, because its easier to deal with pyhiscal pain than mental, and sot he mind saves itself by reverting that pain. The back pain industry is rich thanks to today's society of stress.
Stress will also give you cancer and other disorders.
It's not just back pain either, it can be neurological pain, as in my case.
anyway, thanks again for posting and opening this up!
hugs,
Lily
I think we do give such a stigma to all pain meds but seriously some ppl really do need to take them. Yes they were not intended for long term use, but sometimes ppl w real severe pain have to take them. I am not saying that's me, but I think just one little thing should be said about that. bc so many ppl feel so guilty for taking them, bc of the known factor that it will cause w.ds even just slightly if we taper. Think if docs were more educated on how to deal w ppl and pain (if they truly see that nothing else would help, or give advice of other alternatives if at all possible, & if not than the ppl who honestly cannot function AT ALL w the pain they shouldn't feel guilty or weak for having to be on them) im not saying any1s wrong, lord knows when im not in severe pain & take it for minor pain I know I feel guilty for the right reason probably. But it seems that its very hard now adays for ppl to gage well if what they should do for their pain. I think if someone is in pain, diagnosed by a doc, & the doc has tried everything (except surgery) in his power to keep some1 from having to be on pain meds long term and nothing works (I mean nothing, at least what is natural to help w that injury, or pain from a disorder). Its hard to tell, it really is, bc we all need to gage our pain off pain meds trying the vit.s, yoga (if possible) etc....& give it a good college try to make sure you know for yourself you have tried everything, so you wont feel guilty for having no other choice but to take what pain meds are needed...& ask the doc good questions..like will this b long term, am I going to be able to stop or are there pain meds that are not either narcotics or addictive. & then if you feel something else works (maybe not as great as the pain meds, but good enough to keep the pain down, & b able to not have to worry about what all the pain meds bring..bc that's the real choice...bc the pain meds will stop helping..ull have to go up..& is the pain bad enough..(after trying everything else) that you will come to terms with that & understand fully what that will mean. So that's my 2 cents..wrong or right that's how I feel. Only bc some ppl who feel guilty or feel wrong about taking pain meds when really that may be the last resort shouldn't be made to feel worse bc that's the only option they have. But anyway hope this encourages thos who may be going thru this, I know im going to try it all b4 I would be told I can only take pain meds to jelp my condition, but other may not be able. Be blessed!
Psychdegree, I go on and off with the pain meds. My original pain management doctors had me on way too much and on doses too high. It really concerned me. They were not happy when I said I wanted to come off as they said the RSD and nerve pain would be too much. But I wanted to see what my pain was like off the meds. And it's bad. But when I can stay off them, I do. Sometimes I have to go back on them but I try to keep to as low a dose as possible and wean off as soon as I can. (Right now the pain is affecting my BP and I went on them since the BP meds weren't bringing it down.) I'll be tapering down later this month and will likely stay off them until some point in the winter.
Vic, Voltaren gel is a prescription. A friend who is a nurse practitioner in pain management in another state told me about and gave me some samples. It can be expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it. It's usually used for small joints (I was given it for RSD and nerve pain in my hand and wrist.) I've used it on other joints (because I'm loaded with arthritis) like my knee and back. It's not anything that will take the pain totally away but I feel like when you piece together a bunch of things, like ibuprofen, heat or ice, OT and/or PT, and for me, narcotics at some points, the pain can be brought down to a bearable level.
I was recently prescribed a new compounding cream. I am not sure how well it works because I was given a sample with one refill but I'm having trouble getting the refill through worker's comp. Hopefully the approval will go through and I can get a better sense of if it helps. It's a cream that contains ketamine, baclafan, flexaril and gabapentin and maybe one more thing.
As for the Voltaren gel, my NP friend said they write the script for it all the time. I know when I asked my dad's doctor about it for him, they were fine with it.
I have an appointment later in August with my new pain management doctor. I am going to ask him about the TENS as that's never been mentioned. (My old pain management team never mentioned it. I also take nortryptiline at a low dose which I think helps the nerve pain in the wrist. The old group also never mentioned that, though it's a drug that's been around a while and isn't habit forming and I have not had any bad side effects with it.)
One of the things I am most grateful to this forum for was what I learned both about withdrawals (I was told by my old pain management group that I was silly to worry about that as they'd never let that happen. Right. Twice I had stomach issues (one was a stomach bug and the other was food poisoning.) Both times I wound up in the ER, and one of the times I was hospitalized for 8 days, due to severe nausea and vomiting and I was in terrible withdrawal because I couldn't keep anything in my stomach. When they mentioned trying methadone for the pain, I was leery. They told me I was being silly and just associated it with "junkies." They said they use it in pain management all the time. After reading about it here, I knew I didn't want to go near it.
