Best pain killer for nerve pain?
 

What have you found to be the best pain killer for nerve pain? I'm currently taking percocet 10's and they minimize the pain a little, but not enough to allow me to do my daily activities. I have read that tramadol helps with this kind of pain but I have never tried it before, I'd like to try something different that might actually help better! Has anyone had this kind of pain and used tramadol before? If so do you believe it helped you?

pain
 

yes,tramadol has helped me i have taken about 33mgs per day for about 3 years.i have herneated disc t-7 with cord impingment, also a transitional lumbar vertabrate, and bilateral hip resurfacing for severe hip arthritis,also need shoulder replacement.tramadol and meloxicam keep it all in check,but i dont work any more with these conditions. just dont take more than prescribed.hope this helps george

I do not have MS but I was prescribed tramadol for pain continued after c5-c6 discectomy/fusion. I used it for neck pain and neuropathy pain and I liked it... it had a bit of a euphoric effect for me, but I also tend to get 'hyper' from percocet/lortab/opiates. I haven't taken it in quite some time though as my neuro thinks I may be having seizures and it's contraindicated in that scenario.

It did work for pain, and helped get my house clean! Lots of energy. Not everyone gets that effect, though. It is supposedly not addictive, but I have heard reports that many folks had issues in that regard, so if you take it, don't pop them willy nilly. I never took more than 1 50mg tab per day, usually every other day at the most.

Okay! Thank you! I'm going to ask my doctor about it tomorrow, I have gotten very "favorable" of the percocets in the past and my doctor doesn't like giving them to me, so she may feel more comfortable with the tramadol, and have heard it helps better for the pain I'm currently going through. I think she would be happy to hear that I want to try something other than the percocet, as well! :)

I have severe nerve pain in my left leg and foot; have had it for years and it's been gradually spreading throughout the entire leg and getting worse.

For nearly three years I took Methadone, which was prescribed by my wonderful doctor in Colorado, and it worked wonders for me. Since we moved to Florida the doctor here has been prescribing Hydrocodone, and it's working fairly well, but doesn't control the pain as well as the Methadone did.

I also have terrible spasms and jerks, and the Methadone and Hydrocodone both have helped with those as well; otherwise, I would never sleep again!

My doctor is sending me to a pain specialist who, he says, will probably put me back on the Methadone, as he often gives it to his MS patients.

I know that some folks don't tolerate Methadone well, but it worked beautifully for me; it never made me groggy the next day, it controlled the pain and I never got addicted or dependent on it in any way--and that's after nearly three years of taking it every single night. However, I've read that some people can get addicted to it.

Sometimes, though, when chronic pain is this bad, the addiction factor takes a back burner, priority-wise!

To be honest, if medical marijuana was legal in Florida, I would certainly try it. My doctor here has already said that he wished he could put me on it....

2 good meds for nerve, or neuropathic, pain are:

1. neurontin &
2. lyrica

neurontin is cheaper, lyrica more expensive.
i started on neurontin, then it didn't work and found lyrica to be a good med.

I have read TONS of articles about medical marijuana and how much it helps with pain. It, unfortunately, is not legal in Tennessee either. So pain killers it is. The percocets work great but at points the pain is so severe that one doesn't cut it. I think I'm going to talk to my doctor about going to a pain management Dr., just so she isn't liable for anything... not that anything would happen. But the pain management doctors work specifically for pain, so it seems like the only logical thing to do? Thank you EVERYONE for your help, I wish we all didn't have to go through this pain at all.

Hi NurseN
Are you still taking lyrica? What are your side effects if any? Did you gain weight.. I started taking lyrica 19 days ago and can not get higher then 50 mgs /day. The dose is to low to even touch my nerve pain. It causes anxiety and some irritablity. Unforntly it dosent cause drowsiness, that would be helpful since I have insomnia. (can not sleep with pain) :(. I may stop taking it soon. My doctor gave me ultram (tramadol I think). What dose helps your pain. Sorry for al lthe questions. Thank you in advance for any help!

i take the maximum dose of lyrica; 150mg bid (twice a day). i tolerate meds well and don't seem to have any side effects. i'm heavy and don't know if the med is causing any of it. i'd be inclined to say no since i have a wt problem anyway.

i used to take ultram for pain but it didn't help enuf. i mostly have muscle pain and have arthritis pain. i'm now on oxycodone and see a pain dr for that.

have you tried neurontin? maybe less side effects? don't stop taking the med without talking to your dr. if you stop you can get withdrawal sx's. it's something that generally needs to be stopped slowly.

I've tried meloxicam, lyrica, tramadol, gabapentin, cymbalta, etc, for the pain in my feet. Haven't found anything that works yet.

I haven't been to a pain management specilist yet. Just my PCP and a neurologist familiat with MS.

Tom

I just saw my NP today, she put me on lyrica and said to continue on the current pain killers I'm on so see if it helps. I'll take my first one tonight before bed so HOPEFULLY it helps. I've tried meloxicam, flexiril, and pain killers.. neither the meloxicam nor the flex helped with the pain in my back and hips, this is the first time I'll be trying a nerve specific medication (other than anti anxiety medication) so we are hoping for the best.

