GP VISIT

[Silverpony]

Hello everybody, please may I ask the hive mind for any questions or advice I should be asking my GP? Appointments are rare & I want to make the best of this opportunity . Am currently having a “normal” day .... exhausted, sore etc & have self medicated on tramadol & ibuprofen. There has to be another pain solution to try? The tramadol just takes the edge off & on bad days nothing helps & I want to talk to my GP about pain management for when tramadol isn’t an option. I would be very grateful for any advice you could give. Many thanks, Andrea

[FRreedman]

The problem with Tramadol, is it gives you a pain free boost and then wears off, then after 4 hours you take some more it boosts the relief and then wears off. I think you are better with a slow release analgesia which can be topped up if you have breakthrough pain.

[Badbessie]

Ask to go on a pain management programme. They changed my medications to a slow release patch and it as really helped with pain control.

[Willie38]

I still take Tramadol but I use the slow release version. You don't have the same highs and lows but even this loses its efficiency after a while. I have periods of time when I don't take anything and they work better when I begin again.

[ALynnJohnston]

I’ve been on Tramadol Parcetomol and at times an extra cocodamol cerisan cream helps at times and definitely ask to be referred to the pain management doc at your local hospital.

CBT can help especially when the pain is peeking.

Staying warm and especially at a steady heat no peeks or dips has really helped me. The bone pain feels like my feet is in ice as my legs, hips and pelvis is being burnt. It’s excruciating. The pain management doctor poopooed ET as he felt I have fibromyalgia instead so really I’m not now sure what it is but especially since the weather has got colder am more house bound.

After recent surgery a surgeon stated that I may be abusing pain medication!!! I replied to him that all pain medication is prescribed by the pain management doctor and my GP. I was very upset about that. Especially as I lift my medication weekly.

I do hope this helps you.

[mistee7 in reply to ALynnJohnston]

Hi ya, try not to take it personally. When my fibromyalgia has a flare-up I can't handle the pain and usually go to the hospital for pain relief. I used to go that often I was on first name terms with the nurses. I could go in and get treated quite quickly coz they knew what I needed. I was in for morphine. A new doctor there thought I was there just for the drugs. He thought I was a junkie and offered to help get me off the stuff. I can't take Tramadol coz I'm fully allergic. I had the bottle still full in the cupboard. My ex-husband came round going on about how bad his back was so I gave him the bottle. He got addicted to them. He held up a chemist at knifepoint. He had taken a lot then came to my place and asked for a drink. He had taken a load before he got to mine. I didn't know any of this until well after my ex had gone. The police came to me asking if I had seen him. I managed to find out what he had done and that he went to prison for a few months. When he got out of prison he was clean. He was only out for a little while then went back on it. For you guys that are on the stuff. Please go careful.

[hebden]

Hi Silverpony, I take tramadol when my pain gets too unbearable and I can stay in bed and can cope with the side effects. Tramadol makes me like a zombie but it gets rid of the pain for a while because it makes me sleep. I also use tubes and tubes of voltarol, naproxen, tens machine, vit d3 and b12 and mindfulness. I don't use the same thing everyday I vary it about, mainly because I have other conditions that cause a different type of pain so its just a juggling act of trying to cope with each day as it comes. I have done pain management courses in the past but they didn't really help although it was good to talk with the group who were also trying to manage their pain. I hope you find something that works for you.

xx