non narcotis pain relief
 

hello,

Due to my alcoholism (been sober 9 years and counting) I cannot take any narcotic pain medication. I also cannot take any benzo's like Klonopin or Valium. Basically anything potentially addictive is off limits for me.

Currently I take Neurontin and Topamax for the neuro pain. However, I have been having horrible bone type pain for the past two weeks. From my hips on down hurt so bad like the bones are broken...I feel so old. Does anyone have any good recommendations for any RX meds or homeopathic that I can take given my restrictions? It's just killing me....

Thanks

Ann

P.S. The Neurontin and Topamax are taking care of the electric shock and burning feelings...it's this bone pain weary feeling I can't get a hold of.

Ann-Elizsbeth
 

First, congrats on 9 years sober!

I'm afraid I dont have any answers - but hoping you get some good responses - I'm trying to find the same... I get extremely sick from opiates and need not only for PN pain but for very damaged lumber spine (the pain doc is tring to figure out a mix she can give me for the back pain as injections, but I'm allergic to iodine, (which they use to guide the needle injection of steroids, and they are worried about effects of other stuff in the cocktail too).... topomax and nerontin I tied for PN pain - but didnt agree at all.,..

Right now I'm taking lots of tylenol - yes - I know its very bad for my liver - but I cant sit for more then maybe 1/2 hour without severe pain - so the docs just keep checking my liver which is fine for now - and as far an PN pain - just try to really ease up and rest them when I really ach.....

Hopefuly there is something homeopathic that someone can recommend? (I have tried PT numerous times, light streaches, etc. but they just cause more pain which doesnt let up until I do (and its not immediate pain - I pay for two or three days for what I did several days before I really didnt feel)

:confused:

Hi Ann-Elizabeth:

Here to your sobriety.....http://bestsmileys.com/cheering/1.gif

I think that is so cool!!!

I don't know about non-narcotic painkillers either. I used to have to take Tylenol with Codiene for my degenerative joint disease years ago. I was like 100 lbs overweight and the knees were awful. But the side effects of the pain killers (constipation), killed me. So I lost he weight and exercise every day. I'm very lucky in that department. I probably have to be hit over to head to take a pain pill, but that's me. That's not other people.

Do you know why you have the deep bone pain?? Have you had an x-ray or spoken to any doctors? If you've posted this before, I am sorry, but I did not read about it.

Just curious.

Melody

Have you mentioned that you feel this is bone pain to your doctor, Ann? If so, what was the doctor's opinion about this? I think I remember you are seeing a Neurologist, but do you have a regular Internist?

Cathie

P.S. I am impressed you have been sober now for so long. That is just great! I think we have had some other people post on this board, or the old Brain Talk, who had been alcoholics at one time or another in their lives. I cannot remember what was prescribed for pain relief. Usually, for people who are not alcoholics, I think most docs still start out with non-narcotic pain killers anyway and attempt to give their patients pain relief.

For bone pain, I doubt you would get any relief, but have you tried the trigger point injections for other areas that really bother you?

Hi Ann-Elizabeth, i used to get a lot of temporary relief from actual bone problems from Lazor Accupunture & or combined with old style Accupunture, another that comes to mind is Bowen therapy, which is only a very gentle & slow massage but works on your whole body, its really amazing, i know with me after i had the 3rd treatment i felt fantastic all over, NO aches or pains anywere but the benefits lasted for about 2 weeks then i needed more therapy just like acupuncture, if the pain is centralized strong Magnets may help too.
good luck
Brian :)

What works for me is taking script strength Ibuprofen (600 to 800 mgs). I only take it at night as it seems to help with PN symptoms. It works well for pain, period. I was taking it post carpal tunnel surgery after about 10 days on Darvoset. Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) worked fairly well for the PN but had other, very bad sides I couldn't deal with. I can't take the Ibuprofen twice a day as it eats my stomach up. Once a day doesn't seem to be a problem so far and I've been doing this for about 2 weeks now.

I had some problems with bone pain while taking Gabapentin which started after I'd been on it for several months. I wonder if it's related? It's since gone away after stopping the Gabapentin.

Thanks for all the replies....
 

I did send an e-mail to my neuro last nite. The bone pain is part of the PN I think. I've heard other people here talk about it. Feels like walking on broken bones. So I don't think magnets would work because it is more a generalized feeling, but I will look into the Bowen therapy. I do take 4 advil and get some relief...I'll keep doing that...I just worry about taking that much advil. :Hum:

Wouldn't it be great if there were a magic wand we could wave over our body to make our pain go away?

