I have had several heart attacks and have 2 stents in my heart. i also have stents in both legs. this is due to vascular disease. i have chronic back pain and have been on lortab 10 for a couple of years - 2x a day. they don't seem to help anymore. i also take plavix,asprin,and a number of other meds. any ideas on what i should ask my Dr. for to help with the pain?
What is the strongest pain medication I can take for chronic back pain?
- Posted:
- 8 weeks ago by fortunate
- Topics:
- heart attack, heart disease, pain, back pain
Details:
Answers (23)
Wow! I think you should stick with what the doctor suggest. First does the Lortab control your pain? If so, I would ask if I could increase my daily dosage. There are lots of stronger pain meds out there. I just hate to hear more and more people are needing them. Our generation is falling apart. I personally take methadone for chronic pain. I have been on it for five years. It works great for me. It doesn't hurt your liver and you can be a functioning person. I had tried lots of different things and this just turned out to be the perfect fit for me. What concerns me is your heart condition. I would be very careful regarding any pain meds for that reason. Talk with your Doctor. He knows a heck of alot more than I do. I am always here for support. Best of luck my dear......Kimmie
For chronic pain you are better off with a sustained release opiate rather then a quick release like vicodin or percocet. Those drugs are great for the odd time that you have break thru pain. Once you get to a proper dosage of sustained release opiate then you should rarely need break thru, at least thats the idea.
I would suggest MS Contin or any other sustained release morphine. As you know the hospitals use morphine when you have a heart attack because over all it is a very safe and effective pain killer. So that's what I would try and do in your case.Good luck..Dave
I agree with MPVT regarding the use of morphine. To elaborate further on the comment regarding why hospitals use it on heart attack patients - morphine is specifically MUCH safer on the heart muscle, and less likely to cause depression of that muscle. I have not taken MS Contin, but rather take morphine sulfate immediate release for break-through pain, with OxyContin as my sustained-release opiate pain medication. However, I've never had negative effects from morphine, and appreciate the sustained release action of OxyContin, so MS Contin would likely be your best bet, as MPVT suggests.
MS Contin is more costly than the traditional, immediate release formulations of morphine, but far less expensive than OxyContin. I've found the brand name runs about $7/pill for the 100mg dose, and $10/pill for the 200mg dose ($1.07/pill and $2/pill, respectively, for the generics). OxyContin, on the other hand, is a total nightmare, with the brand-name 80mg tablet costing about $17/pill, while its generic isn't much better, coming in at about $12/pill. Fortunately, I am blessed with excellent prescription drug coverage, but am acutely aware that SOMEONE is paying for my prescriptions, so I still cringe at these outrageous prices.
Best of luck to you - chronic pain can only be appreciated by those who suffer from it, but vastly misunderstood or scoffed at by the unaffected masses.
Regards,
Duckworthy
My advice to u wil b please dnt take any medication apart from what your doctor suggeest but obviously u can tk the morphine because it is very light and dosen't affects ur heart in any way as such...but since u already faced heart attacks so i would suggest u to consult with your doctor before taking any over the counter medication......................thank you
Ask your Dr to up the Lortab, I've never taken that but most of the time released drugs like oxycotian, that Patch, Ms Contin, and methadone are some of the drugs they have tried me on I weigh nothing so couldn't handle only the MS Contin all of these drug can give you more problems with your heart even with the MS Contin I feel my heart pound and race at times so if your body is use to this Lortab just ask the Dr to up the dose or you can end up like me with your body going into a whirlwind or possibly having another heart attack.
All that I have mentioned are very strong with the right dose but I don't know after having a heart attack. Good Luck
You can get relief. You need to find a good pain specialist. Pain management requires expertise. You are currently taking a short acting pain medication. It reaches it's peak effect in one hour and then begins leaving the body. Strength of medication is almost irrelevant. What matters is the dosing frequency and the mechanism of action. You need to be particularly cautious because of you heart condition. The best action you can take is to find a physician whose focus is on the management of pain. Happy patients have Dr's that specialize in their conditions. Your primary Dr will gladly collaborate with pain Dr.
