Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Back Pain

I just got x-rays back and learned a lot about my back.

The transverse process on my Lumbar #5 sent out a wing that curves downward and then attached itself to my pelvis - and this prevents proper articulation. The sacroiliac joint on that side is now fusing, due to the weird articulation. I was also quizzed about the time I broke my back (wasn't aware that I had) (the T12) and how I was treated for it (I wasn't) - I did a lot of crazy things in my youth - and can't even recall doing anything that was out that of the ordinary. I also have scoliosis and have spinal bifida occulta. In short - it's a mess internally.

Here's my question - what is the ULTIMATE pain-killer that I should request? If surgery doesn't fix me - I'd like to know my analgesic options.

On bad nights, I have taken just about everything at I have - at once (some things double) - and it didn't make a dent in the pain. The only thing that has worked on the worst nights is booze (to the near pass-out stage) but, although that makes the pain bearable, - it totally wrecks my sleep.

I do not have an addictive personality.

Any recommendations that I should be asking about or discussing with my family doctor or my neuro-surgeon when I meet him in the way of treatment or pain-relief?

I'd like to be a knowledgeable patient when I meet these fellows.

thats a loaded question. everybodies pain tolerance and tolerance to drugs is different.

After 2 surgeries in 6 months on her back my wife takes hydrocodone and skalaxin. it doesnt make her loopy but dulls the pain so she can function. She has 1 other pill that makes her licks the walls but she doesnt take that unless she has a real bad day.

She will be on pills for the rest of her life with more surgeries to come so she just deals with it. All she cares about is if she can function.

Good luck

BCB,

Fore' ya' get all twisted on Laudanum, or worse,....
try,

Boiron # NDC 0220-9000-59

"Arnicare", Arnica Gel.......

www.arnicare,......... yadda,...com

TOPICAL ,....rub it on , and crash well for many hours.

I've tried it all,....legally,.....in the absence of legal Raw Coca leaf, brewed into "Mate Coca"

I'll pass on most of the rest. Too hard on the rest of ya'.

Pain hurts,.....sure certain, Homeopathic, and Naturopathic treatments will get you a lot further than most CMA "Pill Men"
will.

BDDT.

GTC

Have taken hydrocoden a few times for my back and after dental surgery type stuff. It works and let's you at least function tho if you go all out you'll be out of it so to speak.

I took percodan after a surgery once and one pill was enough for me. Waaaaaaay out there.

Sorry.....

I thought the post read "Sarah Palin", which can also be a pain....

Hydrocodone (vicodin) comes in two flavors- one is 5/500, or 5mg of narcotic with 500mg of aceteminophen (Tylenol) per tablet.
The other common dosage is 10/325 (sometimes called Norco).
Aceteminophen is known to possibly cause some liver damage if taken in large doses over extended periods of time, especially if involved with any intake of alcohol.
I take the Norco version on an as needed basis for my chronic back pain. The other opioids; percodan, percocet, oxycodone or oxycontin, are considerably stronger, and also more addictive. None of them good for you, but when pain is with you 24/7, you do what you have to do.
Do a search on oxycontin- there was a very long thread on it here not long ago.
Jim

The negative with any pain medication is that you build up a tolerance and start taking more with less effect. My grandfather served in the Navy and was wounded in WWII. The doctors prescribed generous amounts of pain killers that put him in a cloud and significantly reduced his quality of life. I currently have a Korean war veteran friend who is given all the vicodin he wants. Vicodin short term is ok, but after awhile the side affects are very apparent.

Besides you living in one of the most beautiful areas in the world, it is also very open minded - dare I say liberal. I would seriously consider cannabis as part of your medication regimen. The product today is very potent, so you require less, and it does not leave you in haze after. Good cannabis brings you up, and sets you down. There are so many types and variations that it would be difficult to build up a tolerance to anyone type. I have teenage kids now, so I abstain. But, if I am on vacation and hiking in the woods, I take aspirin, and if available, a couple of puffs of Indica for pain and stamina to help get my arse over hill and dale. Indica primarily effects the body, and is surprisingly effective when not abused. Not a cure all, but it may reduce the amount of synthetics you put in your body, which over a long period can add up.

We were all well groomed,...just down from the "Mountain" one night,

....flat BROKE,

in Banff.

A small roll of aluminum foil, and a pocket full of half dried elk turds saw us "pain free", and capitalised for a while.

....the yuppie downhill skiers that had bought the stuff as "really good chit" were chasing us around a bit.....after they tried to smoke it.

We ran faster, ....we were in better shape.

Avoid them chemicals dittos.

There's great Ukranian Poppy stock over in Cowtown. I know ya' don't like Alberta,....but in this case3 maybe you should make an exception.

GTC

My problem is that any pain killer will cause my digestion to declare war. Stomach cramps and irritable bowels, constipation, and all the discomfort they can bring. I had my former dentist screw up a root canal and drill up through the roots into my jaw. It got infected and I had to have the process redone twice, then I lost the tooth. I got a bottle of Vicodin. I took them for a couple days and felt like someone super glued my butt cheeks together. They are not for me. Advil bothers me too after a couple days.

My Aunt has a back problem and she gets shots in her back. I don't know if it's cortisone. She feels good when they're done. I know she goes 3 or 4 times a year. That would be my choice over pills. My stomach just won't take the meds.

If you want to maintain your mobility, find a top notch neurosurgeon, and fix the problem. I've been through this twice, most recently last December. An Ortho surgeon wanted to implant metal, fuse bone, and have me walking with a cane for the rest of my life. The Neuro had a completely different approach. I'm getting on with my life now with good mobility. I've had all the legal and illegal pain meds I could get my hands on, and none of them make you pain free. They take the edge off, but all have downsides. You just can't live normally while on this stuff. Best of luck with you back problems. I can truly empathize with you.

