Pain Relief

[Tyek]

I have a quick question for those who have pain issues> I got the unhappy news this week that the stabbing pain I am feeling in my muscle near my knee is there because the metal plate they installed with the last surgery was in a place that they could not easily make it flat with the bone. As a result, now that I am walking everyday again, the muscle is stabbed and stabbed repeatedly all day. I cannot have the plate removed until the week of Thanksgiving since it is still helping the leg recover. They can inject novacaine in it regularly, but that can have bad side effects over time. I have extra strength Vicodan to get me through it, but as I have said in other posts, I have been on pain meds on and off now for 7 years and I can't find anything else that works very well, but I want to get off these damn pills. I have heard acupuncture can work, anyone try this?

8 more months of this is going to be brutal and I do not want to use crutches. I have decided to adopt the screw it, do whatever you want it is going to hurt anyway theory, but if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate them a lot.

[Fash]

Have you tried marijuana? Not saying it will help with your issue, but it might, and it's natural.

If you haven't done it before, it may take at least 2 attempts before it affects you.

[Tyek]

Yeah I discussed that in another thread. Midnyte was concerned about medical marijuana machines and I pointed out it was better then what the pain meds were doing to my liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal systems. I am not sure if I could get a script for it, or even how to go about getting one. I doubt my doctor would be ok with it.

I was wondering if muscle relaxers would work, but they mess you up badly I hear.

[Ashur]

Vodka. It's not just for breakfast anymore.

[Aardor]

Yeah I discussed that in another thread. Midnyte was concerned about medical marijuana machines and I pointed out it was better then what the pain meds were doing to my liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal systems. I am not sure if I could get a script for it, or even how to go about getting one. I doubt my doctor would be ok with it.

I was wondering if muscle relaxers would work, but they mess you up badly I hear.

I'm sure this suggestion is worthless because your doctor (and probably you) know a hell of a lot more about pain meds than i do, but generally pain meds cause liver/kidney/gastrointestinal problems because of the acetaminophen in them (Vicodin definitely has this). Acetaminophen has been recently shown to be pretty worthless as far as pain management goes, so I wonder if you could get a pill that does not contain it? You could also try extracting the acetaminophen out of the pill, but that would be a major PITA to do regularly.

Vodka. It's not just for breakfast anymore.

Acetaminophen + alcohol = good way to develop liver problems

[Tyek]

We switched over this week to vicoprofen. When you have surgery you cannot have ibuprofen for a while because it does create bleeding issues. With my muscle getting stabbed over and over, we are trying heat and cold, anti inflammatory pills and pain meds.

I was trying to come up with something more natural. Even sleeping is hard because any movement forces the muscle over the plate. I freaked my wife out the other night when I yelled out after turning.

[Fairweather Pure]

My mother has general mylagia pretty much all the time. She siad thier hot tub is a godsend. Failing that, how about a whirlpool tub at home or just hot showers/baths?

Kind of off topic, but my friend who gets dibilitating migraines can basically control them through the use of extremely hot and cold showers. Weird, but it works for him.

[Tyek]

I actually was able to write off part of my spa as a medical necessity due to this!

[Tyek]

I called a medical marijuana place today. They have multiple options that do not involve smoking the pills. They said I would need to bring my medical records, but with 7 - soon to be 8 surgeries over the past 8 years and the metal plate issue I would qualify easily. They also think it is much safer then vicodan.

[MooZilla]

Marijuana. And lots of it. That's the first thing that popped into my head when i read this. What state do you live in?

Edit: Ok, California has a great system I've heard. It's quite easy to get a medical card to buy medical marijuana at head shops. Certain doctors will give it to you if you have any chronic pain in your medical history.

[Tyek]

How long does the pain relief last? Anyone know? Also in pill form, would I still get the munchies. I do not want to gain weight because of a pain pill making me hungry.

[Lalanae]

Have you tried opium? It's natural.

[Tyek]

Isn't that what Vicodan is based from?

[Truant]

Vicodan is an opiate, yes.

A great many drugs, legal and not, are opiates.

