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I don't like to take any kind of pill, had a few major surgeries over the years, took less than half the prescribed amount the first day then quit taking them. They mess you up to much, I can deal with the pain, heck I just had an operation it's bound to be tender.
Rocky hope that the therapy sessions can get your back to be pretty much pain free soon, no fun to not be able to get around.
The spinal injection two weeks ago seems to be having a positive effect. I can hobble about a lot better, but it's still hobbling and not walking. I do some of the physical therapy exercises every day (but not as intensely as they have me do them!) and that helps, too.
I now keep water and two Tylenol 650s by the bed and take them as soon as I wake up. If I lie there for 20 minutes before making the bathroom visit, the pain is MUCH reduced. If I don't, though....wowsers.
Have the injection followup this week, and a surgery consult later this month. I'm told there's about a two-month window in which these things are easily corrected, and after that, not so much. That consult will be exactly two months from the incident. We'll see...
Try other pain meds before giving up. I take 60mg of morphine and 20+ of oxy every day! Without, after a few days my back flares up and then my body goes into "protect mode" where it tightens up around which then flares it up further. But, I've had issues since I was 23 and had my first surgery a couple of days before my 24th birthday. So, I have lived half my life with the stuff.
My sister on the other hand, has something of an allergy to oxy class medications, but the less powerful hydrocodine works fine for her. Hers started when she was 56, so much later in life, so she hasn't had 30 years of tolerance to have to overcome either.
Good luck. Surgery helped me, but obviously didn't fix it. Before each of my 3 surgeries, I was bed-ridden so they did help at the time. I used to say don't fear back surgery. But, in August my dad (79) had back surgery and they apparently didn't clean the instruments properly. He ended up getting MRSA throughout his back and several surgeries later to try to remove it were unsuccessful. It got into his spinal fluid and he died in December; all because some %^@(& didn't do their job!!!! 🤬
After either my torn bicep surgery or my shoulder surgery, bride isn’t here to ask.
Oxycontin or Oxycodone pill #1, My Bride woke in middle of the night to find me MIA, nowhere to be found in the house, she went out on the deck and the dogs located me for her out in the horse corrals mumbling to the horses and mules. She led me back to the house and put me back in bed.
Next night, pill #2. She again woke to me be being MIA, this time she located me out in the driveway near the edge of road just gazing at the stars. Again she led me back to the house and bed.
I have zero recollection of either event, but she saw to it that my meds were changed as soon as Dr’s office opened that morning .
I had a long PT session today that wiped me out. Came home and zonked for two hours. All I'm taking is Tylenol 650s because I'm NOT taking that Hydrocodone again. The Hydro didn't do any better than the Tylenol for pain, and it made me brain dead. The nerve block shot has helped a lot with the L4/L5 disc pain but obviously did nothing for my arthritic hip, which is the major source of pain now. I bet there's a replacement in my future.
@dpmule I had that same experience many years ago with Ambien extended release. I had used the regular Ambien for years without issue. I'd wake up laying on our kitchen counter. One night I was standing in our doorway with the door open, and house alarm going off. My wife had to turn it off. I was just standing there. Another time, I was asleep in front of our gas fireplace. I was literally a foot or two from the fireplace. Another time, I apparently was eating something and feel asleep while standing. I fell into our kitchen cabinets breaking 2 doors, breaking the bowl I was holding, and spilling mild and cereal all over. My wife told me if I don't get off that *&$!#8 stuff, that she is leaving me (something she's never said before or since in our 33 years).
These days, finding a doctor who will prescribe them is the hard part! My old family doctor would send in prescriptions with just a phone call from me. That was just a bit over 10 years ago. Never liked taking any of the narcotic drugs but when pain levels from my back problems fired up, found nothing over the counter that would cut it.
Now if you do take opioids regularly, you must see some kind of pain specialist frequently. They are there, not entirely to help you but to make sure you are actually taking those drugs. It's all about government control.
Chronic arthritis pain . Been on hydrocodein for years . Family doctor retired and i had to switch providers . I now have to go to a pain clinic , get regular drug tests just to get my meds. Gotta love the government.
That is actually a good thing due to the addictive nature of the drugs and individual providers acting as loose cannons with the, which is a huge problem actually.
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Sorry it was bad for you my friend. My experience is that it does nothing to my head except eliminate or recduce pain. Provided you take lots of laxatives, it is great. Did I mention laxatives?