Brian, a pain in the back is ...well a pain in the back and effects everything you want to do. Like most people my age have had pain along the way. For me when pain such as yours occurs I take a big drink of rum before bed, this makes me fall asleep quickly and once asleep will remain that way most all of the night, pain pills just dull pain a bit for me, I don't smoke so a doob is not the answer for me but helps many people in pain. Hope you can get the issue resolved.

Not commenting on HC differences, but do you have access to a pain management specialist? I'd ask your DR for a referral for one.

narcotics depend greatly on the person and always start with the lowest dose possible cause your gonna build up a tolerance....

request some amitriptyline also called elavil and take it before bed, i use 30-40mg/night....technically it is an antidepressant, but thats not what the doc gave it to me for, in some chronic pain patients, such as myself, it works as a dimmer switch on the pain, instead of always being at a constant 6 or 7 on a 1-10 pain scale it keeps it down to a 3 or 4 constant with occasional spikes....after 3 years on it the only side effect i or my wife has noticed is cotton mouth for a couple hours after taking it....doesnt make me fuzzy, hasnt changed my personality and most importantly lets me get away with a hell of alot less in the opiate department.....

I have two words for you Brian, "prune juice".....

Physical therapy in the pool and now just swimming laps helps with my orthopedic slings and arrows... a TENS unit takes the edge off some of the time as well.

Too many people in my family line had problems with moderation... I'm really scared of the narcotics.... only use them if I have gone more than one day without any sleep.

Talking with other folks who are dealing with chronic pain helps too... there are several "regulars" at the pool I swim in... just a few minutes talking about how things are going pain management wise with others that have a clue about the effort needed to do so helps.

Good luck

Probably the strongest drug you can get is Dulaudid.Many times more potent as morphine.You could get a morphine pump implanted. When ever you get to that stage, you are mostly a vegeatble from the drugs.BTDT. Nuerontin is a drug that is given for spasims and siezures. I think Fentenal is only injectable.
As stated , they all get less effective over time and each has side effects. Vicodin and percocet are not very effcetive for severe pain
RE: neurosurgeons and orthpaedic surgeons. Each could fix your probelmm. Think of it as the neurosurgeon fixing the wiring and the orthpaedic surgeon fixing the structure. What you have is a structure problem, but I would check around and get several refernecs and then see the best you can find of ecah one.Remember some doctors graduated with 4.0 average, some squeaked through with a 2.0. When all said and done,you have to pick one you are comforatble with and trust.

I went with the orthopaedic surgeon after seeing two neurosurgeons.I have the rods,screws and cages in my back.Prepare to alter your life style and how you do things and to live within certain mandates like limited lifting, twisting, pushing and pulling for the rest of your life.If not you will find yourself under the knife again in the future.
I had a previous fusionin 69 of S1,F5,F4.The last one in 2008 fused F4 to F3

If they tell you in 6 weeks you will be healed,forget that.
The first month,you will be so weak ,you will have a hard time wlaking 100 yds. Three months and you will feel pretty good, a year and a half ,you will be back to normal ,if you follow the guide lines and exersize.
When you wake up after the surgery ,there will be a tube pumping pain medication right into the repair.They take that out in about two dyas,and then all your nerves wake up. Depending how tough you are,it either hurts s obad you'll cry mama or you will tough it out. That last about a week.

Articles I have read,say 75% of folks that have severe back problems are very satisfied after surgery. 50 % that have medium invasive surgery and not real bad problems are satisfied. Those with less severe symptoms are not very satisfied. About 40-50 percent of people who get the rods and screws in have to have them removed some time in the future for a variety of reasons.

Nowdays,they can put in synthetic discs also

IF, surgery is ineffective consult with a pain management specialist. I have spinal deterioration & surgery wasn't an option. After all the available pain procedures it was suggested I take strong pain meds. I continued to see specialist & it was suggested I have an internal morphine pump installed with a tube in my back that trickles the drug directly into the nerves. Long time use of pain killers & even muscle relaxers can cause kidney failure. I was on muscle relaxers for many years & a routine blood/urine test indicated a 20% loss of kidney function. After stopping muscle relaxers gradually kidney function improved, but will never be back to normal.

D

I think morphine is probably the best pain killer there is but most doctors won't prescribe it uness you're terminally ill. When I had a herniated disc I tryed Hydrocodone but it had zero effect on the pain. I'd be very carefull about doubling up on any pain medication. A good friend of mine lost his 25 year old son because he had over medicated. He had severly injured his back and was taking pain medication (I don't remember what). The pain was unbearable so he kept taking more and more trying to get some relief. He took so much pain medication that he went into a coma and died 2 days later.

I've had 3 neck surgeries with 2 plates in my neck, the next surgery was the lower back with 2 titanium rods, and the last one was a ruptured disc between T1&T2. I am absolutely pain free. My back has been a wreck and who knows maybe I'll have more problems. I have been very fortunate to have a great Orthopedic Surgeon and he is recognized as one of the best in the southwest. I guess if we pass healthcare, we may be in the same shape as our brothers in Canada or the UK.
I would highly recommend trying to find a more qualified person to fix you up.
Butch

I live with chronic back pain. There is no surgical fix for me. My advice is no pain meds you cannot buy over the counter. They are the door to a ruined life. I do not now nor have I ever taken prescription pain medication. Learn to live with it. I have for the last nine years.