[Asheran Mojomaster]

Medical marijuana all the way. I wish I lived somewhere that my fiancee could have it prescribed. Does wonders for her migraines. A friend of mine is a patient. He goes to school here so he can't get it now, but back in Cali he has it for insomnia. Honestly, it is great for pain relief. I smoke regularly (or I did, I have to stop now for a job and probably won't resume any time soon), and every time I've had any sort of pain, headaches to a partial rip in a tendon, smoking a little extra has helped more than any pain meds. I haven't broken a bone since I was 4, and I've never had surgery anywhere other than my mouth (falling on your face + pavement = ow), but I assume it would at least help.

[Tyek]

It definitely helped with the pain. The question is, can I function with it on a regular basis. I am not sure, it felt much stronger then the extra strength Norco/Vicodan I have now. It is also getting harder to get in my area. Most of the Inland Empire locations have been closed down by the county.

The other question I would have is can you travel with it, in it's pill form? I asked the TSA guy on my last flight and he did not know.

[Winnow]

bah! posted in wrong thread. removed.
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[redeemed]

well that was random winnow.. or maybe I didn't read enough ;p

my 2cents = naproxen sodium rulez!! (although I just take it for all my "minor" pains, it really works)

[Tyek]

naproxen did nothing for me.

[Funkmasterr]

There isn't much that a bowl of weed with a little opium tossed into the mix won't help

[Chidoro]

naproxen did nothing for me.

That's because it's just aleve.

[Clatis]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XWGg5KptqdM

5 bucks, worth a shot, right?

[Jarori Bloodletter]

Cronic pain sux ass let me tell you, Ive had 2 back surgeries over the last 10 yrs and i have YET to find a good option for the relief. I stopped smoking weed over 16 yrs ago as it makes me paranoid bigtime so I cant comment on that but, I have pain STILL and mostly I just relax ie: dont move around much cept to use the restroom and cook. I do take Tylenol and somedays take Hydrocodone 5mg when it gets really bad. Sleep as much as you can heh.

Good luck tho its a bitch.

[Tyek]

that is all

[Tegellan]

I had acupubcture treatmenbt for sleep trouble and it really helped me there. The woman claimed she could do a lot for pain too, but I can't attest to that. I can say that it really helped me relax though, and that it helped with my sleeping problems.

[Sueven]

Sorry to hear it.

Acupuncture is effective for a variety of people for a variety of things. I have no idea whether it'll work for you or not, but it's worth a try. It can't hurt you, and it has a reasonable chance of helping, so... might as well.

Marijuana might very well be effective, but it definitely can interfere with your day to day functioning. Depending on what form you take it in and what your tolerance is like and all that, you might have to limit your use, so it wouldn't be helpful all the time. Additionally-- DO NOT take your pills on a plane. You'd probably get away with it-- because nobody's going to be looking for weed in pill form-- but your pills are very likely illegal wherever you're going, and there's a real possibility that you could be arrested for it. They're technically illegal in California, too, as the federal ban supersedes the state legality, but there aren't any federal law enforcement officers rolling around California looking to bust medicinal patients, so you should be clear there. On the plus side, it is less physiologically dangerous, and less likely to be addictive, than opiate painkillers. So, if it works for you, you might as well use it whenever you can safely do so, to reduce your opiate intake if for no other reason.

Beyond that-- I dunno, hot tubs, warm baths? Unfortunately, your pain isn't a result of muscle tightness or anything, but the result of an actual metal plate repeatedly jabbing into an actual muscle. That sounds like a tough kind of pain to alleviate.

[Tyek]

Just using the old thread. This was several surgeries ago. Just found out I will probably have to have my foot rebroken and a plate installed. Also still need the tendon in my other foot replaced. I finally went and got the official card. Trying the liquid form. Seems to really help the nerve damage, but you are right. Very limited on when I can use it.

[Aabidano]

Does your employer have an exemption in their drug policy for medical users? Recently saw where someone had been fired for pot use who had a prescription for it.

[Sueven]

That's a good warning, too. Not something I think of often, because nobody in my industry drug tests, but that's worth looking into.

[Tyek]

We have a drug policy, but I know of no one tested since the initial hiring test. It is a good question. I do not intend for this to be a long term solution. It was actually funny during the assessment, they asked how it has helped me in the past and I had no real answer since I don't use it.