Any advice on pain killers

[DavidSugg]

Hi I am still getting blinding headaches and have

Been prescribed Codeine Phosphate 30mg tablets

For the past fourteen weeks does anyone know of

A pain killer that is not as addictive as Codeine?

Dave

[cat3]

I'll be interested to see the replies to this David as I've been plagued with scarily bad headaches myself for several weeks now. I can't tolerate ibuprofen & I rely on codeine also but it's pretty ineffective & my GP is less than useless.

Cat x

[DavidSugg in reply to cat3]

I will let you know if i can find one ibuprofen and paracetamol are worse then useless for the headaches i am getting lets hope we can find one Dave

[cat3 in reply to DavidSugg]

Thanks

[red_spinel in reply to DavidSugg]

hi, have you thought about going down the natural road i.e herbs i,e ginger, devils claw, omega 3? maybe an alternative.....

[headwayuk Partner Headway]

Dear DavidSugg

Thanks for your question.

Sometimes people can have increased problems with headaches when they are taking codeine based medications. If the codeine was originally prescribed for the headaches, and it would seem is not helping, now could be the time to re-visit your GP and have a chat with him about this.

Can I suggest you contact our helpline on 0808 800 2244 or [e-mail] and we can talk things through with you in a bit more detail?

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes,

Headway.

[vjones2 in reply to headwayuk]

WHAT YOU PUT IS WHATA HEACHE SPECILIST SAID AND THE 90 OUT 100 ARE ON THEM AND ADDITED I NO I AM sorry caps ive got 3 things why i get headache sah stroke hole and ig fall hole all differnt bit of my head and she said cluster the codine does not help specilist said pure oxegen may no garentesses tho and she carnt sop all people been put on the codine as addicted but she said codine could make pai worse 2 as far as i no untill we stop codine which no 1 wants widrawal things theres not lot they can do dont o if youve any more help as theres times id put a hole in my own head 2 get rid of pain sorry but my gp waste air v

[red_spinel]

I have chronic pain. I get 15/500 , i need the 30/500 but they wont give to me to 2 main reasons, 1 it conflicts with my cardiac mediacations and secondly, i spoke to my doctor again recently, they such pain killers can become additctive if taken regularly.

I find constant pain very hard to deal with ie sleep, general function, irritation, i think most people would be the same on that. what i have learnt to do is to avoid dituations that aggrivate the pain to higher levels...which does work for me sometimes, but then again people are different....

[headcase]

Hi Dave

there was an interesting feature on the treatment of cluster headaches on the radio last night. Its available on listen again if you wish to here it. The program is "Inside Health" on Radio 4 at 9pm (Tues 25th March) and you can skip to the appropriate bit. Hope it may be enlightening for you

Best wishes Headcase

[Hidden]

THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY BORING TO PEOPLE WHO READ MY POSTS (THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT)

YOU COULD TRY THE TRIPTAN FAMILY OF DRUGS. I TAKE AKE RIZATRIPTAN IN A FORM THAT MELTS ON YOU TONGUE. I TRIED ALL THE CODEINE DRUGS, TOPAMAX, ETC NONE OF WHICH WORKED AT ALL. WE THEN TRIED THESE PRETTY MUCH AS A LAST RESORT AFTER 15 YEARS OF TRYING OTHER STUFF & THEY WORK BEAUTIFULLY. MINE ARE NON ADDICTIVE. CHECK WITH A NEURO ABOUT OTHER FORMS.

I HAVE CLUSTER HEADACHES THAT HAVE ME CRAWLING ROUND THE FLOOR WEARING A BLINDFOLD AS I CAN'T STAND THE LIGHT. THE PAIN IS BRUTAL.

GOOD LUCK, I FEEL FOR YOU..

[DavidSugg in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Zeblet i have just read up on the triptan family and sounds good i will run this by my GP i am lucky to have a good one i will let you know how i get on Dave

[Hidden]

I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING HOW YOU GET ON.

BEST OF LUCK!

[Nks425]

I am on Topamax and it really does not help much. I am going in on Friday for my 6 month MRI. Will ask about the triptan family meds and see if that might help me as well. Mine headaches really picked up again after my gamma knife. Thanks for addressing this question and the best of luck to you Dave.

Niyani

[DavidSugg in reply to Nks425]

HI Nks425 I have been shocked at the lack of understanding by the medical profession in regards to headache problems after head trauma maybe they should take a lot more notice of people who are living with pain dayley i had a new take on mine today black shapes floating in front of my eyes but no headache has any one else had this? more and more people are suffering SAH and other head trauma it seems to me an organization needs to step up and ask the survivors of head trauma what their experiences are then build a data base on the ramifications of such injuries Dave

[DavidSugg]

Oh and if any one knows of an organization that could take up the data base idea i can help i am a computer design engineer and network database design designer and or course i would do this for free

[Danslatete]

I have 30/500 sopadol . I also have Lyrica, (or pregablin). I get pains that make my face drop one one side and affects my vision. It feels like an iron rod being rammed thru my skull and out of my eye socket, sometimes it seconds but is so intense I end up on the floor. Sometimes it's not quite so intense but lasts days. They are not as frequent as they used to be. My worst experience was sitting in a gp room with tears running

but in too much pain to actually cry. He told me to take paracetamol and get an early night. Just what I needed to hear.

[DavidSugg in reply to Danslatete]

Hi Danslatete i totally understand where you are coming from and that puts my problems to the fring i am on a mission to find answers and hopefully extent our help by getting more people involved thank you

[Plr9663]

I used to get a compound from a pharmacy. A compound is something the pharmacist makes, in case you didn't know. He made an over the counter headache med made of vitamin B-2 (not 12) and naproxen. It really helped. Stay away from onions and other foods with vitamin K.

[Plr9663 in reply to Plr9663]

Oh, and when my migraines were super bad, I'd go to the ER and they would give me an injection of, I believe, propranolol? Maybe someone else can tell you what it's called. It's for pain and works immediately. I'm sorry I'm so forgetful.