What do pain 'killers' do you for you?

Kittkat

Hi
I don't take any pain meds for my arthritis pain at all even though naturally I am in a lot of pain. I was wondering do they help you a lot or not so much? I am wary of them as I know they won't take the pain away but might be worth trying Would it be worth discussing with the doc? Rheumy hasn't mentioned anything apart from paracetemol :?
Hope you are all as well as you can be

villier

Sorry Kitkat I can't help you as it is OA I have, sorry to hear you are in so much pain, hopefully some of the others will come along with advice soon.............Marie xx

Sezeelson

Hi there,

They are certainly no miracle!
For me, they just take the edge of and ultimately help me relax. I find Codeine and tramadol are the most effective as they relax my body and muscles too.

They also help me phycologically as well. I can walk my dog, knowing it's going to hurt but I feel OK because when I get home I can take some pain killers and feel OK again.

If you have never tried anything before, I would definitely have a word with your Dr

dibdab

There are lots of pain killers out there, and a good pharmacist could advise if you don't want to ask the docs. My own GP has helped me explore a few pain killers, and at the moment I settle for cocodamol at bedtime to ease the aches and pains enough to sleep- I can't tolerate tramadol at all-makes my heart thud, head spin, chest tight-but that's probably just me!!!!!!!!!!!! :? When my son was at med school the prof who taught them pharmacy said tramadol for most people is a better emetic than pain killer-I tend to agree from my own experience. I guess the bottom line is what suits one doesn't suit another.

I assume you've tried icepacks/heat packs on sore joints- heat helps me feel more comfortable but I know some prefer to ice inflamed joints.

I also have some neoprene knee and ankle supports that help to warm a joint to sooth the ache in bed- they may be a drug free option too.

Hope you get some good advice, living with relentless pain is so demoralising.

Deb x

Sharon2960

I'm not a big fan of taking meds, so also find it difficult to accept that I need to take stuff to keep things at bay! Pain 'killers' are something I'm working hard to accept that I need from time to time. I have Cocodamol, which I take just before bedtime to help ease things. The one thing I do which seems to help is put the electric blanket on low, then wear soft socks and gloves in bed - not necessarily to keep my hands warm, but it does seem to ease the aches - maybe it's all in my head!

hileena111

Hi
I consider them pain dullers rather than pain killers.
I do take paracetamol and naproxen. I'm going to talk to the GP about coming off some of them.
I have OA in hips and lower spine as well as other places....due a 2nd hip replacement 24th of this month but they hope that might help my back.....not my hip :roll:
Heat helps me, I use my electric blanket and socks as well and find it helps.
Tramadol I cant tolerate but we are all different......they "space me out" I was on them after my last THR so am determined I'm not going on them this time.
If you can go on some pain killers/dullers but keep some back for when you are really bad that's a help. Not take the full dose until you really need it.
Like we always say, these are only my opinions.....not medical at all lol
Love
Hileena

kevsue

I worry that I am a pain wimp but I have given birth three times (including twin) so I can't be that bad. I have OA in my knees and am just about coping with naproxen, tramadol at night only (or I vomit all day!)and co-codamol during the day. I sound like a junkie but I experimented yesterday and didnt take the co-codamol and couldn't really walk. I use heat pads as others have recommended and I wouldn't be without them! I am currently signed off work as I can't drive but hope I can get used to the pain, get my company car swapped for an auto and learn to walk with aids/supports. I hope you find something that helps you, everyone in the forum has really helped me, it's nice to know you aren't alone
Sue x

Boomer13

Hi Kittkat;

I lived and worked for four years with arthritis in one wrist. I struggled at work and was forgetful, stressed, did not do a good job, and slowly lost my sense of humor and confidence. I don't think I even took a paracetomol during those years and I lost a lot of sleep which contributed to more pain and irritability. Generally, quality of life went downhill and I wish now that I had managed it differently; I think I was pretty horrible to live with for my OH.

The pain spread from my wrist when PsA became body-wide and I had the most awful bone pain, so going without any meds was no longer an option. I get too stressed now with the pain and we all know what stress does to inflammatory arthritis, so I don't try to tough it out anymore. I also lose too much weight because I stop eating. One should also try to be as active as you can and if taking pain meds helps with that, then I'm all for it.

I don't go for a pain free state, rather I like to feel where PsA is active at the moment and also am prone to overdoing things. So, some pain felt keeps me from doing that. Living with pain chronically has many wide ranging effects and coping means being able to control it to some extent, with meds if necessary. I take a variety, and seem to have few side-effects so am quite lucky that way. The side-effects I do/did have have always lessened with time.