Mr perfect , I understand the intent . I have no history of abuse yet am made to feel like I am an addict . Out of all the meds I have tried over the years the hydro is the only thing that works well .
I live with back pain 24/7/365 and still have never taken an opioid. I am going again after a few years to give a targeted steroid injection another chance. They quit working for me a number of years ago, so it will be interesting to see if I get a different outcome this time. Initial appointment on Wednesday.
Also found out I have a wonderful thing called a schwannoma about a year and a half ago. Basically a nerve sheath tumor in the spine that typically remains benign fortunately. I have to get an MRI with gadolinium once a year to see if it is growing in size, and to be vigilant about certain symptoms that can indicate a dangerous change that will most likely require emergency surgery.
I do a run of Prednisone when things get really bad, but keep it to 2 or 3 times a year tops for well known reasons.
As many have said,........getting old isn't for wimps.
Best to you sir.
"Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
It's not a you issue being addressed. It's a provider issue.
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
@Mr. Perfect Not really. The crooked providers that are WAY over prescribing for money will continue to over prescribe. Its kinda like gun laws.......they only apply to HONEST law abiding people. These govt policies only make it harder for people who really need the meds!
@pulsarnc I feel your pain! I am in the same boat. I am waiting to be scheduled for a 2nd back surgery(1st was 2013) and have DEPENDED on hydros to even walk for years now. Im at the point now where pain meds can barely get me off my back, so surgery #2 is a must at this point!
Well, actually yes. Part of the problem is that some people see several doctors to get more meds than they should. It IS a provider issue, because most long time mom and pop shop docs don't check on that.
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
The bottom line is that is what the intent is... to stop those "providers that give out 1,000s of scripts in a town of 200". Whether it works or not is not the issue I am talking about. I was merely trying to reassure pulsarnc that they weren't targeting him.
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I understand, but apply the same logic to gun control and no one here would think it was a good idea.
Doesnt matter if he/we are intentionally targeted.....the fact remains that we are caught in the same mess. We have to jump through all kinds of hoops and pay MORE money because the govt is implementing something that will NOT have the intended impact! Bad prescribers and bad actors will still do what they are doing!
@mike55 I disagree but think this has derailed Rocky's thread enough as it is. If you want to discuss applying the same logic to gun control start a new thread.
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
My daughter who is a Angel sent from Heaven to help with my dear departed wife has a central nervous system disorder. I took her everywhere and we read everything known to man to try and get to the bottom of her illness.
The next to last stop was at NYU neurological pain institute. We had to pay a ton of money up front just to see the Head of the Department. After two visits the head professor along with his three sheeple MD's told my daughter she had Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. My daughter left his office in tears and hysterical after all the research and doctors visits for over two years, I think. She was in so much pain you could not touch her body anywhere.
I will never forget on our exit from NYC we were so upset we got caught in traffic and we were forced to go thru the Lincoln tunnel by mistake. We tried to turn around and a cop started to write us a ticket. My daughter jumped out of the truck and raked him over the coals. We never got the ticket and i bet his ears are still burning.
We kept researching and finally found a Doctor who did not think my daughter was crazy. My daughter is forced to go to a pain clinic now and had to jump thru hoops to get the medicine but she lives a almost normal life now. --------------------Ray
PS: I am a avid Whitetail hunter and know several people who suffered with Lyme Disease in the early days before much was know about it or how to treat it. One fellow actually died from it. Former Governor Cristie Whitman formed a Special Lyme Comission in NJ with some success to deal with it.
Update: Well, it's surgery. Doc says in light of showing little improvement and some degradation, it needs to be fixed. No date yet and I have a CT scan on Monday to verify where we are.
No plates and no disc fusing, just a "trim job" of the extruded disc. I'll have plenty of disc left, which is a good/bad news thing. Good because I'll have plenty of cushion and bad because it all might happen again down the road.
It's an out-patient deal and no overnight, with a two to six-month recovery. No golf, and I haven't asked about fishing.
Well i wish you well in any event, long term pain is not fun, I waited for 17 years to have neck surgery after a car accident and was thankful I did, the pain meds, specialist as many have mentioned here were a pain in the backside, but by waiting the technology got so much better over the years to where I was in and out in less than 24 hours and no more pain meds. compared to looking like Frankenstein with a metal cage for weeks on my head if I had done the surgery when they first wanted. Hope your surgery goes well.
Im in the same boat. Waiting for surgery date, L4-L5 diskectomy!