Anyway, I had a CT scan yesterday from my collar bone to my pubic bone to rule out any cancers that may be causing my PN. I'll find out in a week, but I assume that I would have been held for more testing if anything had been readily apparent. Next my neuro wants to do further kidney tests and amyloid testing. At least he's thorough. I would just love a diagnosis that we could treat!

Ann

I sure hope you're able to get a diagnoses about the underlying cause. I'm in that same boat right now. And just beginning the road the finding a cause. I hope so anyway. Just treating the symptoms isn't where I want to be.

Electro stimulation works like a miracle for me. I've been using the Rebuilder ( www.rebuildermedical.com ) for about 10 years now. Pain relief is immediate, and lasts for several days.

I only bought that overpriced thing because of recommendations from others in the BrainTalk forum, and their 30 day no-questions-asked guarantee. Even then, I didn't buy it until somebody in the forum returned it and promptly got their money back. When I started with it I used it twice a day and started noticing improvement within about 10 days. The company has provided much better than expected service over the years.

Other electrical simulators such as TENs units, or the Rejuvenator (doesn't appear to be in business anymore) might work, but I know that the Rebuilder does.

Besides reducing pain, there is a lot of research support that electro stimulation heals damaged nerves once the source of the injury is removed.

It really works, huh? I came across this ad about a week or so ago and it just sounded too good to be true. But if it really does work it's worth every penny. And cheaper in more than one way than meds. Do you know if Medicaid would pay for it? I'll have to do some more checking and see what I can find. Thanks for the heads up about this.

Re: Non Narcotic Pain Relief
 

Hello Ann,
I would also like to congradulate you on 8 years clean and sober !!! Truly a miracle. I am an RSD sufferer and I have tried that is not narcotic that has helped some is Mexeltine. Just a suggestion. Much luck to you.

Jill, NY:D

thanks jill that sounds
 

promising. I'll see if my doc can get it for me....

http://millercenter.uchicago.edu/lea...xiletine.shtml

Sounds great if it works! :D

Ann

Drugs aren't the only option
 

Ann,

You can learn more about Mexiletine at http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/mexiletine.htm . With drugs, you ALWAYS have unexpected negative effects, sometimes not serious enough to stop, but other times serious to deadly. PN for example is a rare and unexpected, but real side effect of many drugs including statins and some antibiotics.

There is a place for drugs. Some drugs help the body heal, some are necessary for life (like insulin, anti-psychotics, cancer chemo, or cardiac medications), some make life tolerable in the face of severe intractable pain, some provide short term relief from pain as needed. But with all drugs there is always a cost to specific organ functionality, general vitality, and to general health. Once on the long-term drug train it's difficult or impossible to get off. Finally, if drugs provide some relief, most of us will stop looking for health, and stop doing the demanding things to achieve better health and reduced pain.

Why not try alternatives that are healing and offer improved functionality and general health: vitamins and dietary supplements, massage (of which electro stimulation is one type), healthy diet with reduced fat and sugar, exercise, meditation and other stress relief, avoidance of allergens and toxins, etc. For most of us, a complete holistic program that we follow as our daily lifestyle and as new life affirming habits can transform us and make life good again, and even promote nerve/bone/muscle/blood vessel healing. There is plenty of guidance along these lines in this forum, elsewhere on the web, and in books. Here's but one example: http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurolo...ropathy_01.htm . The article focuses on diabetic neuropathy, but most is applicable for all of us with PN. In animal research, what works to heal nerve damage caused by induced diabetes also helps nerves damages from other causes.

I hope you see fit to keep this conversation going.

Thanks, Wing42
 

I'm looking into the Acetyl L-Carnitine. I'd much rather take natural supplements than pharm drugs. I've had some weird reactions to drugs that most people can take with little problem. The B-vitamins seem to be working for me. I haven't had to use the Ibuprofen in a couple of nights now. The tingling is still there at a very low level but not enough to keep me awake. The rest of the symptoms are gone.

Be careful
 

Ann,
Let me add my congrats to your 9yr and counting sobriety - a truly remarkable achievement and one I'm sure you are proud of every day. I do want to second David's caution about drugs and their side effects particularly relative to alternate changes in lifestyle which can dramatically improve your symptoms and promote healing as many members of this forum will tell you from their own histories.

With respect to Mexiletine I know it can help in some cases but it is a Class 1B antiarrhythmic and these can have some unpleasant GI and CNS side effects. I discussed mexiletine for my cold PN w/ my cardiologist and neurologist and they both agreed that the doses could be pretty high to see improvements so I've tabled this for the time being.

Check out the many useful supplements and lifestyle changes that can bring about long lasting improvements.
Best of luck

Alkymst

Ann-Elizabeth,

Congrats on the 9 years :)

Have you thought about Ultram? From what I remember, it is not a narcotic pain medication and it does not have addictive qualities, but it does relieve pain very well for a lot of people.

