Pain meds don't work
Posted , 13 users are following.
I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem getting any pain meds that actually help.
I'm 8 weeks post TKR & progressing very slowly so scheduled for manipulation.
I've tried Oxycodone, Dilautid & morphine (separately of course) with no relief. Apparently I'm unusual in that I have a very high tolerance to pain meds & therefore it's very difficult during PT or my own exercises to get the required flexion.
Has anyone had a similar experience & find any meds that work?
0 likes, 31 replies
karen14697 terri90278
Posted
Hated taking the pain meds but they worked for me. By 8 weeks, I was off all the "heavy duty" drugs. Cannabis balm, topical spray and cannabis mouth spray helped me but not available everywhere. I resorted to wine, early off my meds. Beatbox of luck to you.
karen14697
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davidjk22 terri90278
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Need1knee terri90278
Posted
Hi Terri. I'm sorry your progress is going so slow. Isn't this journey a little crazy? I never thought it would be so difficult... You said you are scheduled for a MUA...what is your range of motion for bending or straightening??
terri90278 Need1knee
Posted
Yes, I certainly thought I'd be one of those exceptional patients that were all better in 6 weeks. Ugh! I can get to 90 with some pain & my PT can get me to a little over 95 with a lot of pain. Straightening is not an issue. I'm at or close to 0 almost since the beginning.
mommermom terri90278
Posted
Such a difficult issue and different for all of us. I moved off the 'heavy' drugs as soon as I could because of the way they made me feel ( and the constipation). Tramadol was a good choice for me and then I moved to Voltran which is an anti-inflammatory. I have a great deal of swelling, stiffness, and inflammation. For a short while I took both, the Tramadol at night and before PT. The combination worked well. It was just too hard on my stomach. I wasn't getting a lot of help from the doctors but researched on my own and tried several combinations. The doctor did not seem to mind prescribing what I asked for. I may have pushed it because I was so anxious to get off of the drugs. I am now taking an OTC, Aleve and although I am tempted to take the Tramadol occasionally I'm resisting ( but I will if I need to). As long as I can get through this, I will stay on this path. Also using a combination of heat and/or ice as needed. I am certainly not encouraging anybody to give up their pain meds, I am simply trying to find my own path. For me it is reengage in my life to the best I can and in order to do that I need to drive. I am 7 weeks post op. Some days I just want to pull the covers over my head. This is so much more difficult than my previous TKR 8 years ago. Best wishes to you in this journey.
terri90278 mommermom
Posted
THAnk you. I don't think I would ever go through this again. My other knee better hang in. It's pretty crazy that none of these meds do anything for me. I'm only 125 lbs and take what most much bigger people would be knocked out from. I'm inconstant contact with pain management & they seem baffled. To further complicate things I have ulcerative colitis so I have to be careful with anti-inflammatories. Good luck to you too.
mommermom terri90278
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What I decided it's kind of like having a baby. After the birth you say I'm never going to do this again! In time you forget the pain because it's worth it, so you have another. That was kind of how it was with the knee. The good news is the first one took some pressure off the other knee and bought me sometime. I never regretted it and I know soon I will feel the same about this one also.
CHICO_MARX terri90278
Posted
In order of strength (low to HIGH):
- Ibuprofen / Tylenol
- Tramadol
- Oxycodone (Percocet) / Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco)
- Oxycontin
- Morphine
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) PO
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) IV
- Fentanyl (patch)
- Fentanyl IV
You can mix the Percocet/Vicodin/Norco meds with a muscle relaxer like Flexeril. That may help; check interactions with ALL of your other meds...even OTCs.. I'm also highly resistant to opioids by mouth (PO). For my knee, Percocet 10mg x 2 plus a 10mg Flexeril just took the edge off. Docs will NOT let you take Dilaudid home with you so I just had to grit my teeth. Fentanyl is the end of the line. Dilaudid is 7X morphine; Fentanyl is 100X...very, very dangerous stuff. Usually hospital only.
Or you can call Warner Brothers and have Wiley Coyote come by and drop the 16-ton weight he used on the Roadrunner on YOUR head...that should work...
terri90278 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Thanks for the interesting info about the pain meds, Chico & the comic relief. 🤣
Now I'm wondering if I've just been taking too low a dose of these meds. I'll have to have a very serious discussion with pain management since I'm concerned that if we don't figure something out the MUA will be a waste.
My PT thinks I need something like Valium to relax me while he works on me. They've been resistant to prescribing it but I feel like I'll try anything.
CHICO_MARX terri90278
Posted
Shouldn't really mix an opioid with a benzodiazepine...very risky. The lowest doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone are 5/325 = 5mg of the narcotic and 325mg of acetaminophen. Some of the brand names go up to 10/500. It's about the correct dosage and timing FOR YOU, plus...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/staying-ahead-of-the-pain-563395
terri90278 CHICO_MARX
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Of course, but I would try giving up the opioid since it's not doing much for me anyway & try the benzodiazepine for a day or 2 to see if it helps.
terri90278 CHICO_MARX
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Just read your post from 5 months ago. You really are a wealth of information. Thanks for that. It gives me some thoughts of what I need to talk to pain management about. Although I understand the idea of keeping ahead of the pain when the pain is constant (the first month or so), what about when the pain is mainly only during exercise & PT (& an occasional bad day).
CHICO_MARX terri90278
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Yes, a regular med schedule really helps in the 1-60 day range. Lots of people will make sure their schedule includes a dose one hour before PT...that helps. But then you need to have someone drive you to PT...don't drive on opioids...not a great idea.
As time marches on, you'll be off the heavy duty stuff and down to OTC meds so staying on a regular dose of ibuprofen or Tylenol SHORT-TERM is very useful. Most people are pretty much off of a regular med schedule in the 4-6 month range...maybe a little more for some. Six months seems to be a big turning point for a lot of people as they're pain-free enough to start regular exercise to rebuild leg and core strength. I'm 15 months with pretty much zero anything.
PS: The "wealth" of this information comes from living with a pharmacist wife for 25 years and now married to a nurse with 30-years of experience. They know a lot more than I do...
terri90278 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Again, thank you so much for sharing your wealth of information. It really helps. I'm so glad I found this site.
martinarvelo CHICO_MARX
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