what other pain meds may work for back pain

Agreed. That is just entirely too much medication to be taking. I can't believe a doctor would be prescribing these dosages for back pain.

to much !!i thought it wasnt enough!

My MD/pain specialist has me taking twice the methadone but half the pain med.

Have you tried or been told about the special classes out there for heated pool water therapy classes for people with chronic pain?  At least... we have them here and we were told in the pain clinic I go to that they've helped patients even who were on a high amount of meds, reverse their high levels of pain through the movement class and get off of meds. 

I personally am putting it off, kind of scared to get in the water these days.  I take 360 mg of methadone a day, split up in 3 doses.  I don't get breakthrough pain meds, and I've tried every other opiate there is but I've just built up toleraance,  I have been dealing with a compression fracture for a year now.  I have peripheral neuropathy all over, nerve damage in my stomach, carpal tunnel, and upper back/neck strain pain.  I asked for a pain pump and the doctors said that since the pain meds I take orally have been up tolerance against, then it won't work for me in a pump.  Does anyone know if it's true?  This is a Kaiser doctor and I'm not sure I trust them.  Please advise me too :(. 

As for help to you, I guess as I advise you to try the swimming, I'll write my to do list on getting ready to start ;).

Take care.

Robyn

Robynn,

I was with Kaiser for many years but had to quit.

One good thing they did after 12 years of complaining about back pain from an auto accident was to refer me to a pain management specialist outside of Kaiser. He did an inexpensive and safe procedure called radio frequency nerve abalation. It destroys the nerves that are causing the pain. The nerves grow back. The actual procedure takes about 30 minutes but you have to be tested beforehand. My back pain was gone immediately following this and never came back.

With all of your complaints, you should be tested by a Lyme specialist outside of Kaiser for Lyme disease. Kaiser will not diagnose late-stage cases because of potential expense.

thanks mark,that was alot of help i will ask my doctor about the pump,yhanks again.alex

Hi Mark,

I read your post here and im going to ask you a simple question. I have had for along time low back pain. supposedly its degenerative disk disease from age. i cnanot stand for 2 minutes without my low back going into full blown out of this world spasams.. i think they are... anyways have had mri's on all of my spine and they came up with bulging disk and i do not know what to do. no one will write me any meds because i have some serious health prob such as MS,copd, and fibro... My neurologists for my ms has me on Neurotin and ultram for the past 8 years. im going to a pain doctor that my neur is friends with and go9jng to be getting shots in my back. do you or anyone else know if these shots help any at all since ive had one in the past and it lasted about 15 min. Im scared to have these shots in my spine but im also not sure about what drugs would even help my pain. I have vicodden adn many other drugs and so far NOTHING has helped even a little. Please if you know anything or anyone here can help me i would surely appreciate more than you could imagine. ive been so desperate feeling for so long.

Thanks and God Bless You All:))

Sandee

Hi, I'm a 47 yr. old female have had 5 children 2 grandchildren and am a very petite 102lbs. 5' 1/2". I'm going thru pain management and I get 120 -750 7.5 vicodin a month.They do not help when I only have enough for 4 a day! There are times it doesn't really help but at others is eases it to where I can at least tolerate the pain.I have 5 herniated disc, lumbar spondylosis,sciatica,neuropathy in both feet,neck pain ,degenerative osteoarithritis,bursitis both knees, fibromyalgia and emphysema! I have been getting epidurals and nerve blocks off and on for the past 16 months. Some help for a couple weeks but only for the area it is injected for. I don't understand why I can't get an increase in meds and /or breakthru meds. Or better yet something stronger so the tylenol doesn't affect my liver?! I want to be able to enjoy my family and life which is not happening. When I do any housework or laundry it takes me days to recover. I just want to stay in bed because I hurt so much and am very sore. Have done pt twice doesn't help me. Any suggestions?? Thank you bethrob