Hydrocodone

[+ bashful]

Hopefully you have talked to your doctor about all the things you are feeling, but physically and emotionally. I know that can be difficult, just opening up, or having enough time at an appointment, when the doctors these days seem to be in and out of the room so they can churn patients, and spend more time looking at their laptop or computer screen before looking at you. But, it's vital they know the whole person. If your doctor doesn't seem interested in anything other than symptoms, it may be time for, and yes, it can be long and frustrating, a search for a new doctor.

[+ Avalon]

Hopefully you have talked to your doctor about all the things you are feeling, but physically and emotionally. I know that can be difficult, just opening up, or having enough time at an appointment, when the doctors these days seem to be in and out of the room so they can churn patients, and spend more time looking at their laptop or computer screen before looking at you. But, it's vital they know the whole person to treat all of you. If your doctor doesn't seem interested in anything other than symptoms, may be time for, and yes, it can be long and frustrating, a search for a new doctor.

 

I have a good doctor; I've been seeing him for almost 30 years. He is quite sympathetic. Last year as the anniversary of my mother's death was approaching one office visit I broke down and cried.

 

He has saved my life - literally. I have suffered over the years from cellulitis on my right leg. Back in 1999 I was hospitalized for two weeks and one week in 2006. It returned in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 but shots and meds took care of it.

[+ bashful]

I have a good doctor; I've been seeing him for almost 30 years. He is quite sympathetic. Last year as the anniversary of my mother's death was approaching one office visit I broke down and cried.

 

He has saved my life - literally. I have suffered over the years from cellulitis on my right leg. Back in 1999 I was hospitalized for two weeks and one week in 2006. It returned in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 but shots and meds took care of it.

 

Good to hear you have a good doctor.

Edited March 8, 2018 by bashful

[+ OliverSaks]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/opioids-no-better-than-tylenol-for-chronic-pain-study-finds/

[+ Avalon]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/opioids-no-better-than-tylenol-for-chronic-pain-study-finds/

 

Interesting. Thank-you for sharing.

[+ Funguy]

Some types of nerve pain are unrelenting and opioids are in fact the best and some cases only option for it. Yes it's stupid to give it to people for a single day of pain. It's equally stupid to cut off someone with a chronic condition who is not going to be able to function without it.

 

Agree 1,000%

See above, thread #14, paragraph 2. Your use of the word"unrelenting" is how I describe it to my doctor and he is well-aware of what it means.

 

Sorry your sister is going thru what she has to deal with and cope with a lack of pain meds. Do you live in a 420 accepting state or have access to edibles? They can be very powerful adjuncts to care and the staff never needs to know.

 

Many years ago my 96 year old uncle fell and fractured a vertebra in his back - EXCRUCIATING pain and his doc said take ibuprofen. Mind you he was 96 tho totally otherwise mentally and physically intact. My cousin (his daughter) called me in tears to ask what to do and I immediately got him a bottle of morphine and when that was done, another. I also reamed out his doctor whose response was that he didn't want him to get addicted!!! I practically yanked him thru my phone and said, "What's going to kill him first, being addicted to morphine for excruciating pain or old age?!" I pride myself in listening to the patient; this guy certainly did not!

[+ bashful]

he didn't want him to get addicted!!!

 

That doctor is an ass. At 96 years old, or anyone else, no matter what age, in the late stages of cancer, comfort is paramount. Let them be addicted.

[+ sniper]

I'd want to know what doses they were giving in that study. Because Tylenol has never seemed to affect me at all when I've taken it, and there are severe limits on the amount of Tylenol you can take due to liver toxicity. And if the opioids they were using were ones that were combined with tylenol, the problem could have been that they couldn't give as much opioid as the patient needed because of the acetaminophen limit.

[BabyBoomer]

I'd want to know what doses they were giving in that study. Because Tylenol has never seemed to affect me at all when I've taken it, and there are severe limits on the amount of Tylenol you can take due to liver toxicity. And if the opioids they were using were ones that were combined with tylenol, the problem could have been that they couldn't give as much opioid as the patient needed because of the acetaminophen limit.

 

IIRC, several years ago the amount of acetaminophen in both Vicodin & Percocet was reduced.

 

~Boomer~

[phraughy]

Anyone take Hydrocodone? My doctor prescribed it because of the arthritis in my knees. It's an opioid and I've heard the horror stories on the news about opioids. I only took one pill; it made me sleepy.

Why on earth have you been prescribed hydrocodone for arthritis? Get a new doctor, you are on a certain path to addiction. There are numerous drugs that can be used to manage arthritis that are not addictive.

[+ Avalon]

Why on earth have you been prescribed hydrocodone for arthritis? Get a new doctor, you are on a certain path to addiction. There are numerous drugs that can be used to manage arthritis that are not addictive.

 

As I have said I only took it one time and have no plans to take anymore.

[+ Funguy]

IIRC, several years ago the amount of acetaminophen in both Vicodin & Percocet was reduced.

