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?
Question posted by fortunate on 7 Oct 2009
Last updated on 10 May 2024
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
101 Answers
Judyrae59
1 April 2024
Ask your doctor about Butrans patches. They come in 7.5 mcg/hr, 10 mcg/hr, 15 mcg/hr and 20mcg/hr. used the 20 mcg/hr with wonderful results for my severe chronic back pain.
masso
1 April 2024
I am aware this post is old, but the information by Mayo Clinic reviewed by Drugs.com on Feb. 2018, may help other people.
Medications
Medications depend on the type of back pain. They might include:
Pain relievers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), might help. Take these medications only as directed. Overuse can cause serious side effects. If pain relievers you can buy without a prescription don't help, your health care provider might suggest prescription NSAIDs.
Muscle relaxants. If mild to moderate back pain doesn't improve with pain relievers, a muscle relaxant might help. Muscle relaxants can cause dizziness and sleepiness.
Topical pain relievers. These products, including creams, salves, ointments and patches, deliver pain-relieving substances through the skin.
Narcotics. Drugs containing opioids, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone, may be used for a short time with close medical supervision.
Antidepressants. Some types of antidepressants — particularly duloxetine (Cymbalta) and tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline — have been shown to relieve chronic back pain.
Physical therapy
A physical therapist can teach exercises to increase flexibility, strengthen back and abdominal muscles, and improve posture. Regular use of these techniques can help keep pain from returning. Physical therapists also will provide education about how to modify movements during an episode of back pain to avoid flaring pain symptoms while continuing to be active.
Surgical and other procedures
Procedures used to treat back pain may include:
Cortisone injections. If other measures don't relieve pain that radiates down the leg, an injection of cortisone plus a numbing medication into the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots might help. A cortisone injection helps decrease inflammation around the nerve roots, but the pain relief usually lasts only a month or two.
Radiofrequency ablation. In this procedure, a fine needle is inserted through skin near the area causing the pain. Radio waves are passed through the needle to damage the nearby nerves. Damaging the nerves interferes with pain signals to the brain.
Implanted nerve stimulators. Devices implanted under the skin can deliver electrical impulses to certain nerves to block pain signals.
Surgery. Surgery to create more space within the spine is sometimes helpful for people who have increasing muscle weakness or back pain that goes down a leg. These problems can be related to herniated disks or other conditions that narrow the openings within the spine.
Alternative medicine
A number of alternative treatments might ease back pain. Always discuss the benefits and risks with your health care provider before starting a new alternative therapy.
Chiropractic care. A chiropractor manipulates the spine to ease pain.
Acupuncture. A practitioner of acupuncture inserts thin sterilized needles into the skin at specific points on the body. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that acupuncture can be helpful in treating back pain.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, also known as TENS. A battery-powered device placed on the skin delivers electrical impulses to the painful area. Studies have shown mixed results as to TENS' effectiveness.
Massage. For back pain caused by tense or overworked muscles, massage might help.
Yoga. There are several types of yoga, a broad discipline that involves practicing specific postures or poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques. Yoga can stretch and strengthen muscles and improve posture. People with back pain might need to modify some poses if they aggravate symptoms.
Matto1973
31 March 2024
I really don’t know what the strongest medication for back pain is, but I know from my personal experience that usually when you raise the dose of opioid pain killers , you get more pain relief, but when you become tolerant to the higher dose the relief becomes less, but I understand also it’s the only solution for some, I don’t want to suggest anything not being a health expert, but best of luck
ggeolas
22 July 2023
I think it is a very bad idea to ask a Dr for specific pain medication in most cases this puts you in the pain medication seaker and will turn your Dr off in my opinion it is best to explain the level of your pain how it effects your ability to perform daily tasks of living and ask him not for pain medication specifically but something that will make it possible to carry out your daily activities without having to suffer so much while simply trying to do normal daily activities don't get tagged a drug seaker by asking for specific pain medication worse thing you could do good luck hope this helps you
Huskylover
21 July 2023
Lortab is a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Just saw this was posted in 2009 so I assume you have answers
Kittie843
19 July 2022
I've been put on Cymbalta works great for chronic pain of all types back , fibromyalgia, nerve, osteoarthritis, arthritis, muscle it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to start working.
faye_faye04
3 May 2021
I believe the best answer for your question is you should really seek the advice of a medical professional which specializes in pain management or physical medicine.
