Can any of you you lovely people recommend a pain killer that doesn’t cause constipation. Help!

[Crommie]

Pain

[Telian]

I’m no medical expert. Depends how strong a painkiller you need. Paracetomol doesn’t cause constipation but anything with codeine (and morphine) usually does. Your Pharmacist will be able to advise you too.

My husband takes strong painkillers which cause constipation and he regularly takes Laxido to counteract. He also has prunes with his shredded wheat every day. It’s finding the right balance for you. Others will be along with their experiences.

Best wishes.

[Crommie in reply to Telian]

Paracetamol are not strong enough. Ibuprofen worked for one day only. Co-codemol and tramadol cause constipation. Will just have to stick with volterol gel. Take a Laxido every day anyway but makes stool too soft. Sorry to be graphic

[RoadTrip in reply to Crommie]

Have you tried part of a satchet? I take 2 every 3 days as one a day is too much!

[Crommie in reply to RoadTrip]

How do you do that?

[RoadTrip in reply to Crommie]

Contents are about 14mg each Satchet, so take 9 mg in about 85 ml water 2 days and rest ( remains of the two Satchet) about 10 mg in about 95 ml water third day. Bit faffy but seems to work for me.

[Crommie in reply to RoadTrip]

Thank you. Will give it a try.

[RoadTrip in reply to Crommie]

I think you can also get half dose satchets prescribed by drs, may be worth asking about.

[Telian in reply to Crommie]

Not too graphic at all. Hubby has to adjust his all the time - takes up to 4 when he’s bad then it has to reverse until he finds a suitable level. He’s currently on 30/500 cocodamol x 4 daily plus morphine hence why I give him 5 dried prunes daily and he now only needs 1 Laxido. Have you tried senakot they’re a lot more gentle. Bit of trial and error when you need strong painkillers. Might be worth a trip to the GP if you can’t find anything suitable.

[Crommie in reply to Telian]

I have been given senokot by gp but they didn’t seem to work that well. Laxido are ok but make stool too soft to push out sometimes.

[Telian in reply to Crommie]

You could go back to GP as there are other things they can give you - you shouldn’t be i comfortable.

[Crommie in reply to Telian]

That will be my final step.

[Suffolklady in reply to Crommie]

Try Movacol

[Bcol]

Hi Crommie, what are you needing the pain killers for. The only thing that is likely to work with PMR or GCA is the Pred. I also take Co-Codamol when I need it for my OA, without too many problems, the only other thing that worked for me with OA was Naproxen, but NSAIDS are not good or recommended with Pred.

[Crommie in reply to Bcol]

Looks like stuck with the pain then. Or perhaps it is my hip. Waiting for an X-ray.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Anything without codeine or morpine derivatives.

BUT - why do you need painkillers? They don't work for PMR pain and NSAIDs are not recommended alongside pred.

[Crommie in reply to PMRpro]

The Rheumatology nurse recommended them. She said I haven’t got PMR. I do gave GCA though. She said ibuprofen along with co-codemol

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Crommie]

PMR can be a symptom of GCA - and as you reduce the pred dose it does often appear when you get to low enough a dose. The doses used for GCA are plenty to manage PMR symptoms so she cannot say with certainty you don't have PMR, they are just different points on a spectrum of symptoms.

In telling you to mix ibuprofen and pred, did she also tell you to take some stomach protection?

[Crommie in reply to PMRpro]

I have been on omeprazole for years.

[piglette]

I have discovered strong painkillers tend to cause constipation. I have also discovered that a glass of good cognac helps, it does not cause constipation and it also acts like a sleeping pill too.

[Crommie in reply to piglette]

That sounds a good idea.

[piglette in reply to Crommie]

The downside is it is more expensive than getting it on prescription!

[Pixix in reply to Crommie]

But be careful & read the small print, some painkillers react badly with alcohol & it will make you very sick!

[Crommie in reply to Pixix]

😊

[piglette in reply to Pixix]

I have it as an alternative to painkillers!! I always read the data sheet on any prescription I get, checking if I can drink alcohol with the drug.

[Pixix in reply to piglette]

Oh, but my answer wasn’t for you, piglette, it was to Crommie! I’ve tried alcohol as a pain alternative, but sadly needed too much of it, so I’ve reverted to time release Tramadol (NOT for PMR, it doesn’t remove the shoulder & hip pains of Polymyalgia at all!) S x

[piglette in reply to Pixix]

I do find Tramadol a good painkiller. I have not had the hallucinations some people get. It was a total waste of time for PMR though.

[Crommie in reply to piglette]

What is good for pmr/ then?

[piglette in reply to Crommie]

PRED!