Best wishes, xxAnna

fowls48

Hi Kittkatt


I,m on methetrexate , sometimes i take dy codramol or voltarol gel.as i do not get pain that much i just suffer it untill it is too painful .If you feel you need something stronger then ask the Doc .
Sorry i was not much help


Fowls

As5567

For me it really depends on what I take.

The most commonly used pain killers for Arthritis such as Codeine etc just take the edge off the pain and help me deal with it better.

The more powerful ones tend to not so much take away the pain but make me not care about the pain and everything feels like a dream and unreal. The stronger pain meds I tend to keep for night time if I'm having a bad flare.

I think it would be worth talking to your doctor about it, I don;t think that paracetamol would offer much in terms of pain relief in comparison to other types of pain killers

dreamdaisy

I keep my pain dullers to the minimum because that means I have 'somewhere to go' when things get tough (which they do from time to time). I have two forms of arthritis plus fibromyalgia and I hurt all the time all over the place - I'm used to it but every now and again it can get a little much. As5567 is spot on - the stronger the relief the more you are taken away from the pain, not vice versa which is not ideal. DD

stickywicket

I'm another who goes for the 'fewer the better' approach. I reckon the more I take the more I need just to maintai the same level of relief. So, I don't bother. Apart from pre and post-op I normally just take a couple of the lowest level cocos going to bed. If I need anything during the day (which is u nusual) I aim for paracetamol first but I'm now well-acquainted with my body so I know when It has to be a couple more cocos.

Megrose489

I agree, I try to do without any painkillers if I can - I'm prescribed paracetamol and co-codamol, but I've never taken the full recommended dosage, although my GP has told me to.

I was concerned to read on the NICE site that there is a guideline (August 2013) recommending that GPs don't prescribe paracetamol for OA as a matter of course, because of the long term effects on the heart, intestines and kidneys. If it is prescribed, it's to be at the lowest dose and for the shortest possible time. I've been taking 4 paracetamol a day, on average, for years!

felix

hi Iv just returned to work after the holidays involving a one & a half hour drive to work which includes a least half an hour crawling on the motorway that's the worst bit as my left leg "OA hips" is the clutch pedal leg since going back I have had to double up on the cocodomol as well as one naproxen to get through the day I have a manual job as a bricklayer but the exercise does seem to help slightly, at the end of a working day im sore stiff & exhausted a hot shower a meal some meds which I could not manage without & a lie down is bliss.

barbara12

My thoughts are that we get into a viscous circle of taking pain dullers ..the trouble is your body gets used to them and they dont work the same..I had to come of the antiinflams because of kidney probs...and the cocodamols I try and only take when needed...this could be every few hours but I try and distract myself from the pain not always easy...I also think our GPs should review the meds on a regular basis .

Megrose489

I agree, Barbara. We get a six month medication review, linked to our prescription - which is good. Unfortunately, it simply consists of the nurse checking blood pressure and renewing existing medication on the prescription for another six months. If we wanted to actually discuss the medication then I assume we would have to make an appointment with the GP.

stickywicket

Or, ask the nurse at the review though I think you're right, Megrose - she'll only be able to monitor what's happening, not change your meds. Nurses are often a good place to start though.

hileena111

Our GP reviews our meds regularly. It always says on the back of the prescription due for review {certain date} My last review was at my surgery but not my regular GP.....all he did was ask if everything was OK and marked them as reviews :?
I find pharmacists are a good source of information about your drugs. I know they cant do anything but they can advise.....a nurse cant change them either. Its easier to see our pharmacist than get an appointment with a nurse at our practice

Love
Hileena

Agape

Hi Kittkatt
I have been on cocodamol for about 2.5yrs and my Rheumy has told me I need to have a change. Like many of the replies I try to keep myself to the bare minimum just incase I have a bad flare and really need them to work for me. Today I took Lyrica (Pregabalin), I have really tried to do some research on it and don't like the list of side effects, but will try and see if it helps me and God willing I won't get any bad side effects. I am told that it takes a while to kick in so I may need to take my cocodamol to help me sleep. If I get pain in the daytime I too can just suffer it so that my body doesn't get used to me popping pills all the time. I am definitely not a big fan of them but appreciate they do help me sleep etc. A lovely warm bath can help me.

Let us know how you get on.

xx