Please help!!

[jarm02]

i take a veriety of medications there is
2 tramedo 200mg a day - back pain
2 brufen 400mg - back pain
6 codine forte 30mg - back pain & migraine
4 sandomigran 0.5mg - migraine
1 mianserin 20mg - depression
1 lipitor 20mg - cholesterol
and i take all of that in a day, every day, i would really like to stop taking so many pills but if i miss just 1 dose i'm in so much pain, i also need to lose weight but can't seem to move it as most things hurt me so much.
do any of my medications make you gain weight?
what else can i do to help myself?

sincerely jarm02

[Tuckamore]

Hello Jarm,

Welcome!

If I understand your correctly you are wondering if any of the medications you are being prescribed can cause weight gain... correct?

Without spending a lot of time investigating each med I can't answer that question with certainty. Here's what I do know. Your Pharmacist will have the best response... they are a free consult and the true expert in medications and their side effects.

It's not unusual for ppl with chronic pain, even managed chronic pain to gain weight. Several things can occur. Opiates can increase your appetite as can decreased pain. However chronic pain is usually aggravated by activity ... so we tend to reduce our activity, sometimes without even realizing it.  When you add all these factors together it can add pounds.

What else can you do to help yourself? Are you being followed by a good PMP? They are usually able to offer suggestions/treatments other then medications. I would consult your PMP (or find a good PMP) and ask what additional options are available to you. Believe me the good ones don't want to load you up on meds anymore then you want to take them.... so they are open to offering options that don't include medications.

A second, third or even forth opinion can't hurt... so I would seek out options if your current physician has none to offer.

I hope you will let us know how you are doing. I wish you the very best.

Peace,
~Tuck

[luv2bmomjen]

I dont know that I can help with much advice.  But i can tell you that I understand.  Started being treated with pills in 2007 on a daily basis.  Now here is my lineup DAILY:

Tramadol 400mg
Diazapam 10mg
Fentanol patches 32mg time release patches on all the time
Oxycodone 15mg 5X daily so 75g a day
Soma 4 325mg tabs daily
Cymbalta 30mg

I always want to make it less and stop something.  Over the years I have come on and off of many others as well but always replacing them with something else it seems.  If I miss anything I am in MAJOR pain.  My daily life is very hard and I am raising a large family.
I understand how you feel.  My next to go will be the tramadol and not replacing it with anything.