Medication changes

[greekqueen]

Hello, just wondering if anyone can let me know what treatments/medications changed or added when they had taken co-codamol full dose, gabapentin full dose and amitriptilyne 25mg with a change of dihydrocodeine at night instead of codeine and they have been getting extra pain at night (sacro-iliac/periformis area) and told that nothing more can be added or changed?

Thanks

Lila

[Emma2017]

Have you seen a pain specialist? If it is sacro iliac pain they can give you an S1 injection. If that helps great. If it only helps a tiny bit they can perform an S1 denervation. I have had those done and it helped tremendously.

[greekqueen in reply to Emma2017]

Hi Emma, thanks, I have always been told I am not a good candidate for injections, have only ever had hip xrays to be told that is still mild, and I had to get a private mri lower back scan done which showed problems but nothing major.

I am on the waiting list for the pain clinic but they mostly do meditation and the like there so I don't hold out much hope of any other investigations being done or referrals.

I think I have to wait for the problems to worsen to where I can't walk at all to be referred to someone. In the past (10 years ago) at an orthopaedic surgeon I was just given an xray and sent packing, I think they work differently in Scotland.

A gp in phoning Monday so will try to mention those things.

Thanks again

Lila

[Emma2017 in reply to greekqueen]

Good luck, Sometimes a change of meds works too if they don’t want to try the injection route. I used to be on tramadol but changed to dihydrocodeine. You could possibly change the other way and see if tramadol gives you better relief.

[greekqueen in reply to Emma2017]

Thanks Emma, I've tried tramadol but didn't get any effects from it at all, it was quite strange.Hopefully a new xray might pick up something and the new pain settles down too.

Lila

[Emma2017 in reply to greekqueen]

GP’s can only refer you to a pain specialist for the SI injections. Denervation will only be performed after an injection. I was wondering you are on the maximum dose of gabapentin which is something like 3600/day I believe. There is the sister drug pregabalin and sometimes switching to that offers results. It’s the more expensive of the 2 so they always start you on gabapentin. The pregabalin drug is up to 600mg a day, it’s stronger per mg. maybe worth a go? (I switched from gabapentin to pregabalin due to eye problems but found it helped more, although it was for referred nervepain).

[greekqueen in reply to Emma2017]

Thanks Emma,

Hopefully they may give me options at the pain clinic.

I will definitely keep the Pregablin in mind. Been taking Gabapentin for 10 years and have really bad dry eyes which are causing me some problems and I wonder if taking that tablet has made my eyes worse.

Lila

[Milton2328]

I changed from co codamol to dihyracodine and i prefer dihyracodine as they are not as habit forming however i do take paracetamol and dihyracodine together and i take 8 a day have you asked for fentanyl patches they are the strongest i have them too.

[greekqueen in reply to Milton2328]

Thanks Milton, yes have tried those combinations of tablets, but have never been offered patches.

Lila

[Milton2328 in reply to greekqueen]

You need to ask your GP for them don't take no for a answer.

[Milton2328 in reply to Milton2328]

I too take pregabalin.

[Flutterbyca]

i take Gabapentin 3 times a day. 600 mg, horizant 2 300 mg Tizanidine. Mirapex, and recently added Tramadol at a low dose. the Tramadol really helps. i would highly recommend. I’ve been told to add extra Gabapentin if pain is getting really bad. I am scheduled for Ablation surgery of the back. 4 crushed discs and crushed tailbone. i had a hip replacement. recovered in a week. Best Wishes from California. p.s. i always wanted to visit Scotland. would love to hear a Scottish men’s choir. Alas, it’s not to be. it’s thrilling to talk to someone from Scotland though. 😊

[greekqueen in reply to Flutterbyca]

Hi Flutterbyca, I am on Gabapentin 300mg x 12 a day maximum dose, they did help, tried tramadol but they did not work on the pain.It has settled down into the hip so a gp has said I can try an injection, for the very first time.

Sounds like you have been through and are going through a lot 😳

Aww really! We are just the same in the cities here as anywhere else, I haven't heard a male choir but know of a few women's ones.

I've visited New York and San Francisco with my daughter one year, we did both cities in less than a week and 2 of the days were for flying, totally exhausting 😅

Lovely to talk to you

Lila 😘

[Flutterbyca in reply to greekqueen]

so sorry you haven’t found relief.. That is a lot of Gabapentin. . i hope the injection helps. i live near the coast in the town of Ventura. A small town atmosphere. The people in our neighborhood are incredibly friendly. lots of people out walking with their dogs. we just moved here from Lake Arrowhead. a nice mountain community in Southern California. Too far from our family. now we are just twenty minutes away from them. You might want to try Ablation surgery at some point. Good luck and take care. Nona

[greekqueen in reply to Flutterbyca]

Hi Nona ☺️

Sounds amazing 😀 So glad you are nearer your family. I have three grown up children who all live relatively nearby and four brothers who are further away, both my parents have passed away now.

The health system can be a bit slow moving here in the UK as it's free on NHS, and you really only get treatment if it's needed or an emergency otherwise it's a long wait or you can go private.

Going to a pain clinic soon so maybe if I go through that I can get more investigations.

Lila 😊

[Flutterbyca in reply to greekqueen]

good luck