Had a L3-4 diskectomy in 2013. Overnight in the hospital, about 6 week recovery time(linger for heavy lifting). First 2 weeks were really bad, then just slowly healing.
I'm resigned to the fact that my golfing days are done. The good thing is that the last shot I made back in October was a beauty, so that memory will be comforting.
If I can't use my new bass boat, though, I'll be pissed. Bought it just two years ago and hardly used it last year because all our lakes are so low. If I am prohibited from launching and loading it, I may have to find somebody to go along and do the heavy lifting. That will mean showing somebody what a poor angler I am, LOL!
you should be able to fish as much/often as you like, as long as you don't catch anything........ I know its not a back issue but I had my hip replaced in january 2020, I was golfing with a half swing by aug/sept, just this last summer I got back to full swing, but even with half swing I only lost one at most 2 clubs in length. don't give up on the golf rocky just change the swing and live with it......
It's not just the swing. I walk the course and I don't want to stop.
My earliest surgery date is a month off. By then, it'll be three full months from onset of the ruptured disc, and I'm told that after two months, the prognosis isn't as good for full recovery. We'll see. My right leg is already leaden and there's foot drop. Those are not good signs.
Comments
Because the mucous membrane in the * canal and colon verily readily and quickly absorb medication.
I don't like to take any kind of pill, had a few major surgeries over the years, took less than half the prescribed amount the first day then quit taking them. They mess you up to much, I can deal with the pain, heck I just had an operation it's bound to be tender.
Rocky hope that the therapy sessions can get your back to be pretty much pain free soon, no fun to not be able to get around.
The spinal injection two weeks ago seems to be having a positive effect. I can hobble about a lot better, but it's still hobbling and not walking. I do some of the physical therapy exercises every day (but not as intensely as they have me do them!) and that helps, too.
I now keep water and two Tylenol 650s by the bed and take them as soon as I wake up. If I lie there for 20 minutes before making the bathroom visit, the pain is MUCH reduced. If I don't, though....wowsers.
Have the injection followup this week, and a surgery consult later this month. I'm told there's about a two-month window in which these things are easily corrected, and after that, not so much. That consult will be exactly two months from the incident. We'll see...
Try other pain meds before giving up. I take 60mg of morphine and 20+ of oxy every day! Without, after a few days my back flares up and then my body goes into "protect mode" where it tightens up around which then flares it up further. But, I've had issues since I was 23 and had my first surgery a couple of days before my 24th birthday. So, I have lived half my life with the stuff.
My sister on the other hand, has something of an allergy to oxy class medications, but the less powerful hydrocodine works fine for her. Hers started when she was 56, so much later in life, so she hasn't had 30 years of tolerance to have to overcome either.
Good luck. Surgery helped me, but obviously didn't fix it. Before each of my 3 surgeries, I was bed-ridden so they did help at the time. I used to say don't fear back surgery. But, in August my dad (79) had back surgery and they apparently didn't clean the instruments properly. He ended up getting MRSA throughout his back and several surgeries later to try to remove it were unsuccessful. It got into his spinal fluid and he died in December; all because some %^@(& didn't do their job!!!! 🤬
After either my torn bicep surgery or my shoulder surgery, bride isn’t here to ask.
Oxycontin or Oxycodone pill #1, My Bride woke in middle of the night to find me MIA, nowhere to be found in the house, she went out on the deck and the dogs located me for her out in the horse corrals mumbling to the horses and mules. She led me back to the house and put me back in bed.
Next night, pill #2. She again woke to me be being MIA, this time she located me out in the driveway near the edge of road just gazing at the stars. Again she led me back to the house and bed.
I have zero recollection of either event, but she saw to it that my meds were changed as soon as Dr’s office opened that morning .
Mule
I had a long PT session today that wiped me out. Came home and zonked for two hours. All I'm taking is Tylenol 650s because I'm NOT taking that Hydrocodone again. The Hydro didn't do any better than the Tylenol for pain, and it made me brain dead. The nerve block shot has helped a lot with the L4/L5 disc pain but obviously did nothing for my arthritic hip, which is the major source of pain now. I bet there's a replacement in my future.
Have consult with the back surgeon next week.
