Hey everyone! New here today but not new to RSD - Posted our story in another thread (in case your interested)

Question for you folks here -

Is there any Non-Narcotic pain meds that you have heard of, tried and they have actually worked???

We are very worried about the narcotic part of hubbies pain managment - We dont liked the fact that it's addictive and also question its "workability" - It's not lasting full 8 hours like it should and takes 1.5 hours to even "kick in"

We asked Dr about alternative and all he did was up his hydrocodone to 3x's daily instead of 2.

We would prefer non-narcotic BUT if theres a narcotic out there that is not addictive/so addictive (...maybe??) We would consider that also.

Just frustrated here - He's been on hydrocodone for 6+ months now and we are just uncomfortable with it.

HubbyWithRSD

There is a difference between addiction and drug dependant. There is many people that have to depend on medication to have quality of life. Many of those medications can cause a with drawl.

However, the dose that your husband is taking is truely a minimal amount. To reduce or come off them is not going to be a huge medical problem. Maybe he will never have a quality of life without them.

Thre are methods to keepo symptoms minimal, but RSD is not easy to predict. When you are in a flare, you can actually want the affected part removed.

Even non narctic medications can cause a withdrawl, the many used for RSD.

Otherwie you may be looking at rub ons, lidoderm patches for local area help, maybe Ibroprophin. I found with my own pain management it is much better to take the 1-2 percocetts, then 4 Advils 4 times a day as doctor sugessted.

Drug dependant is not drug addiction,
Drug seeking, never having enough, uping medications, doubling doses because if one helps two will help better, consistanly running out of medications, can all be signs of wither not enough pain mangement, or drug seeking behaviors.

Just my own thoughts.
But, if you had his arm removed and phantom pain, would you want tylenol or the medication he is currently on to make him feel better?
One possibility is in the future a pain pump inserted with medication going directly to the spine and nerves instead of the blood stream.
I would also suggest using a pain diary for your husband to understand his day to day pain, even if it is only done a few times a week or once a week.
http://www.painworld.zip.com.au/down...n_chart_1.html

B1. Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form)
Study ID#_________________ Hospital#________________
Do not write above this line
Date:____/____/____
Time:______________
Name:_____________________________________________ _________
Last First Middle Initial

1) Throughout our lives, most of us have had pain from time to
time (such as minor headaches, sprains, and toothaches).
Have you had pain other than these everyday kinds of pain
today?
1. yes 2. no

2) On the diagram, shade in the areas where you feel pain. Put
an X on the area that hurts the most.



3) Please rate your pain by circling the one number that best
describes your pain at its WORST in the past 24 hours.

__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No Pain as bad as
pain you can imagine
__________________________________________________ ___________

4) Please rate your pain by circling the one number that best
describes your pain at its LEAST in the past 24 hours.

__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No Pain as bad as
pain you can imagine
__________________________________________________ ___________

5) Please rate your pain by circling the one number that best
describes your pain on the AVERAGE.

__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No Pain as bad as
pain you can imagine
__________________________________________________ ___________

6) Please rate your pain by circling the one number that tells
how much pain you have RIGHT NOW.

__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No Pain as bad as
pain you can imagine
__________________________________________________ ___________

7) What treatments or medications are you receiving for your
pain?
__________________________________________________ ___________

8) In the past 24 hours, how much RELIEF have pain treatments
or medications provided? Please circle the one percentage
that most shows how much.

__________________________________________________ ___________
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
No Complete
relief relief
__________________________________________________ ___________


9) Circle the one number that describes how, during the past 24
hours, PAIN HAS INTERFERED with your:

A. General Activity:
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

B. Mood
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

C. Walking ability
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

D. Normal work (includes both work outside the home and
housework)
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

E. Relations with other people
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

F. Sleep
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

G. Enjoyment of life
__________________________________________________ ___________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Does not Completely
interfere interferes
__________________________________________________ ___________

Source: Pain Research Group, Department of Neurology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Used with permission. May be duplicated and used in
clinical practice.

Just from our family's experiance. When it is over 13 years with watching pain every day....
Dianne

Thank you for the information - I'm going to see what we can do and get that chart.

I guess we worry even more as we know of a person (related to my brother in law) who had a back injury and the Dr's had him on hydrocodone for 3 years - The Dr up and dropped him and no more meds. He went through severe withdrawls and even had to go to treatment. Today he is an alcholic and had rarly drank before that.

The other thing is, is that hubby is just not a pill person - The less the better. His RSD in his leg was almost controllable without any "heavy" medications and we just want to be at that point again. Although I guess were in the fantasy mode with that - It took 5ish years to get to that point with his leg. This (in his arm) has only been going on for a little over a month........*sigh*