You could get a million different answers for this question. First and foremost I agree with a pain specialist, especially with your cardiac history. They know what to do and are very knowledgeable about drugs that can help you with your pain that other Doctors are not aware of. They are very cautious about other conditions and interactions of pain medication, as well as the possibility of addiction. The stronger the narcotic, the higher the risk of addiction. Any narcotic is going to have to be used cautiously with you and your cardiac condition. All narcotics affect every organ system in your body. Then again, you have to consider quality of life. Your Doctor needs to discuss this with you. He may just increase your hydrocodone dose. If you ask him, he may give you a referral to a pain specialist. All the other drugs mentioned here are difinitely stronger than lortab, but they may not be for you. I agree that if you are taking medication indefintely, you should be on a medication that gives you sustained relief and have no tylenol because tylenol is not good on the kidneys or liver taken on a consistent basis. But these drugs such as Oxycontin, MS Contin, Methadone, ect... are really strong and may not be for you. Methadone works great for some people and not so great for some. It really was not meant as a chronic pain medication but rather as a medication to get people off of narcotics. AS the years go by, I see it used more and more as a chronic pain medication. My patients and friends frequently tell me that it causes severe nausea and vomiting, but again this is not going to happen with everyone. And just a quick word regarding Methadone patches...If they still sell them, I would stear clear of them. My insurance quit covering them just this year. Dr.s use to love them because they worked good and there was no danger of re-selling, which has become a nationwide problem. There have been many cases where they did not give out the medication a little at a time, but all at once, which of course was way too much of the medication at one time and people died. I would be scared to use them. I used them prior to these incidences, but they were terribly strong and I could not stay awake. It was awful.
Not only am I a retired nurse (thanks to a disabilng injury) but I struggle with chronic pain due to an ankle injury and due to arthritis is several joints....mainly in my back. Oxycontin worked great for me, but after several years I discovered that I was addicted to it. I went to a pain specialist and they showed me ways to deal with the pain without narcotics. I am essentially narcotic free. I have diversional activities I do. I try to exercise to the extent that I am able. And I know when I need to get off my foot and rest. Sometimes my pain gets so severe that I need something and that is when I take a 5mg Vicodin. But it is not on a regular basis....I am not going there again...
But chronic pain is different for everyone and the medications affect individuals differntly. You need to talk to your DR., and again I do suggest a pain specialist, and develop an individual plan based on you, your needs and you health history.
I wish every luck with this matter. Chronic pain is a bitch to manange.
I have been given most of the pain medication available over the years.Lortab is the industry standard for a first narcotic based medicine.It takes 45 min to an hour to start to relieve pain,unfortunately it leaves the body very quickly and you can develop a tolerence very quickly.The time release drugs ,MS-Contin,Oxy-Contin,deliver relief for approx 12 hours.Ms-Contin is morphine based and seems to have the least side effects of the pain killers.Oxy-Contin can cause you to develop a tolerence very quickly.Both have the disadvantage of not allowing you to regulate your daily dosage as your pain increases or decreases.Once you start to take them,you are tied into a dosage schedule of every 12hrs,and clinical addiction soon follows.They are both ridicuously expensive in both the Brand Name and the generic version.For my self,the 15 mg instant release morphine tablets seem to work the best.If I am having a moderate pain day I can lower the frequency of the dosage.You say that you are taking only a few Lortabs a day.You may discuss with you doctor if Tramadol might be of help to you.They are non-narcotic and seem to work quite well for many patients.I do not know if they are safe for you to take with your heart condition,but it may be worth investigating with your doctor.Fentanyl patches are very effective but are VERY powerfull and I do not think that you need anything anywhere near that powerfull for your pain.Good luck and God bless you. Robin
Robin....Great idea about Tramadol. I am not sure about taking it with his other conditons either.
Fentanyl is evil, don't do it.