@dpmule I had that same experience many years ago with Ambien extended release. I had used the regular Ambien for years without issue. I'd wake up laying on our kitchen counter. One night I was standing in our doorway with the door open, and house alarm going off. My wife had to turn it off. I was just standing there. Another time, I was asleep in front of our gas fireplace. I was literally a foot or two from the fireplace. Another time, I apparently was eating something and feel asleep while standing. I fell into our kitchen cabinets breaking 2 doors, breaking the bowl I was holding, and spilling mild and cereal all over. My wife told me if I don't get off that *&$!#8 stuff, that she is leaving me (something she's never said before or since in our 33 years).
My Nurse Practitioner told me that 3 Motrin and 2 Extra Strength Tylenol have the same amount of pain relief as 10 mg of Oxycontin. And it is true,
That is NOT true for me!
As stated above by several people, diff meds affect people differently.
Best advise I saw.... Find what works for you and use that regimen!!
These days, finding a doctor who will prescribe them is the hard part! My old family doctor would send in prescriptions with just a phone call from me. That was just a bit over 10 years ago. Never liked taking any of the narcotic drugs but when pain levels from my back problems fired up, found nothing over the counter that would cut it.
Now if you do take opioids regularly, you must see some kind of pain specialist frequently. They are there, not entirely to help you but to make sure you are actually taking those drugs. It's all about government control.
Chronic arthritis pain . Been on hydrocodein for years . Family doctor retired and i had to switch providers . I now have to go to a pain clinic , get regular drug tests just to get my meds. Gotta love the government.
That is actually a good thing due to the addictive nature of the drugs and individual providers acting as loose cannons with the, which is a huge problem actually.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Still sending prayers and best wishes. I too have similar issues I'm dealing with. Not fun.
Sorry it was bad for you my friend. My experience is that it does nothing to my head except eliminate or recduce pain. Provided you take lots of laxatives, it is great. Did I mention laxatives?
Mr perfect , I understand the intent . I have no history of abuse yet am made to feel like I am an addict . Out of all the meds I have tried over the years the hydro is the only thing that works well .
If you really want to get angry, watch Dopesick on Hulu: https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/entertainment/dopesick-review/index.html
Neal
Have a friend who was in need of hip replacement. Pain was really bad so they gave him some OxyContin until he could have surgery.
He took them the first day and stopped. He said the side effects were awful and he could see how easy it was for someone to get hooked on the drug.
He just limited activity some more before surgery and used over the counter pain medication.
Rocky, hope you find some relief somehow.
I live with back pain 24/7/365 and still have never taken an opioid. I am going again after a few years to give a targeted steroid injection another chance. They quit working for me a number of years ago, so it will be interesting to see if I get a different outcome this time. Initial appointment on Wednesday.
Also found out I have a wonderful thing called a schwannoma about a year and a half ago. Basically a nerve sheath tumor in the spine that typically remains benign fortunately. I have to get an MRI with gadolinium once a year to see if it is growing in size, and to be vigilant about certain symptoms that can indicate a dangerous change that will most likely require emergency surgery.
I do a run of Prednisone when things get really bad, but keep it to 2 or 3 times a year tops for well known reasons.
As many have said,........getting old isn't for wimps.
Best to you sir.
I know the lady who wrote the book. She worked at a local paper. She is a true journalist.
It's not a you issue being addressed. It's a provider issue.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
@Mr. Perfect Not really. The crooked providers that are WAY over prescribing for money will continue to over prescribe. Its kinda like gun laws.......they only apply to HONEST law abiding people. These govt policies only make it harder for people who really need the meds!
@pulsarnc I feel your pain! I am in the same boat. I am waiting to be scheduled for a 2nd back surgery(1st was 2013) and have DEPENDED on hydros to even walk for years now. Im at the point now where pain meds can barely get me off my back, so surgery #2 is a must at this point!
Well, actually yes. Part of the problem is that some people see several doctors to get more meds than they should. It IS a provider issue, because most long time mom and pop shop docs don't check on that.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Im not saying the provider isn't the issue SOME providers ARE 99% of the issue.
I AM saying that the providers that give out 1,000s of scripts in a town of 200 will continue that practice.
The fed govt adding these crap rules will do nothing to stop THOSE providers nor will it stop the addicts from going to several docs.
Just like every other law and criminal, they will NOT stop. These regulations make it so much harder on the 99% of legit people!
And the govt DOES treat everyone on opioids as they are addicts, even tho 99% are NOT!
The bottom line is that is what the intent is... to stop those "providers that give out 1,000s of scripts in a town of 200". Whether it works or not is not the issue I am talking about. I was merely trying to reassure pulsarnc that they weren't targeting him.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I understand, but apply the same logic to gun control and no one here would think it was a good idea.