Secondly - have you thought about seeing an addiction specialist to get their recommendations? Or finding a sponsor or other peer within AA who is in recovery and has chronic pain?

I do know that AA/NA does not forbid pain medications as a necessary medical treatment, but clearly each person in recovery has to weigh the benefits and risks when deciding on a treatment. I have met several recovering alcoholics/addicts in the chronic pain forum over the years, and several have been able to use pain medications without becoming addicted by relying on the help of their sponsor, addiction specialist, pain management specialist, etc... and several others have chosen to avoid all pain meds.... as I said earlier, it is an individual decision that each person has to make themselves based on benefits/risks.

The bone pain you are having - could it be caused by inflamation of some sort? Have you tried an anti-inflamatories (Aleve, Advil) to see if they help at all? I once had pain that felt like deep bone pain - but the pain was actually caused by tendon and ligament inflamation, and with a combo of Aleve and Prednisone (a steriod) and then some physical therapy to loosen the over-tight and inflamed/swolen tendons and ligaments, the pain subsided.

I hope that helps, and I hope you find pain relief.

Take care,
Liz

Thanks for all the replies....
 

Right now, my doc has left the decision up to me. He is willing to give me a rx for a narcotic to use on an as needed basis..it is my decision. I'm not sure what to do. My gut tells me no, so that is probably the direction I will go. I have seen countless sober AA people innocently take pain meds for legitiment reasons and end up losing their sobriety. I owe everything in my life (my husband, my child, my happiness, my actual life) to being sober, so this is not something I can easily risk. I have never had a problem in abusing drugs....but I don't think I want to push it, ya know?

I am going to Hawaii on Monday. I will think about this some more, but think I need to start yoga and meditation. I already have a good vitamin/supplement program thanks to Mrs. D's advice. I also will try plain old aspirin for inflammation because the bone pain does feel like inflammation.

I really appreciate all the good info. Great food for thought. It will be interesting to see if relaxing in Hawaii brings my pain level down.

Ann

Ann-Marie, I am a recovering alcoholic, sober for 27 years. I was diagnosed with sudden onset pn 8 years ago. I was very anxious about using narcotics due to this history, but my pain was so bad that I was suicidal, and I decided that I had nothing to lose by trying it. I did not tell my doctor about my alcohol history because I was afraid he would withold medication. He put me on a fetanyl patch. I have used this for 7 years with occasional additional meds for breakthrough pain. Last year I also started Lyrica, which also helps me very much. The relief I have gotten from the fenanyl has bee a lifesaver. I have never once thought of abusing it, had a craving for it or alsohol, or experienced any difficulty related to my prior alcoholism. I think you would be wise to try all other alternatives first, but if none work, I think it would be okay for you to try something like fentalyl patches, which are very low dose, sustained release. They have certainly never made me feel high or altered my mood at all. When drugs are used for pain, it is very different when they are abused my non-pain people. So, after trying other things, I would tell you to try fentalnyl patches rather than suffer pain.

i have bone pain since taking gabapentin also.I thought I was crazy.They tell me i have tendinitis and fasciitis in both feet but?

I am a bone pain person. I feel like some of my bones are actually broken, not just in my feet either. It is dull aching, but strong...now and then it throbs....exactly like when I broke my arm and my tibia.

I also went off opiates and benzo's per my own request....just felt cr@appy on them, and wanted off. Tired of the monthly trip to get the script....and worrying about what happens if you can't get it. Coming off that stuff is not a picnic...congrats to you for your sobriety. I have my days when I want to slap that fentanyl patch back on and not be in pain, but I know that would last a few months and then I would be in pain again and need to move up the dose.

I still have bone pain....I use NSAIDs for a short period of time, or tylenol. Funny thing is, you get tolerant to even Tylenol.

I think that what you are on it likely the best drug solution. You may benefit from heat packs. I dunno, I just had to seriously adjust my life style and not feel guilty about taking to the couch or bed.

Congrats on the sobriety.

If one can't use opiates, one can't use fentanyl. One is confined to using tricyclics, the gaba drugs, or SSRIs, SNRIs or something like that...or OTC stuff that doesn't really work all that well. It is difficult quandry. But, yes, if you can use fentanyl it does work for chronic pain and docs prefer it because if you are prescribed fentanyl, you really can't abuse it. Coming off fentanyl is a bear....only thing harder is the benzo's.

I am wondering, have you tried anything alternative?? Accupuncture, accupressure?

OK, I must have been on drugs too long. Why am I replying to a post from 2007? Eeeesh....maybe my blood sugar is low or something.