Has anyone been on any kind of pain medication before? I’m planning on asking my Dr tomorrow but I wanted to get some people’s opinions on it and experiences with it. I don’t want to become dependent on anything so I’m hoping there is something I can take just when my symptoms are really bad. Thanks in advance!
I like your approach Reb-el. I don't get severe pain anymore so I've not had to explore these options, I gather that pain is something you are really wrestling with at the moment and I hope you find something that fits the bill. Meanwhile It may be worth saying that many of us find that exercise does truly knock out some pain. My experience is that walking, swimming etc. make the pain worse initially and then work their magic. I wish someone had told me this in the early days when, for a relatively short period, any movement was excruciating and I really didn't know what to do for the best.
I take one pain pill a day at night to try to help me sleep better. It does not always work. It is oxycodone with acetaminophen.
Thank you Sybil and Scienceteach for responding. I’m working on getting the right exercise program going for myself, and I try to get for at least a short walk every day if I can. I will talk to my Dr today and see what he thinks the best thing for me is because I’ve already cut
Y work week in half because I physically can’t work more than 4 hours a day so something needs to happen soon. Thanks again!
Respect! Working on an exercise program despite the pain you're in takes guts, but I'm very sure it'll be worth it. This sounds like a very tough phase for you, but it may well be just that - a phase, I do hope so.
Reb_el said:
Thank you Sybil and Scienceteach for responding. I'm working on getting the right exercise program going for myself, and I try to get for at least a short walk every day if I can. I will talk to my Dr today and see what he thinks the best thing for me is because I've already cut
Y work week in half because I physically can't work more than 4 hours a day so something needs to happen soon. Thanks again!
Exercise is great--my problem was that it helped to be in perpetual motion except it was impossible because of the crushing fatigue!
I never cared to take many pain pills, because my PsA pain was more that of extreme stiffness, weakness and fatigue. How do you remedy that? My joints "locked up" hundreds, if not thousands, of times each day, which was very painful for short periods. I felt like some sort of lubrication instead of pain pills for my joints would have been a great pain reliever.
When I've had acute long-lasting pain, ibuprofen in large doses helped somewhat. If your inflammation is driving you crazy, maybe your doctor can prescribe a prednisone taper. Prednisone made me feel on top of the world. I'm just not sure if it's safe to use prednisone frequently.
Relafen 500 helped my plantar fasciitis 20 years ago.
Good luck and I hope you find meds that work for you.
I should mention I've been on Enbrel for 21 months now and I have very little stiffness or fatigue anymore. I didn't want to go on Enbrel--but I'm glad I did because it has helped more than any pain pill could.
Thank you Grandma J for the reply! I’m really not sure what the next plan of action will be. My Dr is out of the office until Monday so I won’t be able to leave him a message until then, so this weekend will be tricky. Thank you all for your advice and encouraging words.This group has been very helpful so far.
Just wondering how you faired? We’re you able to reach your doctor and voice your concerns?
I got in contact with him yes. He said the most effective pain meds are the anti inflammatories and if the Meloxicam isn’t working we should switch to something else. So now I’m on Piroxicam. I think it’s effecting my stomach more than the other ones were though as I was a bit ill this morning. And yes I’ve been taking my meds with food and lots of water as directed. I’m still in agony most of the time and even the half days at work (4 hour shifts on my feet as a hairdresser)are feeling like too much at this point. And my energy is another story… Thank you for checking up on me Rachael.