Trying different pain creams

[Marisa1010]

Hello,

Do you just have to keep trying different medications until something works? There are so many different pain creams available. Has anyone purchased any pain creams online? How do you judge the credibility of these creams?

Thanks for your help,
Marisa

[Marisa1010]

Thanks for everyone's responses. Very helpful. I almost bought a capsaicin cream online - it says it's non-burning.

[Jaybay]

Jaded - I've never used Capsacin (sp?!) but it contains the same ingredient that makes hot peppers... HOT!  If you ever come in contact with the stuff again, try milk or any milk product like ice cream to neutralize the fire.  I don't remember why it works, but it works wonders for my mouth if I get an extra hot bit of something in a meal.  Great excuse for a little ice cream!  :-D

[JadedSweetheart]

I have tried a bunch of them and find they just don't penetrate deep enough to where my pain really is.  When I have really irritating nerve pain that just won't go away, though, I use a menthol patch, like BenGay or Absorbine Jr. and it works a little bit.  
I would warn anyone about using Capascin.  I used the off-brand, so maybe that's where my problem was but the stuff just burned and burned for about 16 hours.  It felt like my skin was blistering and peeling off but it wasn't, it wasn't even red.  It wouldn't even come off in the shower and kept me up all night with an ice pack on it.  
It WAS very penetrating, though, and my husband claims "once you get used to it, it doesn't burn like that", but I'd never touch the stuff again.

[mellie4]

I use creams but they are prescribed.  I also use a lidoderm patch.  I find both to be helpful.

I first tried the joint-ritis years ago.  I didn't know it had been discontinued.  I didn't get much, if any, relief from it.  A nurse friend gave me a sample of Voltaren gel and it worked great.  I asked my surgeon about it and they gave me some samples and a prescription.  (It' expensive, around $200 a tube.

Now I use a compounded cream prescribed by my PM nurse practitioner.  It has about seven different things in it.  I know 2 of the ingredients are ketamine and lidocaine but I can't remember the rest.  (This also runs around $200.)  I find this works a bit better than the Voltaren.

The lidoderm patch I cut to fit my hand, where the worst of my pain is, but I also use it whole on my hip, where I also have extreme arthritis pain.

I'd ask your doctor about a prescription cream.  I'm not sure the OTC ones work that well.

[GettingOlder]

I've given up on using the creams for my arthitis. I used to use joint-ritis, but it's been discontinued now, also it was a roll on and not cream.