I've been a Chronic Pain Patient for a couple of years, the first 22 months on Lortab and Ultram and I was miserable, unable to get a good night's rest because as I woke up in the middle of the night, I could not fall asleep because of the pain, so I'd get up and take the medication. Then, my day would be all screwed up b/c I'd have to go to bed at some crazy time in order for me to be compliant with the amount of medication I could take. Finally, the Physician's Assistant I was seeing said that I would benefit from something more around the clock and she referred me to the doctor she worked under. The doctor put me on MS Contin (Morphine Sulfate) twice a day and Lidoderm patches (Lidocaine,
kind of like Novacaine that the dentist uses to numb the nerves in your mouth, the Lidocaine numbs the pinched nerves that are causing the majority of my pain in my lower back) and now, my friends are so happy to see me smile and able to do the things that seemed so small yet so painful. The Morphine is AND Lidoderm should be okay considering your conditions. Ask your doctor and let us know how it goes :)
fortunate; Wow you have got some stuff going on there don't you. The Lortab is not going to work anymore. That medication is not a long lasting opiate. There are lots of things that they can try you on. I would recommend that you try Tylenol #3. That is Tylenol with Codeine. A little stronger than a Lortab. They also have Tylenol #4, it has just a little more Codeine in it. If these do not work then there are the "big guns". There is Oxycontin that they can try in small doses. These meds are very addicting but, they work. There is also the medicine known as Methadone. This is used to help get addicts off of opiods and they work great as a pain med. Be persistant about needing a new pain med, you deserve to not be in pain. Good Luck
Tylenol #3 & #4 are not stronger than Lortab.Both contain Tylenol which is bad for your liver and kidneys. Methadone(Dolophene,etc) is a very powerful synthetic narcotic.It is long lasting (generally 24hrs after it has built up in your body)most of the other pain killers discussed are water soluable and are eliminated from the body quickly.Methadone is fat soluable and take a long time to be eliminated.Most Doctors are very resistant to perscribe it,mainly because of it's association with being a Heroin substitute,and was until not long ago only available through Methadone Maintainance Clinics.Unlike the water soluable narcotics,methadone is one of the hardest drugs to stop taking once started.In cases of overdosage,the narcotic antagonists given to reverse overdosage often wear off before the methadone and overdoe can keep re-occuring.It also seems to have other side effects such as weight gain,and is probably not great for the liver or kidneys.Whatever you use,use the least powerfull and lowest dosage you can.A low dose of narcotic and a muscle relaxer may be of help.What ever you do,make a list of questions,symptoms,past medications used and any other concerns you may have.It is very easy to forget your concerns when you are in the Doctors office.As I stated in an earlier post Tramadol may be of help.Only your Doctor is qualified to help you make these decisions.Good luck.Deep breathing and meditation ALWAYS help and will do you no harm.
Wow, so much has been said already...Opiates cause your respiration rate to slow down . This is important when talking to the doctor.On the other hand, the stress of chronic pain, and the hormones released because of that, is bad for your heart,among other things.Lack of sleep has been linked to vascular disease,also due to sleep apnea. When you ask your doc for something more effective to control your pain-(like demerol,morphine sulfate) and what others have recommended; Insure him that you are walking,eating anti-inflammatory foods. This shows effort on your part(not that I think you need to show effort) . But I'm seeing it thru the docs eyes. I've gotten some relief from systemic enzymes,and a guy named "Jesse Cannone". Google him and see what you can glean.You're in my prayers.
Demerol is only recomended for short term acute pain,not chronic pain.It quickly loses it's effectivness.Whatever you and your Doctor decide,less is more in the long run.ALL medications put a strain on your liver and kidneys,as well as other organs.Also with your Doctors advice,stretching and range of motion exercises may help.The best pain killers are the bodies natural endorphins,which narcotics mimic.A body in motion tends to stay in motion.
hi everyone!im new,im from ny,and i look forward 2 having access 2 the knowledge presented from all different areas of the world!i am an oppiate user,with methadone,ocs,and dilaudin being my favs.thx.
There are different medications for back pain, but with your condition you must be very careful what you take. Definitely discuss this with your Doctor. I have back pain, and tried several medications, there are side effects with them, from tiredness, and constipation is always a big one that you get with pain meds, and more, which you must be careful. I have use lidoderm patches in the past, there is also fentanyl patches, they seem to be stronger, but I had problems, and went on the other ( lidoderm) I had back surgery, but still have problems, but that was years ago, that is not always the answer, talk this over with the Doctor, and see which is the best for you.
Methadone would be a great painkiller in your case except that you have heart problems which means you can't or shouldn't take methadone.
Even for people like myself when I was on 400mgs a day of methadone I had to have EKG's every 6 months because high doses of methadone can cause quite a few heart related problems. I'm at 120mgs/day now and they don't test me anymore because luckily I haven't had previous heart problems.
You have multiple chronic pain issues and you have been on a opiate for a few years now. You are definately going to have to go to a stronger painkiller as hydrocodone is not very effective for chronic pain. It is exellent for acute pain and is used in the USA for most acute cases. Here in Canada hydrocodone is available in prescription cough syrup only. They use tylenol#3 which is comparable to hydrocodone for pain killing.
Have they ever talked to you about a pain pump???...Good luck....Dave