After my heart ablation procedure and also after the pacemaker, they gave me some kind of pain medication to take as needed. I think that it might have been tramadol, but I do not remember taking any of it for pain. Years ago, when I had my horrible broken leg, they gave me Percocet, and I took one of those at night so that I could sleep. I could handle the pain during the day, but when I went to bed, then I really noticed how bad that shattered leg hurt, and the Percocet not only helped the pain, but it made me drowsy and I fell asleep much easier. Now, I rarely take any kind of medicine, prescription or otherwise, for pain. Occasionally, my back and hip will hurt, and I take an Alleve when that happens; but as long as I get my pineapple (anti-inflammatory) and stay away from the inflammatory foods, I do pretty well. In the winter, I get chilled and am more apt to be achy when I get up in the morning, especially if my back gets cold overnight.
I only take tramadol and meloxicam and take them together twice a day. They don't eliminate every source of pain for me but just achy stiffness and soreness. I don't bother with OTC pain meds because it says on the label to only take for so long as needed and not to exceed a certain amount. At this age, old age achyness will be permanent.
Those OTC labels regarding dosage and duration are often there to encourage you to eventually see a doctor. I've had back problems and was prescribed 1,000 mg Ibuprofen I believe either 2 or 3 times a day for an extended period of time. That far exceeds what a bottle of 200mg tablets will tell you to take without "doctor's supervision."
I believe the max dose of ibuprophen is 3200 mgs daily. As you said "way beyond" what the OTC label recommends. It is hard on the kidneys and the heart, however, so medical supervision is needed. You can also get "addicted" to NSAIDS. I think it is called pain free addiction or something like that. Prolonged relief from pain makes you more sensitive to pain, and when you try to cut down or stop taking it you hurt when previous to the meds, you would have been pain free or at least considered it a minor discomfort. Does that make sense?
Yup. Perfect sense, although I have never hear of NSAID addictions. But I guess our bodies and brains adapt. I mentioned before I was glad I had gone through the process of quitting drinking before I started having disc issues and eventually cervical disc surgery. I was already sensitized to how things might get out of control for me, so--as Yvonne Smith mentioned--I only took scripts when required to sleep. Other than that, I kinda lived with it during the day (because our bodies and brains adapt.) I also think saving the meds for nighttime use made them more effective when I really needed them.
I have read that before about the NSAID type of addiction. Once our body is accustomed to getting that when we hurt, then it can actually cause pain, just like the addictive drugs do, so that you take the medication again. After reading that, I decided that if I took pain meds, I might always have pain and need the meds; which is why I avoid any of it as much as I can. Inflammation causes pain, and avoiding inflammatory foods helps me a lot, and the fresh pineapple bromelain enzymes pretty take care of the day to day type of aches and pains. NSAIDs are mostly bad for liver and kidneys, too; so that is another reason not to have to take them.
Well, many folks simply "have to do/take what they have to do/take" for their pain. Anything can be addicting, including coffee most of us, if not all of us, have each and every day. And, many Seniors drink coffee all day long.
Even though I'm on VA prescription Tramadol 50mg, which is the lowest milligram there is for this pain killer, I can really, really notice the difference on the days I take it and the ones I don't. On the days I do, along with a VA prescription 800mg ibuprofen, I have literally no pain at all anywhere for most of the day. On days I don't take the Tramadol, I will take the ibuprofen, but it definitely isn't as effective as it use to be for me. Then, I have to slap on some CBD Deep Rub on each shoulder. Sometimes I have to put the Deep Rub on multiple times a day, when I don't take the Tramadol. Even though the Tramadol is the lowest milligram there is, I can truly see where those that have/get some deep pain, can really get use to taking it. Addicted, perhaps, but what it does for my pain, and what I'm able to do after taking one, awfully darn nice!! A lot of people simply have a hard time living without a pain killer for their arthritis/osteoarthritis pain and I can truly understand why.
Just stock up if you can. Many drugs are becoming unavailable. My brother just told me the eye drops he uses for glaucoma be unavailable for a while, as the supplier was China. It really panicked him, but the pharmacy found another supply in India that will work for him. 80% of the generic drugs and many prescription patented drugs are in danger, so stock up if you can. My brother talked to his doctor and now has an 8-month supply of his drops on hand. With the VA, you can call in your prescription as soon as it can be filled. If you do that over a number of months, you can get ahead a little.
