I don't know, Leo. Even patients with better access have to learn to manage their medications and find other ways of managing pain.

You weren't by chance trying to eliminate the pain, were you? Because that's not the purpose of pain medication. The purpose is to relieve the sense of suffering and improve the quality of life. We all have to expect to deal with certain reasonable levels of pain.

Have you been through physical therapy?

Many of us help control pain with distraction. Some get relief by using a TENS unit, which can be gotten online/mail order (you may need a prescription).

Some can learn biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and/or mindfulness meditation.

These methods may not work for everyone, or all the time, but they help many manage their pain—and medication—better.

Doc