My new doctor works with my primary care, who is awesome. They know that I want to be off the meds as often as possible and when I have to go on them I want to be at the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount of time. I am more open to procedures (which I tried a ton of those without much luck.)
I would definitely ask your doctor about the Voltaren gel and/or compounding creams. (The compounding creams are formulated specifically for your type of pain.)
Vic, Voltaren gel is a prescription. A friend who is a nurse practitioner in pain management in another state told me about and gave me some samples. It can be expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it. It's usually used for small joints (I was given it for RSD and nerve pain in my hand and wrist.) I've used it on other joints (because I'm loaded with arthritis) like my knee and back. It's not anything that will take the pain totally away but I feel like when you piece together a bunch of things, like ibuprofen, heat or ice, OT and/or PT, and for me, narcotics at some points, the pain can be brought down to a bearable level.
I was recently prescribed a new compounding cream. I am not sure how well it works because I was given a sample with one refill but I'm having trouble getting the refill through worker's comp. Hopefully the approval will go through and I can get a better sense of if it helps. It's a cream that contains ketamine, baclafan, flexaril and gabapentin and maybe one more thing.
As for the Voltaren gel, my NP friend said they write the script for it all the time. I know when I asked my dad's doctor about it for him, they were fine with it.
I have an appointment later in August with my new pain management doctor. I am going to ask him about the TENS as that's never been mentioned. (My old pain management team never mentioned it. I also take nortryptiline at a low dose which I think helps the nerve pain in the wrist. The old group also never mentioned that, though it's a drug that's been around a while and isn't habit forming and I have not had any bad side effects with it.)
One of the things I am most grateful to this forum for was what I learned both about withdrawals (I was told by my old pain management group that I was silly to worry about that as they'd never let that happen. Right. Twice I had stomach issues (one was a stomach bug and the other was food poisoning.) Both times I wound up in the ER, and one of the times I was hospitalized for 8 days, due to severe nausea and vomiting and I was in terrible withdrawal because I couldn't keep anything in my stomach. When they mentioned trying methadone for the pain, I was leery. They told me I was being silly and just associated it with "junkies." They said they use it in pain management all the time. After reading about it here, I knew I didn't want to go near it.
My new doctor works with my primary care, who is awesome. They know that I want to be off the meds as often as possible and when I have to go on them I want to be at the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount of time. I am more open to procedures (which I tried a ton of those without much luck.)
I would definitely ask your doctor about the Voltaren gel and/or compounding creams. (The compounding creams are formulated specifically for your type of pain.)
Voltaren Gel??? Wow I have heard of the Lidoderm patches. Very Good info gang. I want to learn more..My Hub is in bad shape with his discs and hips and his shoulder pops out once in a while. We own our Drywall Business and he makes great Money, but it is just beating him up bad. lol
Do I get that Gel OTC????
Bless
Do I get that Gel OTC????
Bless
I can totally relate w u about the slippery slope anxiety for pain meds..bc now I'm having to take them for 2 weeks till I find out if somethings wrong w my spine..went in for horrific hip pain (27 yrs old..but its from sports) I've been tryin to come off them but I can hardly manage w my body in the mornings unless I take one. I also take neurontin but I've been on that since I was 16 for bipolar..back then they didn't have many good mood stablizers. So I dont have thos side effects anymore. I also use the voltaren gel for my knee..which helps some. But anyway saw how much we had in common so wonna to say hello & its awesome how strong u r to get off of all those meds! Like super woman..I have very low pain tolerance n very high med tolerance, I'm just hoping whatever is wrong w my body can b fixed w out narcotics! Be blessed & nice hearing your story
Great post. I'm dependent (at the moment) versus addicted but I've been through the wringer of withdrawals from many different meds when I decided the meds were not helping my pain. I have had fibro for almost 14 years and managed it mostly with ibuprofen and exercise. I had some flare ups that were difficult to tolerate but overall it wasn't too bad. I also have very bad osteoarthritis in most bones. This gets to me. I had a joint replacement in my thumb that didn't work and somewhere during 9 surgeries developed RSD. Nothing really helps the RSD pain. I went back on a lower dose of narcotics this past winter when my blood pressure was dangerously high and wasn't being brought down by BP meds. I had thought I would have weaned off for the summer (usually my better time of year) but I think the humidity we had affected me (which rules out moving to FL I guess.)
