Health stuff again -- pain control

[earlmck]

The last few days as I watch TV one of the new adds is for some pill that takes the place of opioids in fighting post-operative pain. "So you don't need to put off your surgery over worries of opioid addiction". New wonderdrug has minor side effects of nausea, constipation, low red-blood cells. Just the things you need after surgery.

So last month I did a belly flop while out hiking and shattered the upper arm that was holding one end of the shoulder-replacement hardware from a 10-yr old shoulder replacement. Fairly serious surgery that replaced the shoulder hardware and somehow patched the bone together around the new hardware with a brace made from a piece of cadaver tibia. I got to sleep through the procedure for which I am grateful!

This was supposed to leave me with serious post-operative pain after the nerve block wore off so they had me supplied with a fine batch of Oxycodone so I could "keep ahead of the pain". But I never needed the Oxy, and the occasional regular-strength Tylenol knocked the pain back so I could sleep OK, which was all I needed. Don't mind a little mild pain through the day.

I'm sure what saved my bacon against needing their danged Oxy pills was the DMSO I have been using for my old arthritic neck (and shoulder and hands and...) for the past year.

I have written here previously on the DMSO giving me a new lease on life on the arthritis front, but this pain-fighting part is new for me. I don't know how long you'd need to use the DMSO to have serious pain relief results because as I said I have been using it for over a year now and had plenty on-board when I needed the pain relief properties. But I'm betting it beats the dickens out of the new wonderdrug the gentle folks at Big Pharma are pushing and without the nasty little side-effects.

Any of you fellers getting prepared to face a surgery, I'd sure get on the DMSO ahead of time. I don't like the stingy-burn sensation I feel on my skin when I rub it on so take about a tablespoon in juice in the morning, though I suspect the "rub-on" method is most effective. But for general pain relief maybe the juice is the best way. "DMSO Store" brand my favorite, especially for oral use. I buy off Amazon.

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, I am glad you are getting relief with your DMSO regimen. The opioids usually prescribed for pain after surgery work very well, but they also gum up the works, so to speak. I used them as prescribed following my first double fusion, and got off them ASAP after the other three back surgeries.

[Ysabel Kid]

"Gumming up the works" is putting it mildly, in more ways than one!

[AJMD429]

.
What I hate is when I have a patient who has tried everything, but the oxycodone and the oxycodone worked fine and they’re not addicts or abusers, but the Retail chain Pharmacy will refuse to fill the prescription, or force the patient to take a low ineffective dose. They do that to keep the store’s statistics looking good, but claim it’s for ‘patient safety’. In some cases, against my medical advice, and sometimes even without my knowledge, the pharmacist will switch them from oxycodone or hydrocodone to something like gabapentin or tramadol, which may not be addicting, but have a lot more potential side effects, including hallucination and seizures.

It seems like a common theme in our society these days is we treat everyone like the lowest common denominator, but we don’t actually do anything about the people who cause trouble. So nobody’s allowed to have a gun because somebody might misuse one and nobody’s allowed to have an opioid because some people misuse them. It’s getting crazy.

[piller]

The DMSO might be worth a try for me. Tylenol is poison to my liver, morphine is ineffective, and Ranger Candy must be kept limited due to kidney damage from Metformin. Ranger Candy is also known as ibuprofen.

[rossim92]

how yall feel about thc gummies for pain instead of opiods?

[piller]

Some of our customers have used them to quit the opioids. Just as with anything which might affect mental alertness, use appropriate caution.

[Bill in Oregon]

Depends on what state you live in. Of course, the state knows everything about pharmacology. Just ask the bullet-headed knuckle-draggers in your legislative assembly.

[jeepnik]

I mentioned a while ago my back was giving me fits, again. Normal stuff Tylenol, Gabapentin and Meloxicam weren't working. Doc tried me on Cymbalta. Cymbalta is an anti depression drug, but it's used for pain as well. Well, it worked. Did right good for a few weeks. Then the side effects kicked in.

I don't mind some minor or occasional side effects, I'll deal with those. But this stuff, forget it. So if someone suggests it, just know it may not be the panacea it first seems like.

On the plus side, while dealing with the reason for my recent ER trips, my back cleared up. Maybe He just figured I had enough to deal with.

[AJMD429]

how yall feel about thc gummies for pain instead of opiods?

Pharmacologically, physiologically, and medically, they make sense, though they are way more potent than the 'weed' of the last century many of us were 'exposed' to, so they can make you goofy (too goofy to drive, etc.) just like many other medications.

The silly thing is, if you are in Illinois (where you can't keep an AR-15 in your truck or 1911 in your holster unless you are 'special') your physician treating 'pain' will advise you to add a 'gummy' of some sort. But if you are in Indiana, the guns won't get you arrested but the 'gummies' could (although cops usually aren't that into dealing with gummy-people) - but the docs in Indiana will FIRE patients who add gummies to their regimens of pain meds.

Here's an interesting website resource on 'pain management' - https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories ... ng-cascade

[GunnyMack]

Bullet headed Bill? Buffalo dung headed is what I think you meant?

Earl, your previous post about DMSO prompted me to get a bottle and by gum it works for my crunchy knees. Occasionally I use it on my hands depending on my days abuse. Though I have not tried it in a drink.
I originally ordered it for my mom and her spinal stenosis but she didn't like the. ' burn' .
DMSO is used in veterinary, mostly on horses.