Doesnt matter if he/we are intentionally targeted.....the fact remains that we are caught in the same mess. We have to jump through all kinds of hoops and pay MORE money because the govt is implementing something that will NOT have the intended impact! Bad prescribers and bad actors will still do what they are doing!
And it is NOT a good thing. More govt control is NEVER a good thing. It wont stop crooks........period!
Just sayin'
@mike55 I disagree but think this has derailed Rocky's thread enough as it is. If you want to discuss applying the same logic to gun control start a new thread.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
@Mr. Perfect I disagree that this has derailed the post, as it is on topic with other posters as the thread developed.
But whatever. You do not have to agree with me, nor I with you.
This, to me, was a discussion about pain meds, and individual members personal experiences.
I digress.
To each their own.
We've all been civil. That's a huge plus.
My daughter who is a Angel sent from Heaven to help with my dear departed wife has a central nervous system disorder. I took her everywhere and we read everything known to man to try and get to the bottom of her illness.
The next to last stop was at NYU neurological pain institute. We had to pay a ton of money up front just to see the Head of the Department. After two visits the head professor along with his three sheeple MD's told my daughter she had Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. My daughter left his office in tears and hysterical after all the research and doctors visits for over two years, I think. She was in so much pain you could not touch her body anywhere.
I will never forget on our exit from NYC we were so upset we got caught in traffic and we were forced to go thru the Lincoln tunnel by mistake. We tried to turn around and a cop started to write us a ticket. My daughter jumped out of the truck and raked him over the coals. We never got the ticket and i bet his ears are still burning.
We kept researching and finally found a Doctor who did not think my daughter was crazy. My daughter is forced to go to a pain clinic now and had to jump thru hoops to get the medicine but she lives a almost normal life now. --------------------Ray
PS: I am a avid Whitetail hunter and know several people who suffered with Lyme Disease in the early days before much was know about it or how to treat it. One fellow actually died from it. Former Governor Cristie Whitman formed a Special Lyme Comission in NJ with some success to deal with it.
Update: Well, it's surgery. Doc says in light of showing little improvement and some degradation, it needs to be fixed. No date yet and I have a CT scan on Monday to verify where we are.
No plates and no disc fusing, just a "trim job" of the extruded disc. I'll have plenty of disc left, which is a good/bad news thing. Good because I'll have plenty of cushion and bad because it all might happen again down the road.
It's an out-patient deal and no overnight, with a two to six-month recovery. No golf, and I haven't asked about fishing.
Well i wish you well in any event, long term pain is not fun, I waited for 17 years to have neck surgery after a car accident and was thankful I did, the pain meds, specialist as many have mentioned here were a pain in the backside, but by waiting the technology got so much better over the years to where I was in and out in less than 24 hours and no more pain meds. compared to looking like Frankenstein with a metal cage for weeks on my head if I had done the surgery when they first wanted. Hope your surgery goes well.
Hope and pray all goes well, quick healing, as full recovery as possible and pain free.
Im in the same boat. Waiting for surgery date, L4-L5 diskectomy!
Had a L3-4 diskectomy in 2013. Overnight in the hospital, about 6 week recovery time(linger for heavy lifting). First 2 weeks were really bad, then just slowly healing.
Hope you end up fit as a fiddle, Rocky.
I'm resigned to the fact that my golfing days are done. The good thing is that the last shot I made back in October was a beauty, so that memory will be comforting.
If I can't use my new bass boat, though, I'll be pissed. Bought it just two years ago and hardly used it last year because all our lakes are so low. If I am prohibited from launching and loading it, I may have to find somebody to go along and do the heavy lifting. That will mean showing somebody what a poor angler I am, LOL!
@Rocky Raab you should be back to golfing within 6 months no problem. Fishing even sooner.
you should be able to fish as much/often as you like, as long as you don't catch anything........ I know its not a back issue but I had my hip replaced in january 2020, I was golfing with a half swing by aug/sept, just this last summer I got back to full swing, but even with half swing I only lost one at most 2 clubs in length. don't give up on the golf rocky just change the swing and live with it......
It's not just the swing. I walk the course and I don't want to stop.
My earliest surgery date is a month off. By then, it'll be three full months from onset of the ruptured disc, and I'm told that after two months, the prognosis isn't as good for full recovery. We'll see. My right leg is already leaden and there's foot drop. Those are not good signs.