[Crommie in reply to piglette]

Should I go back to previous prednisolone dose when I didn't have pain? On 10 now but was ok on 12.5

[piglette in reply to Crommie]

That is a good idea. It means you can hit the PMR on the head so you will then be in a good position to try and reduce again. The pred is there to help the pain and it is a bit of a waste if we let the pain take over.

[Pixix in reply to piglette]

I agree! I don’t get hallucinations with it, either. I do if I have IV morphine, but pethidine is fine as well. I nearly always get drug side effects, too! The only good painkiller for PMR, in my humble opinion, is sufficient pred to damp down the inflammation. Yes, i realise pred isn’t a painkiller, but it does the same job...kills the pain by reducing the inflammation! But happy for somebody to tell me I’m wrong! I am prescribed to take morphine, and that didn’t work on the PMR pain, either. But it did solve the pain from a back injury I had!! S x

[piglette in reply to Pixix]

Morphine and Fentanyl make me incredibly sick as well.

[Pixix in reply to piglette]

Yes to that! Relief of pain with the ‘heavy’ stuff rarely comes alone! I’ve been trying to give them up for years...but then each year something new comes along (last year Polymyalgia, this year osteo & inflammatory arthritis!) S xx

[Crommie in reply to Pixix]

Thank you. Don’t get much advice from medical people. More or less left to own devices!

[piglette in reply to Crommie]

I have decided that being left to my own devices is fine with me. As long as I get my steroid prescription. My CRP and ESR is very high often over 100 for both and they just put satisfactory in my notes.

[Pixix in reply to Crommie]

If you need medical advice, or an appointment you need to push for one...they are still working just the sane & are available! I agreed with my doctor after I got to 10mg that I didn’t need to speak to him monthly, but I’ve had appointments to do with arthritis &then one when I had difficulty on reaching 3mg. They haven’t disappeared...it’s your NHS, do ring them & tell them you need help! Taking other people’s recommendations for painkillers is a danger as nobody knows what other drugs you take or your medical history & those items are important when considering which painkillers. All we can say is which ones suit us!! Good luck!

[Viv54 in reply to piglette]

Im with you on that, i have it as a hot toddy , lovely !😊

[Crommie in reply to Viv54]

Thank you Pixix. Very aware of medication crossovers and am very careful. I always check first. I have decided I am not being ‘fobbed’ off anymore and want something sorted sooner Rather than later. Will try to get a face to face appt with gp on Friday. At the moment cannot walk without a rollater. I am getting depressed!

[Raewynne]

I get constipation with a lot of medications due to fillers etc so I try to avoid as much as possible but I have found that Apple's and pears work quite well and since I have taking magnesium regularly my bowels are a lot better.Constipation was so severe for me it caused a hernia so I'm very careful with opioids.

[Crommie in reply to Raewynne]

Do have an apple and pear a day. Perhaps I should up it to two. Thanks for that.

[2013mayo]

Hi, When I’ve had major surgery the hospital docs prescribe oxycodone, it’s a very strong pain killer, it doesn’t cause constipation, I can’t take morphine as it makes me terribly sick.

It’s a very good pain killer, they don’t like prescribing it as it can cause addiction, but then so do all strong pain killers. If you need it you need it.

Any way it’s a possibility .

Xx

[Crommie in reply to 2013mayo]

Have made a note. Thanks.

[pomeranion in reply to 2013mayo]

Please don't take oxycodone. I became addicted after spine surgery. It is almost forbidden in the U.S. only in extreme cases is it prescribed. It is an epidemic here. The manufacturer is being sued big time. I had opiod withdrawal and was hospitalized. It took me months to finally get back to somewhat normal. I was put on a medication to address the withdrawal. Terrible symptoms occurred. Do your research especially what is happening in this country (U.S). I sometimes wish with the PMR pain that I could take the oxycodone but I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I hope this is helpful besides being a very grave warning. I too wish there was an answer to my PMR pain as the pred isn't cutting it. I am on a slow taper. Pray for better days ahead and wish you the same.👍👍👍

[Crommie in reply to pomeranion]

Wont contemplate it. Think the slower taper might be best.

[2013mayo in reply to pomeranion]

I’ve only taken it for a few days in hospital, I would never take any pain killer long term, don’t like them, as soon as possible I stop taking any heavy duty drug, I don’t know if there is something In my genes but I don’t think i could become addicted to any drug, maybe coffee, but then again I prefer tea.Thank you for your concern but please don’t worry.

Xx

[Crommie in reply to 2013mayo]

Take care of yourself

[Raewynne]

Oxycodone causes constipation for me.Too much cooked food causes constipation as well.Movicol is good for constipation.Not too bad to drink.