Chronic Back Pain With Arthritis. All I Get Is Ibuprofen And Motrin

[bob barker]

i have chronic back pain with arthritis. how do i get out of the ibuprofen crap and get some pain pills that work? i have a therapy ap. on the 29th for my back. i asked last time for tramadol b/c a friend gave me a couple and it helped a lot. the doc told me i was to young for pain pills and prescribed celebrex which the VA wouldnt fill.

what do i need to do or say to get relief!

thanks

[jbasser]

Calll your Primary and ask for a Pain Clinic Appt and play by their rules.

You should get some relief.

J

[MDB1968NM]

Bob,

Jbasser's suggestion on the pain mgt doctor is right on the money.  I was placed on Oxycontin for several months from the base doctor (active duty and still am)....this was prior to my Total Knee Replacement.  I was referred to a civilian pain management specialist (THANK GOD FOR HIM) who helped me wean off of that crap so I could undergo the TKR.  He is currently treating my pain (leg, back, groin, shoulders) and also uses some "alternative" methods such as fish oil, supplements, etc.  It has done wonders for me even though I am still in severe pain...but managing as well as possible (not a fan of narcotics whatsoever).  If you get to go to a pain doctor that is worth a dang, then they will help you tremendously.  Mine insists on all my med records associated with the probs, all radiological films, and once I began I needed to promise/sign a document that indicated that ALL of my pain meds will be prescribed through him.  That is 100% a good thing.  The base doctor (who is outstanding btw) knew that he could not treat my pain issues adequately.  If you are going through severe pain I would again recommend seeing a pain management doctor if you can.

BTW....I was told I was too young for a TKR by three surgeons.  I finally found the BEST one and so far so good (with some minor issues I am only 3 months out).  If your back has arthritis, you have pain, and it is complicating your life....by all means have them look at your films as well!  I dont know when your last films were but you may have gotten worse since then.

I literally feel your pain and wish you the best on getting some help.  BTW...how old are you.  They started me on the narcotic crap when I was 40.  I am 41 now.....still on some but trying to get the underlying issues fixed to be off them for good!

[bob barker]

thanks for the advice, i am going to schedual a pain clinc appt after i go to theapy on the 29th.

MDB1968NM i am 25 years

[john999]

You know pain doctors outside the VA usually want to do procedures. They don't want to just prescribe pills. There is no money in that. The basics of pain management are drugs that deal with pain. What the doctors need to do is to invent a drug that really blocks pain without turning the patient into a drug addict. If you take pain meds exactly as prescribed you will become dependent. You will become habituated, and you will need more to get the same pain killing effect. The only way to deal with it that I know of is to wean youself down to a level of drugs that will do the job, and when your tolerance starts to go up again start to gradually cut down again.

Opiates have been around for about 4000 years because they work. They are not evil except in the mind of our government and DEA. My state of Florida is trying their best to turn every chronic pain victim into a criminal thus victimizing them again.

My private pain mangagement doctor just fired me because I did not want any more nerve blocks. When the pain guy finds out you don't want procedures done on you he does not want you around because he is losing money by just seeing you.

[Pete53]

VA Docs are encouraged to treat with Meds. Cheap Meds at that although if you try the cheap ones and they don't work they will up them.