pain medications - need them occasionally?

clogan74

I'm hope this is not too touchy of a subject. Pain medications. Are you on them? How often? I ran into an issue with an on call doctor Friday. I have been on pain meds for the last two months, vicodin. Is this too long to be on them? I take them occasionally as needed, but its somewhat nice to have them on hand as needed also. Is anyone else in this boat? Tthe doctor that was on call would not refill the prescription for me and said to go to the ER if I was in "that much pain" and hung up on me. I was left over the holiday weekend with out anything to manage pain. Again, its not that I was in that much pain, but as some of you know, some days are good, some days are bad. Am I too dependant on the pain meds? Should i try other methods of pain management? I have migrains, back spasums, muscle cramps from low potassuim and leg pain from edema. What do some of you do? And if the pain medication is warrented, how would you go about addressing it with your PCP so it is not an issue?
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dx'd 1984 SLE w/ Raynauds
dx'd 2005 Lupus nephritis type IV
docs= PCP, Rheumatologist, Nephrologist and Opthomologist

some days you're the bug, somedays your're the windshield

hatlady · Tiger Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 810 Location: Illinois

Pain can be such a part of our lives. I've been relatively lucky - the strongest pain relievers I've needed are Naproxen, Relafen and for a while, Celebrex (which did NOT work at all for me).

Now I mainly manage with tylenol, advil, aspiron. I take anti-inflamagories - fish oil, flax seed, turmeric, ginger. Those help manage and keep me feeling more pain free. I also exercise and manage to get in a couple long hot baths Very Happy

every month.

Many hugs, dear!

TMWeaver · Sea Monkey Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 11

I too was on Vicodin and it quit working. They changed me to Norco which is twice as strong. It quit working. After realizing that I had become dependant on them I went to a naturopath who has showed me many things that help with herbs, Omega 3, Neprinol, Iodine and meds for low thyroid. If you look up hypothyrodism you will find the symptoms are almost exactly the same as Lupus. I suggest you look up a naturopath in your area and see if they can help you. Mine has helped me!

greeneyes58 · Sea Monkey Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 14

I definitly have my good days and my bad, and I take darvocet as needed, I have suffered with chronic pain for years and just recently found a doctor a rhematologist that understood how painful this is and its a female, no pun intended to the male doctors but it does help to know you have them on hand if you need them. good luck and best wishes