Advice needed on medication

[Trulysad-76]

Hi this is a short one and anyone using the meds I mentioned please come forward and advise me what I should do or share your opinion.

I am on Pregabalin 300mg twice a day for spine related problems. My doctor also had me on 30/500 mg of co-codamol 4 times a day for the last 2 years. I went sobbing to the doctor the other day as the pain was getting to much for me. She immediately took me off the Co-codamol and put me on Slow release morphine patches, 5 mg which I’ve been told is minimal and I’m still suffering so took one co-codamol the other day with the patch and it worked.

I’ve only been on the patch for a week and the patches are weekly patches.

Do I have the right to go to the doctors and ask them if they could increase the dose as I felt the benefit as in it did take the edge off or do I wait and see over the next week????

[Hidden]

Hi there, I take all of the above that you mentioned but I also take Tramulief I take a high dosage so may be you start gradually and see how you get on

Take care and & good luck x

[FRreedman]

If you feel less in pain, but not pain-free, then you should let your doctor know. On the basis that pain is only an alarm, telling you something is wrong, you are entitled to as much analgesia, as you need, to turn the pain off (as you would, if an alarm siren is going off, you shut it down as soon as you can). Also, if you don't ask, the doctor doesn't know so you don't get. Good luck.

[deejames in reply to FRreedman]

Is there such a thing as pain free ?

[FRreedman in reply to deejames]

Yes. I was for about 2 days in succession about 1 year ago. I must admit, at the time, it felt so weird I wondered what was wrong.

[Hidden in reply to deejames]

I'm not sure there is anymore. I have got to manageable pain but haven't been pain free for around 5 years.

[Trulysad-76 in reply to FRreedman]

I truly can’t remember the last time I was pain free. I’m sorry I haven’t answered sooner but have been in hospital. Not been to well but better and home now x

[Hidden in reply to Trulysad-76]

Trulysad hope your feeling bit better x

[Sarahthatsue]

You certainly do.

[Hermes123]

Hermes123

Hi Trulysad-76 ! My advice is don't play around self medicating... Ask your GP. to make you an appointment to see a Medication Consultant, I had a lot of issue's with Meds there is no cure we all know that, but if we can manage on the best advice, the we can get though the day much better, I am certain a lot of people are unaware of these specialist, I had never heard of one before, it's all about getting the balance right for you. Good luck. Hermes

[Trulysad-76 in reply to Hermes123]

Thank you so much for your understanding x

[Hidden]

I started patches 3 months ago they always start you on lowest and work up. But very unusual for a dr to stop cocodamol straight away they normally get you to cut down slowly till off.

[Trulysad-76 in reply to Hidden]

They just stopped dead which is ok and not entirely sure that it was the right thing to do and now my apatite hasn’t been good xx

[treborn]

The patches can take a month to start really working, they need to build up within your blood , so try and allow for this to work because once it does work it can be a very good pain killer . Co-codamol can work but remember it contains a small about of opiate which once it digested turns into morphine so be careful the other medication is used as a pain killer for the spinal nerves and is now classed as a controlled drug.

your taking now the normal medication for Chronic back pain really it's what I use to use , but now I take much higher doses .

I'm not a doctor and can only say how things have worked for me, I'm classed as Paraplegic with Chronic spinal pain , I've been on two course two course to try and control pain without drugs these did not work and I ended up back in hospital being given large doses of Morphine, my medication is called Longtec and shortec which is three times more powerful then Morphine

[Trulysad-76 in reply to treborn]

Oh I’m so so sorry, you seem to of gone through a really hard time. But please know as much as your going through you are loved xx

[Hermes123]

Hermes123

Hi Trulysad-76, I have been on so many different types of pain medication over fifty plus years, it'only in recent years I have been running out of options and physiotherapist told me, I had covered all the pain management courses, so this senior physio said there is only a slim chance left for help, that is to see a specialist Consultant who can look at what medication I was on, as he was a specialist in the latest thinking on medication, would I like an appointment to discuss your medication, I said yes please that would be good.

Three months prior my GP. had put me on Butec patches I was already on paracetamol, Co-Tramadol and Gabapentin. Right away he told stop the Butec they are not recommended for long term pain! Next to stop the Paracetamol as the Co-Tramadol already contained Paracetamol, so my intake was more than the recommended level.

He said to me we both know we cannot stop the pain, but it will help you cope better after two weeks I felt much better and able to cope. So I hope this will urge others to have there medication checked. Hermes.