Medication Help

[Keri11]

Hello everyone, I am new to the Pain Management community and have only been in pain management for a few months. I am healing from a very painful surgery. I will spare everyone the details, but would love some feedback from anyone who has some input. I have significantly reduced the amount of medication since my operation. Initially, I was prescribed to take medication every 3-4 hours since I was in excruciating pain. I now only need the medicine twice a day to keep pain under control. The problem is, the strength of the medication is no longer working for me. Since I don't want to increase or change medications (as I am hoping to be done with pain management as soon as possible), are there any alternative methods to manage pain? Is it normal to have your medication stop working? I have an appointment with a naturopath soon and am also wondering if anyone has had any success handling their pain naturally? I figure it couldn't hurt to give it a try, since my current medication isn't working as well. Any thoughts, suggestions and ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time! :)

[glassdana01]

I have been on opiate pain medicaion for diabetic neuropathy for years.  Recently my physician closed shop and moved away leaving me hanging with no pain management.  The doctors in the community are afraid to prescribe pain medication as it has become an epidemic throughout.  I have read the laternatives such as acupuncture or biofeedback but I was hoping that someone would know a herbal supplement that I could take;.  I went from 10/500 Lortab 4X's aday to nothing,,,,Please help.

[Keri11]

Thanks for your suggestions. I will definately look into everything. Take care :)

[sandee1818]

Due to tolerence issues your medications will not work as welll over a period of time. There are several herbs and holistic approaches to pain management. I can't say they have been effective n my case but as you say it is worth a try.

Here are a few...

Health-food stores are full of herbal supplements purported to reduce pain, but be careful.
The FDA does not regulate these supplements, and some of them have negative side effects, particularly when combined with over-the-counter pain medications.
Acupuncture.
This ancient Chinese practice involves inserting long, thin needles into various points on the body. The idea behind this is that optimal health is achieved when energy flows freely through
the body, and the needles remove any blockages of this energy.
Acupuncture has been used successfully to alleviate pain from musculoskeletal issues as well as headaches.

Massage.
Not just a perk for wealthy spa-goers, massage has in recent years come to be recognized as important to overall health.
It reduces muscle tension and stress, can relieve soreness, and may
even boost your immune system.

Biofeedback.
This teaches you to focus on your body's response to pain and stress via a monitoring system that gives off sounds or visual cues whenever your muscles tense.
Eventually you become able to use nothing more t
han conscious thought to change your physiological response to a particular type of stress on your body.

Hypnosis.
Popular as a cure for smoking as well as overeating, hypnosis can also be used to manage pain.
A trained clinician induces an altered state of consciousness, making you more receptive to suggestions of behavioral changes that can reduce your pain.
For instance, if you suffer from chronic lower back pain,
under hypnosis you might be taught to visualize your back muscles opening up. Some people can even learn to hypnotize themselves.

Guided imagery.
This involves imagining yourself in a peaceful setting.
The more detailed the scene, the more your mind can truly transport you out of your discomfort and into the soothing scene.

[Mollyrae]

Hi Keri:

Since you were on a fairly high dose of medication, it is normal for the dose you're currently on to be less effective. I woudl suggest that if the pain is still somewhat bad, you should contact your Doctor and discuss the possibility of either going back to your earlier dosage or go to a long acting pain medication.

Please take care,
Mollyrae