Pain medications?

[SuperMonkey76]

Hi There ya'll!

Just wondering if any other fellows have a awful time with pain meds.
I was diagnosed 2015, surgery, you know the drill.
But when it comes to pain meds, I have avoided their use.
However, my flare is bad, and I need some relief, but even the most mild pain meds cause me problems
So...here's my question(s)
What do you take when pain meds are off the table?
I have a pain management doc, but pain control in patients with Crohn's isn't his strong suit.
I heard people finding relief with muscle relaxers, or low dose benzos.
Now obviously, the best person to discuss this with is my doc, I would just like to be able to add some suggestions because I don't want to do the guinea pig method.

Remicade every 6 weeks since 1/25/2018
Tramadol 50 mg

 

[ronroush7]

After surgery, the doctor has put me on oxycontin. Other than that, I do Extra Strength Tylenol. Please consult with your doctor before starting any medicine.

 

[SuperMonkey76]

Thanks RonRoush7!

I have tried to take pain meds here recently, and all but one produce obstruction like symptoms.
That's why I think a muscle relaxer might be the way to go.
They still slow motility, but no as much as pain meds which is a bonus.
I just can't help but think my pain is caused more by cramps then anything else...that's why I nothing but problems when I try to take pain meds.

Tylenol has never worked, only ibuprofen which is also off the table.

 

[Tommy21bn]

Get off Tramadol asap. Coming off Tramadol was the worst experience of my life. It is only used as a last resort in the UK due to its addictive nature.

 

[Echodog]

Get off Tramadol asap. Coming off Tramadol was the worst experience of my life. It is only used as a last resort in the UK due to its addictive nature.

I had a great pain management dr. Percocet seemed to be the best thing for me. It took care of the pain and slowed down motility so I wasn’t running to the bathroom all the time.

 

[Bufford]

I too take Percocet and its been reliable relief for years now. I respect them for their addictive nature and use less rather than more. For minor pain I take Tylenol #1 with codeine.

 

[cmack]

I too take Percocet and its been reliable relief for years now. I respect them for their addictive nature and use less rather than more. For minor pain I take Tylenol #1 with codeine.

Same here except I had to take lactulose to prevent constipation while on Percocet. Tylenol #1 and Tylenol#3 seems to be okay with my system in small doses. I didn't experience any severe withdrawl as I weened myself off the percocet over ten days or so. You could mention these options to the doctor and see what he says. Not everyone is easily addicted, however some are. Good luck.

 

[Bufford]

Don't want to go off of them as this pain control has been effective, and my stools are quite loose. The doctor believes that the percocet helps firm up my stool.

 

[ronroush7]

I think I was prescribed Percocet at one time also.

 

[Echodog]

Percocet slows motility as do most narcotics. I’ve tried a ton of pain meds (I have a pain management dr) and for me, Percocet has been a life saver. It has allowed me to have a normal life where I’m not focused on the pain and instead am able to live my life.
While I recognize the issue of opioid addiction, I am taking my meds as prescribed and am grateful that I have access to them. Pain is not relative. It hurts as much as it can until something comes along that hurts more. This is what opioids are for and it frustrates me that people abuse them (and the fact that heroin is lumped in with opioids). Those of us that really need them are going to have a harder time getting them (at least in the US). There shouldn’t be a stigma to using or prescribing these drugs especially when they do what they are supposed to so well

 

[Maya142]

Echodog, I absolutely agree. My daughter has had to be on pain meds because she has severe arthritis. She will be having major surgery on one of her joints this summer. In the last year, being on pain meds has been hard.

Insurance has given us trouble, doctors are getting more and more cautious and pharmacies have started setting limits on how much can be prescribed (I believe Walmart will only dispense a 7 day prescription for new patients - even if the patient has a chronic issue).

Our pain management doctor has said it is getting harder and harder and now insurance companies are really putting up more and more hoops to prevent higher doses from being prescribed.

I think chronic pain patients are the ones that'll suffer - even if they have always followed the rules .

 

[Bufford]

I have to totally agree with what Echodog stated. The problem today is that politics have entered the medicine cabinet. The crisis today is not about addiction, it is about patients being denied the opiates they need which are important tools for coping with pains that ordinary politicians simply do not understand.
I went for about a year without a prescription and my quatity of life was compromised by the pain. Elevated pain leads to stress, which then agravates the Crohn's in a vicious cycle of misery. I took more acetaminophen to cope which also becomes a burden for internal organs such as the liver, it made me feel like garbage. It was with relief that I found a new doctor who understands pain, then wrote prescriptions for percocet again.

 

[Anna's Bandit]

Monkey : I am not prescribed any pain medication at this time. But I have been prescribed hydrocodone in the past for another health condition. My doctor stopped prescribing it after three months, he just cut me off.

I understand both sides of this story. I have met people who got addicted and had to go to rehab to get clean. But my personal experience with hydrocodone was a positive one and I took my medication as prescribed.

I take benzodiazepines right now for anxiety and I want to get weaned off of them, under a doctors supervision of course.

Hope you find out what works for you.
Lynda

Bufford : Acetaminophen hurts my liver ! I just bought a huge bottle, 225 pills ! I have been taking 3 a day for a week.

 

[Bufford]

Lynda, how large are the tablets? My doctor said not to take more than 2,000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day.

 

[Anna's Bandit]

The capsules are 500 mg each.