New pain killer to try.

[berlingoyp]

Hi, I am waiting for an operation on my back, surgeon said some time before Christmas, I am in very bad pain I can not walk for the pain in my legs and back, my doctor put me on Pregabalina at 100 mg , that did not help so he put them up to 300 mg a day, no good, so could you recommend a pain killer that will work with L5/S1. the constant pain is really getting me down. Yours Keith Naylor.

[Toni_Paugh]

Hi. I go to Pain management for chronic pain, so I can only tell you what I know from my own experience. It sounds like you tried Lyrica (it's similar to Neurotin), those didn't help me any. You could try Cymbalta, it's for depression, but also used for pain. There are many different narcotic options, most people know of a few....oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine. There are also other options that Pain management could suggest. If you're not interested in Pain management then your doctor might be comfortable with prescribing Tramadol/Ultram, it works just like a narcotic. I do caution you on the use of narcotics, they work for pain, but come with a downside. I hope this was helpful.

[BetterGetBetter]

Most of us cannot prescribe or advise (we are not physicians), but I am aware of seemingly countless medications that are available. Those medications fall into "classes." Your Pregabalin is an "anti-seizure" medication which has been found to lower the nerves' ability to send pain signals -- that's why it's helpful to a lot of people with back/neck/nerve pain. Another class of medications are the "opiates" (like morphine, hydrocodone, codeine, etc.). Physicians tend to prescribe opiates when pain is non-responsive to other medications/treatments and when both the physician and patient believe their benefits outweigh the "negatives" (such as needing more and more pills to achieve the same effect "dependence," etc.). Another class of medications are steroids (prescribed to reduce inflammation), and the "non-steroidal" anti-inflammatories, many of which are over-the-counter (ibuprofen, naproxyn, etc.). And, then there are medications which are intended for one thing, but prescribed for another (called "off-label" prescribing -- like prescribing a low dose antidepressant for pain, instead of depression). Etc. Etc. Etc. too many to mention here :-)

Most importantly, please do not neglect considering "simple" old-fashioned NON-pill treatments, like ice (ice packs), therapeutic exercise, massage, heat (hot water bottle), diet and healthy weight (less body fat = less your spine has to hold). Of course, even though these "simple" treatments are things you can do yourself, you want to make sure to get the "green light" get the "okay" from your doctor on these (e.g. heat might be bad, but cold might be good, or vice versa).

So I answered your question here, not to really 'suggest' anything in particular, but so that you would have some interesting things to think about and consider. The fact is, your doctor has several years of university learning, as well as real-world "boots-on-the-ground" experience, and would/should know a lot more than some anonymous internet forum poster like me. Therefore, please let your doctor know just what you said. Print out this page and bring it in! And before you know it, you'll have had your surgery and you'll be good as new!

Good luck!!