Hi bknejones
Hope the lyrica works for you. I am also taking lyrica for small nerve neuropathy. today is 3 weeks, I am only on 50mgs. Still trying to get used to the side effectcs. I get very lightheaded and my head and body feel off. I feel more depressed, this all happens around 2 hours after I take the pill, somtimes it goes on for hours. (unfort drowsiness is not a side effect foe me, would have helped cause I dont sleep) Im still trying to adjust. How much are you starting with and let us know how it works for you. Do the other meds you take help with your pain? Pain Doc gave me Tramadol for "take as needed pain". Little scared to take it, been reading some bad side effects about it. Good luck with the lyrica..:hug:

She started me on 75mg of the Lyrica, I took my first one last night because she said it would make me sleepy but it did the opposite.. I was up all night! Even with my other 4 medications that make me sleepy. I take Percocet 10's for pain.. which does help, quite a bit. The Lyrica, I think works. I just took my second one about an hour ago.. my pain level this morning was at an 8/9 and is now at a 5/6, with the percocet and lyrica. So it must be helping, I've also been on the couch the entire time, I'm afraid to walk because already this morning I've almost fallen 3 times. I didn't feel any bad symptoms from the Lyrica, I actually felt very happy, and good. Almost euphoric. I don't know if thats a symptom or not.. I am an emotional wreck today, but I don't think it's from the Lyrica, I think it's because I've come to realize that I am incapable of doing all the things that I love to do because of this nerve pain / MS. I wish I could do the things I use to do with my kids, mostly. I miss having that time with them. I use to be a VERY active mother... :(

Just some hugs for BK..:hug::hug::hug::)

Thank you! :)

My problem now is that my insurance won't cover the Copaxone until my doctor gives them an authorization letter. My doctors staff is absolutely worthless, odds are they won't even get around to it until next week. I left one nice message this morning and called again leaving a not so nice message. So I'll either **** them off with my angry message and they won't get it done on purpose or the opposite, they'll get it done. So frustrating!

Percocet (sp) helped me after dental surgery, but you wouldn't want to take that long term, I guess.

Wasn't me. Never tried Lyrica. I don't have chronic nerve pain,
just occasionally. Had Shingles, talk about your nerve pain..:eek:.
Toke vicodine for that, which didn't work.

I hope you find something for your pain, that works.:hug:

Hi bknejones
How did you make out with your doctor? Did you get the tramadol. and if so how do you like it? I have tramadol 50 mg to take with my lyrica for "as needed pain". I tryed 25mg (broke 50 in half) . I felt alittle lightheaded at first, but then I got some shortness of breath , where I had to take an extra breath every few mins, it lasted for about 30 mins or so. My pain managment doc said it was ok, and to take it again. This scared me alittle and am hesitant to try it again. But I also want to know if it will help with this pain ..:confused: Did anything like this happen to you or anyone else? thanks..Marie

Hi Betsy
I tryed tramadol, 1 25mg (broke my 50 inhalf) it made me alittle lightheaded and gave me some shortness of breath, (about 30 mins after I took it) ,every few mins I had to take an extra breath , this lasted for litttle while, then it stopped! :confused: I only took the one. My pain mgnment doc said it was ok and to try it again. Did anything like this happen to you, did you get any side effects?
You say your doc stopped the tramadol due to having seizures. Was this brought on by the tramadol, Ive read even people who do not have seizure disorder could get them on this pill. Doc gave me tramadol for as needed along with lyrica. sounds like it worked well for you!

Just wanted to send some gentle hugs for you, BK...:hug::hug::hug:.....I can so identify with your pain. It really seems to be a tough pain to control....23 years + and counting.:eek:

Sally....Were you on LDN when you tried vicodin? As I discovered when in the hospital last time, it doesn't work being it's an opioid and LDN is an opioid antagonist. They void each other out.:confused:.....Can't win.:mad:...:hug:

No Judy, I wasn't on LDN then. The vicodin made me puke, so quit taking it. :D

I've been trying everything also and haven't found real relief, it's brutal! I wanted to be "myself" again. Sometimes the pain is so much worse than other days. I hope people are still on.
I was on Effexor for many years for depression and when I stopped taking it the pain went through the roof. It's been 2 weeks since off Effexor and still have pain. Wondering if I should go back on it. I also wonder if it was hiding pain I didn't realize I even had

It is quite possible that Effexor was helping with your physical pain. Many times anti-depressants are prescribed to help with neurological pain. My own PCP placed me on Cymbalta to help with my pain. It's an anti-depressant, but works well with my neurotin to help with the pain some and a bit less harsh I guess than popping Lortab.

I can't say for sure that that's the problem, since a lot of times there's also problems with stopping any medications you've been on for a while. Withdrawl is what it comes down to and your body will try any way it can think of to trick you into taking what it thinks it wants. It's just pretty much throwing a hissy fit, but only two weeks being off a medication is such a short period to tell if that is really the case or not.

I would certainly discuss the problem with your doctor as soon as possible to see if there are any possible underlying causes for your pain that might need to be addressed or if it is a potential case of withdrawl in which case they may need to place you back on the medication if possible and take you off a bit more slowly than they have this past time to give your body a chance to adjust better.