Exercise does help and I could kick myself for letting myself get out of shape this past year. I start with swimming and work up and even though it's hard as I'm doing it, it helps in the long run and also helps me mentally. I use a compounding cream and Voltaren gel and sometimes Lidoderm patches.
I get very anxious being on narcotics because I feel like it can be a very slippery slope from dependence to addiction. This forum was such a huge help to me when I was trying to come off high doses of Fentanyl, oxycontin, oxycodone, Ativan and more. I tried Lyrica and it helped a bit but I gained 16 pounds in two weeks. Neurontin made me slur my words and people sometimes thought I was drinking (though I don't drink.)
I would love to try acupuncture but my WC denied it. (Funny they didn't mind spending $3000 on narcotics every month.) Dane, I relate so much to what you said about feeling old and asking for help. Some days I feel like my 85-year old dad moves better than me.
I don't post much here because I don't have the experience of being addicted but occasionally I'll comment if I feel like I can add something or support someone. I will be eternally grateful to this forum (and a few people who really went out of their way to help me ... they know who they are :)
Exercise does help and I could kick myself for letting myself get out of shape this past year. I start with swimming and work up and even though it's hard as I'm doing it, it helps in the long run and also helps me mentally. I use a compounding cream and Voltaren gel and sometimes Lidoderm patches.
I get very anxious being on narcotics because I feel like it can be a very slippery slope from dependence to addiction. This forum was such a huge help to me when I was trying to come off high doses of Fentanyl, oxycontin, oxycodone, Ativan and more. I tried Lyrica and it helped a bit but I gained 16 pounds in two weeks. Neurontin made me slur my words and people sometimes thought I was drinking (though I don't drink.)
I would love to try acupuncture but my WC denied it. (Funny they didn't mind spending $3000 on narcotics every month.) Dane, I relate so much to what you said about feeling old and asking for help. Some days I feel like my 85-year old dad moves better than me.
I don't post much here because I don't have the experience of being addicted but occasionally I'll comment if I feel like I can add something or support someone. I will be eternally grateful to this forum (and a few people who really went out of their way to help me ... they know who they are :)
I meant to ask..not sure if it was you I spoke w on this, but what will help the nerve pain & the nagging stabbing pain? I know nerve pain, like also w a tooth, not much helps except to get the tooth out & im not taking my hip &/or leg off anytime soon!
Yes Very Good psychdegree!!!!! I HONESTLY do believe this about the Transmitters. I did 3 drugs that hit 3 Different transmitter not including the Dopamine. I was told in my 3rd month that it could take a Year or Two to balance back or Heal. My clarity is good but I know there is something to this that is going to take TIME. I do believe what the Dr said. I will give it time and do some swimming and other things. Then I will know for sure..TIME IS THE GREATEST HEALER...lol
Bless U ALL!
Bless U ALL!
Hi...well from the studies I got to be apart of in college for my psych degree say there is no actual "damage" from the opiates, after you stop taking them (we may have forgetfulness etc. but that's from the off balance of the brain chemicals not damage etc.) but just like VICourageous there is "SOMATIC SYNDROME"...that takes a while for your brain to adjust back to normal balance after being on these meds.Which means its really your brain sending signals that you are in pain when physically, (lets say a person who was never on pain meds & had fibro.) you truly are not. Your mind is trying to trick yourself into believing you again need the pill to stop it, bc for a long time that's what your brain was use to relying on, for so long your brain did not rely on its natural defenses for pain or the antioxidants to relieve the pain..thats why they all are saying to try these suppliments and diets. So anyway just explaining...since its been a month im sure most would agree the re balancing of your brain is still going on.
Interesting post. I a month and 1/2 clean from a 5-year hydrocodone bender, and still feel very achy. It comes in waves. I'm wondering if there's some damage from the opiates, or if I'm just 5-years older now. Neurontin did help ease the aches through detox, though.
Yes it is!!! I work where I'm on my feet all day, bending n moving n all directions..I try to stretch b4 work but seems no matter what the siatic nerve gets irritated. I had an xray done sat. So hoping its not to do w my spine..either way I'm praying these pinched nerves from my hip go away like ASAP!! I can't rest it all the time, enough as I need to I should say
nerve pain is a female dog!!!! And to be honest, opiates do not help either!!! I feel your pain, but nothing helps it other than stretching and yoga, try to stay flexible and be strong, hopefully it will pass.......
