Pain Meds?

[valeriedl]

I have back problems and usually every few months it gets so bad that the dr will give me some pain meds to help deal with it. The only problem is that I can't tell of the pain going away and it will still hurt alot. He has given me muscle relaxers too and really all they make me do is fall asleep, so I guess you could say the pain goes away because I'm not awake.

I was wondering if it was because of all the epilepsy meds that I take (and it is alot that I take) that could be making the pain meds not work?

The neuro did give me meds for the migranes that I get after a sez. I was having back problems when I had a sez and took one and the pain in my back eased up.

Does anyone think that any of these things could be related to each other?

 

[Nakamova]

What are the specific pain meds that you've been given and the epilepsy meds that you are on?

 

[valeriedl]

the epilepsy meds are generic ones they are

Divalporex
Carbamazepine
Levetiacetam
Lamotigine

The pain med is also generic I think, it is
Hydrocodone

The muscle relaxer is
Carisoprodol

The med that I take for the migraines is
Butal

Hope that helps

 

[Nakamova]

There's no particular reason why your AEDs would interfere with your meds for back pain. All the opioid analgesics (a category which includes Hydrocodone, Carisoprodol, and Butal) work slightly differently, so it may just be that the Butal is the one that works best for you. You should mention this to your doctor, so he/she can take this into account and perhaps prescribe it in the future for your back pain. Butal does have acetaminophen in it (as does hydrocodone) so you have to be careful not to take a lot of it over a short time period, otherwise you can severely damage your liver.

Another consideration is that there is no way to predict what dose of pain meds are required to do the trick, so the standard practice is to start with a low dose. It's possible that you need a higher dose of a painkiller in order to get relief. Again, this is something you should discuss with your doctor.

Lastly, you can build up a tolerance to pain meds. If you haven't taken them that often, then this may not be a factor in your condition, but it's worth keeping in mind. You might want to take a magnesium + zinc supplement, which can help prevent your developing a tolerance to painkillers.

I hope you get some relief soon. I know chronic back pain can be quite stressful.

 

[Jan4you]

Oh dear sorry for your pain situation.

First of all I would ask a pharmacist AND the doc ordering the pain meds (or E doc). You could be so tolerant that other meds typical doses do not touch your pain issues.

But back pain can be so bad (I am going through it now) that not much touches it anyways...that does not make you a zombie I mean.

check this out..with the above folks as its their job to know.

Good luck and let us know how you're doing.

Warmly, Jan

 

[valeriedl]

Thanks everyone.

I only take the meds when my back is really bothering me as I said this is happens every few months. I've had friends that have been addicted to them so I know that I need to watch out for how much I take and how long I take them for.

I'll mention these things that have been said to the neuro, I see him in a few weeks, and see what he suggests that I take. I'll also talk to the regular dr about it next time that my back acts up (which I hope won't be for a while!).

I am noticing pain shooting down my leg right now and that is usually a sign that it is going to start up again.

 

[epileric]

This was just in the news

Call it the "negative placebo effect." Patients who don't believe their medicine will work may find they're actually right.

The placebo effect has been well documented. It's the effect seen when patients given dummy sugar pills actually report relief from symptoms, purely because they thought the pills would work.

But this study find the opposite can be true too: Patients who make up their minds that a highly effective painkiller won't relieve their pain will report that in fact, it didn't.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110218/pain-relief-placebo-110219/

 

[Nakamova]

Yeah it's called the "Nocebo" effect. When I try a new med, I've often see-sawed between wanting to know what can go wrong, and wanting to remain blissfully ignorant. usually I give in and google the side effects...

Valeriedl -- the pain shooting down your leg sounds like sciatica.

 

[Endless]

Valerie,

You are on a lot of pain meds, and other meds. They include some highly addictive substances, which isn't good. And some work for you, some don't.

I think it might be a good idea to go see a pain specialist to help get this all figured out. They are anesthesiologists that don't put people to sleep, they specialize in relieving pain. Sometimes they have non-drug ways to do it.

I saw a pain specialist and he saved my bacon. I had intense neck and back pain, and headaches from an injury. He used a combo of biofeedback, a special back class, injections in the specific pain sites, and some drugs. In the end he used radio frequency pulses to stun the specific nerves that were causing my most unbearable pain. It lasted around 6-8 months at a time for me, then I'd have it redone. It was amazingly effective. Now over time and repeated procedures they have become permanently stunned, which is a very good thing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that a pain specialist will know all the pain-relieving alternatives, can manage your pain meds and treatments from one central source, and can help find something that is most effective for you. Worth a visit if you can (aka if you have insurance)