 

~Boomer~

 

Unfortunately, not quite accurate. You can get any dosage of hydrocodone - 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 mg with any dosage of Tylenol from 300 - 325 - 500 mg. Just depends on what the doc orders. Now, you can get hydrocodone with IBUPROFEN (vicoprofen.) The only hangup is cost. I do not know what the various co-pays bring it to but on goodrx.com the cash price for 10 mg with 325 of Tylenol #120 is as cheap as $28 vs with ibuprofen is $166.

[+ Avalon]

Is Ibuprofen an Opioid?

[BabyBoomer]

Is Ibuprofen an Opioid?

 

No. It's NSAID. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

 

~Boomer~

[+ Avalon]

No. It's NSAID. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

 

~Boomer~

 

Good! I take that. Thanks!

[+ Pensant]

I’ve had several sports related ortho procedures and always come home with hydrocodone or Percocet. It’s almost like the goodie bag that the dentists office gives you. I only tried one dose once. Not only did I hate the constipation, but I tolerated the pain well and only used ibuprofen for any pain control, which a new study seems to indicate works better for joint pain than the prescription drugs.

 

I’d also suggest active release therapy for joint pain. It’s a newer form of chiropractic that really works. I recovered from a severe shoulder injury quickly combining great physical therapy, ART and heavily banded pull ups.

 

Having said this, I’ve rarely had low back pain and can’t imagine the suffering related to it.

[Populist Fury]

I took Vicodin for several years just to feel good, & never really become addicted to it. Dropped it w/o a problem once I stopped getting access to it, never took more than necessary either. Now I just take one Norco with matcha green tea or coffee in the morning on those days when I don't get enough sleep at night like today.

 

Not everyone becomes addicted to substances, but others do right away, & it's not because they're weak, probably just predisposed to it or something...

[+ quoththeraven]

Tylenol only works on fever for me. Anything else and I take ibuprofen. In fact, ibuprofen is the only drug that relieves dental pain for me. I had inflammation from a cold that affected my teeth that Tylenol with codeine didn't touch but 2 200 mg of ibuprofen 4 times a day (otherwise I woke up at 3 am) did.

 

How you respond to drugs depends. It's not the same for everybody.

[+ Avalon]

My doctor told me that Ibuprofen can "eat" one's gut so he gave me a prescription for this to counter any bad effect the Ibuprofen might cause.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famotidine

[Rudynate]

It sure is amazing how so many people react so differently and have different ideas of what should and should not be done with hydrocodone.

 

I see a highly respected pain management specialist and have for about 25 years. I have had several back surgeries for spondylolisthesis (needed a fusion), discectomies, radio-frequency denervations (actually burn to selectively destroy certain nerve fibers,) and on and on. I was on various pain medications in the beginning ranging from non-steroidals to oxycontin, oral morphine, fentanyl patches and finally hydrocodone 10 mg a day (at night) now for 20 years. I have chronically inflamed crossed nerve fibers at 2 levels in the upper part of my back that have not responded to anything else (tho just recently I had a denervation procedure that i am hoping will relieve the excruciating pain I experience at night or when lying down at any time.)

 

I have never been addicted and I can go weeks and weeks without the hydrocodone. But once the back starts up, nothing other than that, sublingual fentanyl (unavailable at this point) or morphine will take care of it. I mention the morphine only because I was hospitalized a few years ago for something totally unrelated and I asked my doc to order the hydrocodone for me at approximately 12 - 1 AM every night if I needed it. If he didn't already have it ordered I would go hours without getting it. So, the first night I asked for the hydrocodone and in comes a syringe of morphine and I was back to sleep in 10 minutes instead of the 45 min to an hour the hydrocodone takes. However, I did tell him that, though it was wonderful, I really didn't need it but, after consultation with my pain management specialist, he disagreed and it was nice for 4 nights.

 

I mention all of this because I have neither become addicted after 20 years nor have I become tolerant, requiring higher and higher doses. I do agree with most of the above noted issues but I am under active care and monitoring by a pain manager. The only medication to adequately control the excruciating chronic pain, other than the morphine or hydrocodone, has been sublingual (under the tongue) fentanyl and, as i said, that is virtually unavailable above-board. And, believe me I have been on just about everything for periods of time to adequately assess results. And yes, it really should only be used for short-term treatment but there are exceptions.

 

I also have a deal with the doc: only HE prescribes the Norco. Not me, no other doctors either. I get 100 tabs and I am back to see him in 90 days. If other pain control is needed for another reason, it goes thru him only. And also, I use self-hypnosis, visualization, meditation, and other sorts of more "organic" aides but, when in excruciating pain, it's very difficult to manage those modalities.

 

 

I've had my share of back problems and taken bushels of neurontin, norco, tramadol, dilaudid and valium. I even enjoyed it. But after I didn't need it, I didn't take it. I had my last spine surgery 7 years ago. I have worked so hard at rehab that I am pain free, it's as though none of it ever happened.