With your other health issues it's very important to be up front with your physician as they know your issues and if they've prescribed the Lortab for 2 years there shouldn't be a problem adjusting your medication.
As far as the hydrocodone v/s oxycodone the oxycodone is stronger. However your prescribing dose is 2 hydrocodone 10mgs per day so they might adjust it to 3x or 4x per day just to find if that has better pain management throughout the day. If this is the case they will see you back in office in 30 days to see if the adjustment works or if it didn't work at which time they will adjust accordingly.
Always be completely honest with your physician and if they don't want to treat your pain issues accordingly just ask for a referral to a pain management physician one that you've looked up yourself one you think you'll like and trust.
Hope all goes well
Lily77470
19 Nov 2022
Well spoken and a very thoughtful response... you took the words right out of my thoughts. Your answer is that of someone who works in the medical field. Perfect! I'm impressed...
sprgdgrl
21 Jan 2021
Try Nucynta. It was a godsend for me. Good luck
WhoeysNerve
5 Nov 2012
A pain patch might be a good option for you. Butrans patches tend to work really well for a lot of people and have far fewer side affects than some of the other pain patches on the market and as well as orally ingested narcotics. The nice thing about the Butrans patch is that you only have to change it once per week and comes in quite a few different strengths. If you try that patch and it doesn't work well enough for you, you may still be able to take a shorter acting oral pain med like you are now and if that still doesn't help you might want to try another pain patch. There are many different kinds of pain patches out there that you could use and I would strongly encourage you to explore different pain patches as options because a pain patch keeps a "steady" level of medication in your body at all times. I find that getting your pain under control is the hardest part but once it's under control (down to a manageable level) it is much easier to maintain that level of relief. Hope this helps!
mccormie06
5 Oct 2012
I had a double bone fusion of the L5, S1 Nov 2010 and I am still having severe pain. I am now seeing a pain doctor and I am on Opana ER (which is a synthetic Morphine) and Oxycodone that I can take every 4 hours. I am not sure if you can take these because you've had heart problems you can ask.
I am still having a considerable amount of back pain and I am at the end of my rope. This medicine may help you, for me, it takes the "edge" off.
Good luck!
Jen
Sue 4
11 May 2024
I had two surgeries the same in my neck 20 years apart.
2 Titanium Bolts were used the first time. Healed perfectly, no drugs. Back to work, no pain. 3 years ago a young doctor put 2 tiny round human bones in my spine to repair two more disc I damaged. Knowing told me he left the Third BAD DISC IN THERE! I have no idea why.
This was four years ago. I really didn't hurt bad prior to this surgery. Now I'm in pain 24/7, in pain management. Can't sleep. Had 2 ablations, legs, lower back extreme pain.
Bostonjohn122
1 Oct 2012
I love reading posts that some habve no clue on what they are talking about. I know i'm way late but had to throw my two cents in. First of all, percocet is not like hydrocodone, that is vicodone. Oxycodone is percocet just to clarify things. And yes this is what you should try. Percocet comes in many different miligrams and is great for pain.
jo33474
20 Sep 2012
do not take opana the with draw sickness is torture. you freeze and sweat badly. you have it running from both ends.
garyb128
2 Sep 2012
you should probably go on the percoset 15mg or 30mg based on tolerance and if you have been on lortab 10I think one of these 2 would help you and maybe an ER oxycontin the percoset are just instant relief oxycontin... Hope this helps just go up gradually til you find something that helps the pain
Chyk41
7 Aug 2012
I suffer with back pain as well, it has been almost two years since I was given it so I don't remember the name but my cardiologist had me given a shot, the medications is put into the muscle and when you feel pain all you do is rub your arm. The medication stay there for just about a month. You will know that you been given the right medication 5 minutes after the shot because it will burn for the next fifteen minutes like someone put a branding iron to your arm. I have not had a bad back pain since.
playmate
7 Aug 2012
Percocet and loratab's are pretty much the same medication, just tell your doctor that it is not helping anymore and that you are having to take more of them than you used to and then discuss what kinds of stronger medications you can take that won't effect your heart or interact with your other meds!!! I know quite a few people that went through the same thing so after a discussion with your dr and some research your dr should be able to help!!! Just remember don't not tell your doctor if the new meds he gives you makes you feel funny or they are too strong or about the same as what u are on now...
Related topics
lortab, heart attack, heart disease, pain, back pain
Further information
- Lortab uses and safety info
- Lortab prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lortab (detailed)
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