Lower back pain - recommendations

[Grandote]

Rather than recommend drugs, I say try a heating pad to see if that helps. Another thing that has helped with low back pain and other type of pain is ultra sound. It also relieves sciatica in the back of my legs. There is a thread on it.

[Moscatodiva]

I have chronic lower back pain as a result from a bad accident. I have multiple degenerated disc which also cause me to have damage nerves in both legs. When I'm unable to get a back epidural (that my insurance will only let me get every six months), I'm on Hydrocodone ES, Valium and Lyrica. I rather be on Flexeril instead of Valium but my doctor doesn't want to mix the Hydro with a real muscle relaxer. However, I have my ways and Hydrocodone and Flexeril works for me. The Lyrica is mainly for my damage nerve pain. I hope you find what works best for you so you can be pain free. Lower back pain is the worst. I feel your pain.

[Tbaronfl]

Rather than recommend drugs, I say try a heating pad to see if that helps. Another thing that has helped with low back pain and other type of pain is ultra sound. It also relieves sciatica in the back of my legs. There is a thread on it.

Thanks Grandote. Appreciate the suggestion.

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I have chronic lower back pain as a result from a bad accident. I have multiple degenerated disc which also cause me to have damage nerves in both legs. When I'm unable to get a back epidural (that my insurance will only let me get every six months), I'm on Hydrocodone ES, Valium and Lyrica. I rather be on Flexeril instead of Valium but my doctor doesn't want to mix the Hydro with a real muscle relaxer. However, I have my ways and Hydrocodone and Flexeril works for me. The Lyrica is mainly for my damage nerve pain. I hope you find what works best for you so you can be pain free. Lower back pain is the worst. I feel your pain.

Thanks Moscatodiva. Seems like the vis's work best for me too. But I'm not familiar with Flexeril. I'll have to look that up.

[EL085]

Hey all, hope everyone is doing well. Thought I'd check in with the forum and tap into your experience. I have chronic lower back pain. Went to the doctor and they gave me RX for Meloxicam - didn't even touch the pain. Went back they said they'd give me something stronger. Gave me RX for Baclofen. Again didn't even touch the pain. 

So I'm reaching out to the forum for advice. I've tried some leftover RX's that have had some effect: Tramadol 50 seems to do better but not completely effective. Tried Hydrocodone APAP 7.5/325 and that definately  helps. And tried Hydrocodone 5/325 and Hydrocodone APAP 7.5/750. All seem to help quite a bit. But as mentioned these were all leftover RXs that are dwindling.   

So based on your experience, whats out there, that might be effective, that one of our IOP's might actually have?



I'm new to this so I appreciate any help. And please be patient with me. I'd appreciate it if you would put in as plain English as possible, avoid too many abbreviations or slang.

Thanks in advance! 

[quote pid='47438' dateline='1472149193']
codeine and Dihydrocodeine are about the only ones that help for my lower back pain. Even the low dose codeine with paracetamol. 
[/quote]

[Tbaronfl]

EL, thanks for the suggestion.As a matter of fact that's the direction that I've gone.

[Runabout]

it is not safe to increase tram.  if u have a tendency toward seizures, it will bring them on.  once u have a seizure, they will come forever.

further,  tramadol has proven to have a significant anti depressant effect.  so, when one decides to go off them, they go into heavy depression.

Withdrawal from tram is also very difficult.  Very.  When u read enough posts on here, you will see what i mean in candid statements from members.

Many of us self diagnose to some extent.  But, it is based on years of research.  Years of medical care.

You cannot decide to add a medicine to your regimen, without some actual medical advice on this.

You must research the effects of those meds u mentioned, soma and valium.

You know u can never go off a benzo such as valium, once u start, without doing a taper?  It can lead to death.

Research.  No one will answer medical questions for you.

We are family here, but we are not your doctor and cannot advise accordingly.

You must research and decide for you.  Your choices come with a lifetime of consequences.  Make no mistake.

And, this is an horrific time to attempt to get safe meds.  

Be careful.

Charon thanks for the reply. It's hard to figure out what's safe & what's not when some offer their opinions, even though they mean well. Thx for the honesty.

This is some of the best advise I have ever heard! I've heard it before and there is none better! just want to add my input on Tramadol, I've been prescribed them for years and it's a love hate relationship, they are the most finicky med I've ever dealt with, the more often you take them the less they work, the less they work the more often you need to take them! it's a hamster wheel effect not to mention the risk of seizures at higher dosses including daily dosses! myself I try to go at least one day a week (two is much better) only taking one 50mg, I'm prescribed up to 5 per day so one or none can be a big cutback from the normal routine, after that day I can tell that a single dose does really seem to help with the pain but after 3-4 days I'm right back to getting very little relief from them at all! they have worked OK for me but I don't recommend them to anybody with sever pain or moderate pain that can't have a day here and there to try to tough it out! there just don't seem to be any "good" answer for people in chronic pain!

[EL085]

Good to hear about risk of seizures. I used to be prescribed trams and they would keep me awake all night! I was considering trying them again but I wouldn't want to get any bad results like a seizure. Sometimes I forget if I have already taken my meds so I wouldn't want any accidents. I swear by my codeines though. Couple years back I was prescribed percocets and those were wonderful but very hard to get long term prescriptions where I live.

[MoJim]

I'm very careful with tr@m$. I only use them occasionally, when my back tells me to. Since I recently retired from a physically demanding job, my back keeps flaring up. I also had back surgery about 10 yrs ago. I think the decreased activity (couch potato) since my retirement has been the main reason.

Ice, heat and and strengthening my core is what I'm doing now. Buying a ultrasound setup, since they're much cheaper now, is in the works as well. There is a great thread on alternative meds that are much safer. I'm doing my homework on these alternatives now.

I know my situation is nothing compared to some members who suffer to a much greater degree. Stay safe my friends.

[Cricket]

I'm very careful with tr@m$. I only use them occasionally, when my back tells me to. Since I recently retired from a physically demanding job, my back keeps flaring up. I also had back surgery about 10 yrs ago. I think the decreased activity (couch potato) since my retirement has been the main reason.

Ice, heat and and strengthening my core is what I'm doing now. Buying a ultrasound setup, since they're much cheaper now, is in the works as well. There is a great thread on alternative meds that are much safer. I'm doing my homework on these alternatives now.

I know my situation is nothing compared to some members who suffer to a much greater degree. Stay safe my friends.

For my lower back pain, I'm on hydro 10 (2-3x a day) and soma muscle relaxer. That use to work fairly well, but now not as much. I have found ice to give some relief for a bit and that's better than no relief at all.
I think that all of the physical work I had to do when I moved about a month ago, did my back in. I had hoped it would ease off as time went by, but it's still much worse than what it was before the move.
My back use to cause a lot of pain when I would stand or walk and would stop hurting when I'd sit, but now it's more painful when sitting. Laying in bed helps the most, but I can't stay in bed 24/7.
Wish we could exchange our old, worn out painful body parts for new ones. If that were possible, you'd have to call me the bionic woman. I would have LOTS of trade ins LOL.

Just want the pain of EVERYTHING to stop.

Cricket

[Tbaronfl]

Cricket - I can relate. I sure hope the pain caused by your move eventually eases. Sometimes I overdo it and it can take weeks, but gladly it eventually does. I'm the same way about bed rest. Just can't seem to do it. Like to keep myself busy. ;0)

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EL you can find the PK your looking for. Get to 50 and then do some serious reading.