Pain meds not working

[Tomsgirl30]

I have been taking Oxycodone 20mg four times a day for pain management but this has stopped working. I had a block a week ago and my pain is worse! Oxycodone is the only medication that does not make me sick. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do?????

[forgottensick]

  Hey there. I had my neck fused in 2000. Then in 2001 I had 2 rods and 8 screws put in my lower back. Then in 2002 I had a total hip replaced. The worst part of having back surgey is the hormones. They messed with me for about 3 weeks. The pain I have now isn`t anything like the pain I had before the surgeries. Normally....the part of your back that goes is the place where our spine pivots,twists, and bends. Once that part is fused it means that other parts of your back now has to do the twisting, etc. and those parts aren`t really meant to twist and bend. So in turn, it causes pain in different places. They have you up and walking the next day too. I don`t regret getting my spine fixed. It isn`t as bad as you hear as long as you have a doctor who has done a LOT of them. The best thing I did was find out what exercises I would need to do after the surgery and started doing them before the surgery. Don`t let other people scare you out of getting it done IF you really NEED back surgery. Too many doctors are knife happy because they can make fast money on it. You doctor should have had you using a TENS unit long ago. I have 2 of them. They are supposed to send electrical pulses into you to block the pain signals going to your brain. They never worked for me because my spine was, and still is, pretty messed up. BUT it is worth trying. It might help. You do need to do a lot of research on back pain, pain management, and back surgeries. Whenever it comes to getting surgery  it is always wise to get 2 or 3 opinions from other spine doctors not in the same office. As far as pain meds go, they only mask the real problem and the longer you put off getting the main problem FIXED, the more damage you will have in the future.
  You have come to the right place. We`ll help you get through this and figure it out. If there is anything else I can do to help, just message me.
    Dan

[IwillDoThis]

My TENS helps with pain, I'm also doing a lot of other alternative things.  I would HIGHLY suggest getting a 2nd and 3rd opinion on surgery - back surgeries are SO over performed and many times people are worse off.  I know people on both ends of the spectrum who it helped them so and it ruined their life.  REALLY educate yourself on this, I say this because the fact that you have chronic back pain and are not familiar with what a TENS unit is - is unbelievable.  Your doctor should have made sure you had one long ago.  I'm not saying that as a negative to you but just medicine in general.  If docs can shove a pill down your throat or cut you open they are happy and everyone makes money - there are MANY alternative therapies out there from which you may benefit and it is up to you to educate yourself and seek this stuff out.

I have a pain mgmt journal on my profile which gives many therapies I am trying, have tried etc. to at least give you some ideas on where to begin your search.  You should research the benefits of DMSO & MSM as I've found them invaluable in managing my pain - just google "Benefits of DMSO" and "Benefits of MSM".  PM me if you have any questions at all and I'd be happy to share my experience.

Don't give up - you do not have to lay down to a life of pain.

[minn66]

Hi, a TENS unit stimulates the muscle by providing a light electric shock. It doesn't hurt, it feels more like a massage. The machine has pads that you attach to the affected area, then you can control the amount and type of stimulation. I have this type of treatment by my physical therapist three times a week and use my home unit on the other days. It helps me a lot because the pain in my neck causes my shoulder and upper back muscles to knot up, causing even more pain. The TENS unit helps loosen those muscles.

Hope that helps,

Minn :)

[Tomsgirl30]

I went and seen the orthopedic surgeon he informed me I will need back surgery!! I told him how weak I was and felt like at this time it would not be good for me to do this. He told me to start core exercises does any one no some good ones??? Thanks to you all I got more info in a week than I have got in 8 years again Thanks soooooo much!!!

[Tomsgirl30]

What is TENS units?

[marycarmel]

The pain management forum is great here.  I've been on there for a couple of years.  But I still come here because there is a wealth of information, even if you're just dealing with pain and not addiction.  Being educated on all the things that can happen with pain management will only benefit you.  There are a lot of people who've chosen to stop with their pain management meds for personal reasons and also a lot of people who did slide from dependence to addiction.  I've personally found that hearing about others' experiences in pain management and addiction has benefitted me greatly.

[Tomsgirl30]

I am new at this. I think I posted on the wrong forum. I have been in pain management for five years now. I have been told I will have to have my spine replaced one day, but when you have hardware your pain is worse!!! so I am going to wait till I have to have it done.

[marycarmel]

You may want to check out the Pain Management Forum here.  It has some great support on chronic pain.

I've been down the path of meds stopping to work and increasing.  It's a Catch-22.  Tolerance will always develop and so will physical dependence.

What kind of doctor are you seeing for your pain management?  You may want to get another opinion from a different type of doctor.

I herniated a disk badly in my back 25 years ago.  I've managed that pain off and on with some PT, epidural injections, ice, ThermaCare wraps, ibuprofen and soaking in a hot tub.  I found finding the right exercise was essential and for me, swimming helped a lot as did the elliptical machine.  Even though most people say walking is great, that always seemed to set me off.

Back pain is miserable and it can throw off a lot of other things as well.

There are other medications to try, depending on your type of pain.  Some people get relief from nerve pain from Neurontin.  I don't think anyone should suffer with pain but really knowing what you're getting yourself into is really important before really using narcotics long-term.  There seems to be a lot of people who wish they didn't go that path, myself included (though I've never misused or abused them, your body can't tell the difference and the physical withdrawal is the same.  And even if you don't become "addicted" narcotics do change your brain chemistry if you're on them long-term.)  Just know what you're getting into.

[Tomsgirl30]

I did and if no better by Thursday I will need to come in. There is nothing touching the pain I am feeling now!

[forgottensick]

  Let your doctor know what is going on. I`ve had a few pain blocks done and 1 time the doctor didn`t hit the right spot, causing more pain than before I had when I went in. Taking more pain meds won`t help either. You really need to tell the doctor.

[minn66]

I really sympathize with you. The same thing happened to me with hydrocodone. It got to where it took more and more to get relief. For me, I realized that I was building a tolerance and the only thing that would work is more and stronger meds. I didn't want medication to have that kind of control so I stopped cold turkey back in November. I worked with my doctor to find alternate ways to relieve my pain, such as trigger point injections and physical therapy along with home traction and TENS units. Maybe talk to your doctor and explain what is going on and see if there are other options.

I hope this helps and maybe someone else will have other options.

Take care and good luck,

Minn