Wow! Diggers really sent me to the right post! For me it is skeletal muscle pain & joint pain..feels like a tooth ache from my lower hip to my ankle (not to mention 2 knee surgeries already on that leg) so the worst is the nerve pain...what helps w that? Flexril..no...heat..no..pain meds..maybe for an hour & early mornings. Very little is helping (lyrica is but makes me out of it) so what can help? I can deal w the constant ache (to an extent) but the nerves pain is insane!!!!
what a great post and very informative!!!!! For me i have bone pain in my left leg/hip region and what works best for me is a TENS machine, hot tub/baths, heat, and at times ice, I'm not an ice fan as i have really bad arthritis so i think it makes it worse. And let me be honest here, would a pill make me feel better, heck yeah, but for me i cannot take one or two so i had to learn a new way to deal with the pain. Its not easy, but i believe its a part of life we need to build up a tolerance to pain, we should feel some sort of pain but not excruciating pain, i believe it's just part of life. Learning to live life with pain is a challenge and it takes allot of sacrifices and for me asking for help, thats the worst part, i hate feeling old and needing help but at least i am clean and back to my old self again. So for me living with my pain is better than being in a drug induced coma/fog.......
Great comments here. I really have nothing to add . I have different pains but none of them even come close to warranting anything other than tylenol or other otc stuff. Great post Vic
Great point ABN! You're right, no one should ever be afraid to get a second (or third, forth) opinion. A GOOD doctor would encourage a patient to do so!
WOW, You guys are too GOOD!!! For instance, I did eat very,very healthy and was thin about 11 months ago. I got in that bad weak stages and I was just in bad shape. I was thinking so much about it being the DIET!! It felt like it was the blood or Something very Different. Since I have not been nibbling on sweets, I feel somewhat better. I do NOT have bad pain every day..Nothing I can not handle in my Shoulder because of sleeping on it or a bit of muscle knot. This is why the Dr knew it was not that bad for pills. I do believe FOR SURE that it is the Brain Healing too. The TENS unit sounds great ABN. I forgot about that myself and my Hub needs it for sure. AND I did Not notice the pain that bad when I started to eat all of my wild berrys and the berrys I grew. Now that is a very good one. I also ate a bag of cherries like Ang said. I was Berry high that week and felt good. The Dr said Swimming is a must right now to slowly build back up. Well I do have the Rivers and Lakes, but I am going to do the gym because of the winters..Shoot I should of listen to Annie way back when she said to join the gym because I would of been in GREAT Shape by now. I want to someday Jog again like Ricart. lol
Thank You MH Friends
So Far So Good!
PS.. I have been taking lots & lots of Brain Building vit/min and herbs. Also have Amino Acids A-V Compounded in one and it says "Protein" on the Bottle. And lets not forget the good old Magnz..lol
Thank You MH Friends
So Far So Good!
PS.. I have been taking lots & lots of Brain Building vit/min and herbs. Also have Amino Acids A-V Compounded in one and it says "Protein" on the Bottle. And lets not forget the good old Magnz..lol
Great point about the EFA's, Also, EPA/DHA in the proper ratio helps to heal neurotransmitter function.
Glucosamine and Omega fatty acids help prevent further degeneration in joint pain, but only if refined foods and acid foods are avoided. I found quitting coffee alone helps a lot. The omegas lubricate joints, every cell in the body actually, but acid foods dissolve the fats that are a protective coating, which creates friction between cells and inflammation.
I'm just starting a Tryptophan,Tyrosine, and Phenylanine therapy to work on the brain pain you were talking about. I 'm using true tryptophan, not http 5, because htp5 can only convert to seretonin, while tryptophan can convert to serotonin and other hormones as well. I feel like I have pain everywhere and the chiro works for a few days, so I hope it's brain pain, at least the new aches and pains. I should know within a month if the amino therapy is making a difference. I'll keep you posted on my experiment.
And I'm getting a TENS, thanks for the reminder.
I'm just starting a Tryptophan,Tyrosine, and Phenylanine therapy to work on the brain pain you were talking about. I 'm using true tryptophan, not http 5, because htp5 can only convert to seretonin, while tryptophan can convert to serotonin and other hormones as well. I feel like I have pain everywhere and the chiro works for a few days, so I hope it's brain pain, at least the new aches and pains. I should know within a month if the amino therapy is making a difference. I'll keep you posted on my experiment.
And I'm getting a TENS, thanks for the reminder.
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