hi all,
I have taken Norco 10/325mg daily for many yrs. as my base pain med.
I think it's effectiveness may be waning but it has always been the best drug for me after 10 yrs of trying many pain drugs. 2 friends have suggested tramadol but I don't know anything about it. I take lyrica and lorazepam daily with the Norco and sometimes Soma and Esgic or Imitrex. I also use lidocaine patches and creams. My pain is neuro, muscular, joint and headaches.

would those of you who have tried both Norco and tramadol please offer your
opinion as to which is the more effective painkiller and by that
I mean strongest.

If you have another pain meds which you find helpful to you I would appreciate
hearing about those as well.
I have tried, over the yrs, Percocet, morphine, diluadid, neurontin, klonopin,
OxyContin, elavil for pain not depression, oxycodone, fentanyl,
and many various muscle relaxers like soma, anti inflams like mobic,
relafenl, voltaren. also flexeril, skelaxin and botox.I also do ESI's every few yrs. along with trigger point injections

my doc scripted me cymbalta and nucynta(sp?) but I was too scared to take them on top of everything else I was on.

thanks and hope you are having a good Sunday. we just cleaned up from another snowstorm, the 2nd this week. I STUPIDLY did what I thought was some light shoveling....bad idea...what a jerk....I just had cabin fever so badly.
take care, Diandra

Hi Diandra,

There are many sites & tables that compare strengths of analgesics relative to morphine (still considered the 'gold standard')...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equiana...-centric_chart
...but determining which is (going to be) more effective for any individual involves variables that may make such a comparison irrelevant. Even though the charts may say that hydrocodone is 'stronger' than tramadol, tramadol may actually work better for some patients, depending on these variables. Everyone is different.

It's possible that you're developing a tolerance to the Norco (hydrocodone+acetaminophen); it's also possible that the underlying causes of your pain are worsening. Either way, I think you need to discuss this with your doctor.

How to talk to your doctor about chronic pain

Asking a doctor about/for specific pain medications can sometimes raise flags, so IMO it's best to leave those decisions up to your doctor. Finding the best pain solution may take some trials, but it sounds like you've been through that.

Some of the articles here may be useful: Adult Pain Management Patient Guides

Doc

Thank you Dr. Smith for your suggested various websites on pain. Your answer to Diandra was very enlightening.

Diandra .... You go girl! on your summer trip to Italy.

I smiled when I read that you have made your plan to visit Italy with the attitude of now or never.

I too have Italy on my bucket list. Maybe I just might have to move my trip up to next year instead of on my 10th wedding anniversary. This year, my husband and I will be married 7 years. You will be my inspiration.

I am praying for you, that you will find relief for your pain and that you can fully enjoy Italy to make it a trip to remember!

and God Bless you both

Str

Hi Diandra.

Easy choice for me. Hydrocodone or tramadol?

Tramadol wins hands down.

Tramadol controlled my pain, did not make me sick, and allowed me to function.

Hydrocodone did control my pain but made me VERY sick and put me in bed. Could not even sit upright much less function.

That is just me. I have a lot of trouble with almost any pain med.

I concur with moving up those "someday" plans. We had always wanted to take the mule trip into the Grand Canyon, but always put it off until next year, yadda yadda. Then out of the blue, chronic pain struck, my spine is a mess, and I'll never be able to endure that or fulfill a lot of other lifelong dreams/plans. We did get to see the Canyon, but only from the rim. I broke down that day, regretting that I didn't just do it when I could have.

I still recommend seeing the Canyon in-person to any/everyone. It's a life-changing experience.

Procrastination is an insidious nemesis. Don't let it cheat you out of your dreams/goals.

Doc

[QUOTE=Hopeless;1059958]Hi Diandra.

Easy choice for me. Hydrocodone or tramadol?

Tramadol wins hands down.

Tramadol controlled my pain, did not make me sick, and allowed me to function.

Hydrocodone did control my pain but made me VERY sick and put me in bed. Could not even sit upright much less function.

That is just me. I have a lot of trouble with almost any pain med.

Hi Hopeless

Glad to hear Tramadol works for you! Can you tell us what kind of pain and symptoms you suffer from and how much you take?
I suffer from small fiber neuropathy, and for over 1 year now im taking 325 mgs of Lyrica a day. I don't know if the Lyrica stopped working , or my symptoms are worsening. This is a dreadful thing too have. I know I need to add another pain med to the Lyrica. Ive tried Hydrocodone but it doesn't work for buzzing, tingling and burning pain. Was told about Tramadol , but am afraid to take it because I heard its addicting and very difficult to get off of (bad withdrawal).
Please let me know what you thoughts are and experience with Tramadol is.
Thanks.

You can often find out some things by perusing a member's past posts—usually the early ones. If you click on their avatar, one of the choices on the drop-down list is "Find More Posts by..." If you click on that, posts by that member are listed in reverse chronological order. Going to the last page of posts will get you to their earliest posts, where are usually contained introductions, etc. describing their health concerns/issues. It doesn't always work with the really... um... experienced(?) posters (different versions of the board software, etc.) but it works with many.

There isn't much that works for the buzzing & tingling. R-Lipoic Acid stops the burning pain completely for me, but doesn't work for everyone (what does?)

Another possibility for nerve pain might be methadone, which has its own set of downsides/risks, but every medication does. The reason I mention it is that it binds to all three kinds of pain receptors.

Why Would I Use Methadone?

As always, a thorough discussion with you doctor (and some homework) should happen before deciding on any particular medication.

Doc