[+ Funguy]

I've had my share of back problems and taken bushels of neurontin, norco, tramadol, dilaudid and valium. I even enjoyed it. But after I didn't need it, I didn't take it. I had my last spine surgery 7 years ago. I have worked so hard at rehab that I am pain free, it's as though none of it ever happened.

 

Been there, done it all, got the T-shirt! Even added a few you didn't mention: oxycontin (really messed my head), oral morphine, etc. All under strict supervision.

Last real surgical procedures were 1995 & 1997. Many many other procedures - denervations, epidural endoscopies (forget regular epidurals), facet blocks, etc. etc. etc. Rehabbed the hell out of it with a rehab trainer, looked fantastic, still hurt like hell on and off. Turned out I had all sorts of nerve issues. My last ditch effort was 10 days ago to have another radio-frequency denervation (burn the fuckin nerves!)

So far so good . . .

It's been a whole lot of years since I've had even 1 pain free day.

[Rudynate]

Been there, done it all, got the T-shirt! Even added a few you didn't mention: oxycontin (really messed my head), oral morphine, etc. All under strict supervision.

Last real surgical procedures were 1995 & 1997. Many many other procedures - denervations, epidural endoscopies (forget regular epidurals), facet blocks, etc. etc. etc. Rehabbed the hell out of it with a rehab trainer, looked fantastic, still hurt like hell on and off. Turned out I had all sorts of nerve issues. My last ditch effort was 10 days ago to have another radio-frequency denervation (burn the fuckin nerves!)

So far so good . . .

It's been a whole lot of years since I've had even 1 pain free day.

 

My rehab has been a little bit counter-intuitive. Conventional wisdom has it that once you've had a fusion, you're done doing squats and deadlifts. I do squats and deadlifts. I do keep the resistance down. I had some problems with my hips but I have a set of hip mobility exercises that keeps my hips very comfortable.

 

I've only had two procedures - a l3-s1 decompression in 2009 and a l4-s1 fusion in 2011. In addition to curing my back pain, it cured me of ever having an elective surgery again.

[+ Funguy]

My rehab has been a little bit counter-intuitive. Conventional wisdom has it that once you've had a fusion, you're done doing squats and deadlifts. I do squats and deadlifts. I do keep the resistance down. I had some problems with my hips but I have a set of hip mobility exercises that keeps my hips very comfortable.

 

I've only had two procedures - a l3-s1 decompression in 2009 and a l4-s1 fusion in 2011. In addition to curing my back pain, it cured me of ever having an elective surgery again.

 

I had L3-4 fusion in 1995 with bone graft instead of titanium, discectomy L4-S1 in 1997; multiple epidural endoscopies to remove my arch-enemy - scar tissue - from 1998 - 2005. Multiple radio frequency denervations at multiple levels from T8 - S1; facet blocks; now waiting to have my brain pithed and I can be put out of misery. Tho, hopefully this last denervation will do the trick!

 

You are right on both counts - squats/dead lifts and elective surgery. I did not do the squats and dead lifts until a year after the initial fusion, stopped after the discectomy for about 6 months. My doc was not in favor of them but my rehab trainer was. I did them but carefully. Of course, now, I go at it weekly and if I don't work out for more than 2 weeks I am in trouble. Hips are also a problem if i don't stretch every day.

 

My pain management specialist won't let me near a surgeon except to have 1 shoulder repaired. I then tore the other rotator cuff but went for the PRP instead and it has been fantastic. I only needed x1 and my doc cautioned me if I didn't rehab it then I'd be back. Back to 98% now! No chance for surgery!

[Rudynate]

I had L3-4 fusion in 1995 with bone graft instead of titanium, discectomy L4-S1 in 1997; multiple epidural endoscopies to remove my arch-enemy - scar tissue - from 1998 - 2005. Multiple radio frequency denervations at multiple levels from T8 - S1; facet blocks; now waiting to have my brain pithed and I can be put out of misery. Tho, hopefully this last denervation will do the trick!

 

You are right on both counts - squats/dead lifts and elective surgery. I did not do the squats and dead lifts until a year after the initial fusion, stopped after the discectomy for about 6 months. My doc was not in favor of them but my rehab trainer was. I did them but carefully. Of course, now, I go at it weekly and if I don't work out for more than 2 weeks I am in trouble. Hips are also a problem if i don't stretch every day.

 

My pain management specialist won't let me near a surgeon except to have 1 shoulder repaired. I then tore the other rotator cuff but went for the PRP instead and it has been fantastic. I only needed x1 and my doc cautioned me if I didn't rehab it then I'd be back. Back to 98% now! No chance for surgery!

 

 

Would PRP help post-traumatic osteoarthritis?

[+ Funguy]

Probably not.

It's more for torn ligaments and the like rather than arthritis. BUT, always ask. There are meds besides cortisone that can be injected.