When we lived in Florida, I could stock up, but not here in Colorado. Reason: Right after we left Florida, Tramadol was put on a Narcotics list and can now only be ordered by my VA doctor, upon my request. While in Florida, I could reorder my Tramadol myself online from the VA website. My Tramadol still shows up on my Prescription Ordering List, but I can't automatically order it. And, by the time I'm ready to do a reorder, I'm almost out of it. I was getting 15 a month, but for the winter months, my VA doctor increased it to 20. The prescription is for "every other day", but I generally take it two days in a row, then take a day off. The increase to 20 last me longer, but not much. What I really want to do is try a Cortisone shot in each shoulder, but I have to get an x-ray of each shoulder before getting the shot. Waiting until the new VA Clinic here opens at the end of this month, to see if they will have an x-ray/MRI Department. If not, will have to drive to Cheyenne, 50 miles north, to their VA Hospital for the x-ray or MRI. Don't know if the Cortisone shot will help, because it sure didn't with my hip. Wound up getting a hip replacement surgery after all.
Took that Tramadol for my knees and it did absolutely nothing for the pain. It did help with my neck a little and now that I know this nerve blocker works well the two together would give me a lot of peace. All my prescriptions are now being used as a punitive blackmailing simply because my truck fuel filter is plugged and I almost don't make it home when I make that monthly trip to the drugstore to get meds renewed. I also did not make an appointment for a 6 month blood work at the clinic that prescribed the nerve blocker for the neck. That clinic is a block from this drugstore that did not tell me that the most important med I came to pick up was not filled. No reason was given it could have just been not filled. Ironically Walmart does not have an inline fuel filter in stock ! When that happens you know things are not well in cow town. As far as those meds they all can kiss my backside, I don't plan on ordering anything from the drugstore again for them not telling me that one prescription was not filled. I almost didn't make it home due to the plugged fuel filter. It is dangerous driving a vehicle with a plugged fuel filter and you can get stranded right in the middle of a turn on a busy highway where I live. Of course none of these people responsible for keeping my meds renewed could give a rats damn about why I haven't made any appointments lately. I also don't plan on seeing that Indian Heart doctor again so those meds have to be picked up by the VA again, I will save over 500 a month and they come to my PO box when I need them. I will make two trips a year to the VA to keep them active. I cannot get a doctor in my area, it is all rural and the local Parrish hospital is closed to new patients for their private practice offices. In short this state stinks and is probably the worst in the US for healthcare. I will try and get some things done by the VA but it will be hard due to me having to use that senior van, the VA is terrible about keeping the appointment times where you can make plans to use a service like that van, I have to be there early and the appointment has to be kept on time or people will have to sit and wait for me or even get another van to try and bring me home. So I don't plan on wringing my hands together because I have no prescriptions being kept up. I and I alone am responsible for getting to these useless doctors appointments and I think I am going to turn over a new leaf and forget about all the stealing being done and just live my remainder of life peacefully and not allow a stranger to cause me more grief than I could cause myself. I know my heart is not that bad and am being used or my insurance for the money paid out to make these useless trips and monthly refilling for meds that I can get for free just by going back to the VA. I don't like the VA and I will just cope and feel a lot better when I go online and tic that refill on my account, then 3 days later it is in my PO Box.
@Thomas Stillhere, have never/ever had a problem with using the VA. But, all but one surgery, ankle done in 1988, was done outside of the VA. Both company medical insurance when I was working and now Medicare A/B. However, I have both VA and Medicare w/Supplement. I get all of my prescription meds from the VA, which includes cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetic 2. And, my ibuprofen and tramadol. I was onboard ship in Nam, never on land, like you were.
Cortisone shots will eat up tissue and cartildge in joints. I won't go near steroids. What little good they might do is not worth it at all. There are no benefits but maybe some pain relief, maybe, but it;s very temporary if at all. I believe many use steroids for asthma but if they only knew about Grape Seed Ex and helping the asthma. A friend close to my age has used steroids inhalers for years for the asthma and I got her on Grape seed Ex probably 15=20 yrs ago and she uses way less inhalers and has her 90 yr husband on GSE for probably 15 or more years.
All I can do is try a cortisone shot. If it works, and I no longer have to take 50mg Tramadol, that would be fine with me. One thing to remember, Joy, there are meds and shots that work much better for some people and not so good for others.
Cortisone shots do indeed reduce swelling and kill pain but to prevent any damage from the shot, you’re only allowed one every 6 months or so. When I had to get one for my right knee, it took a couple of days for it to take effect but then I was able to not only walk well but I was also able to work the knee. A couple of bodybuilders and weight lifters encouraged me to gradually work the knee from easy to hard claiming the extra work gave my body the ability to repair whatever damage was done. They were right. I got the shot nearly 10 years ago and haven’t had a bit of trouble since. I went from being barely able to walk to pounding out 650 on the leg sled within a couple of months. it’s a given that not everyone is the same but the one single thing that remains true for nearly everyone is exercise. The shot is indeed a temporary fix but if a regimen of exercise comes with it there is little reason why better mobility can’t occur on a more or less permanent basis.