pain management

Hi, I'm a 26 yr old woman and have been diagnosed with IC for about 5 years now. Over the past year and a half I was taking Norco, then progressed to taking Norco & oxycontin. I was taking a lot each day bc I got addicted. I quit cold turkey 5 days ago & experienced terrible withdrawals. I decided I didn't want to feed my addiction anymore, so I wanted off the opiates. However, the opiates have seemed to be the only thing that has helped me manage my pain. I refuse to get back on them. I have had surgery & tried all the other treatments for ic like DMSO, elmiron, etc. Does anyone know of any NON narcotic pain meds that really help with IC pain?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

You could try one of the non-opioid drugs used for neuropathic pain, though these may not be as effective as opioids and some may have a component causing dependence. It would be discuss this in detail with your treating doctor.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!

[Ellemma]

I was diagnosed with IC 3 years ago, and take a nerve pain killer for another condition that I've heard prescribed for IC - neurontin- it doesn't help for me, neither do the anti seizure pills I've taken for migraines. You might try a partial agonist opiate, like tramadol, partial agonists make addiction much less likely, but, of course, are no where near as potent. You can find a lot of info about partial agonists and how they work on Wikipedia, of all places !
Goog Luck!