Anyone know of an alternative to Percocet?

[Kung Lau]

I've been suffering from chronic neck/back pain for a few years now and it's gotten worse. I first started off with taking prescribed pain meds once every couple of days when it was bad but now I seem to need it every day and when I asked my doctor if there was a different/lesser potent alternative, he said there wasn't.

I find it hard to believe that NSAIDs, which I've been taking for years also have so many options but opiods have only a few.

I know I will need surgery but based on the advice of a neurosurgeon ( a conservative one-who doesn't go quickly for the knife vs the three others who wanted to operate within one visit), I'm trying to hold off for newer/better technology to become more common such as laser surgery (not currently covered by insurance)

More and more I think about it, more I dislike the thought of becoming a Rush Limbaugh story.

 

[WA261]

They dont sell em online any more...sorry.

 

[Tooncesthedrivingcat]

Originally posted by: WA261
They dont sell em online any more...sorry.

not true.

 

[SampSon]

Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet) is a good alternative to the typical opiate pain relievers.

Surgery, depending on the specific procedure, is the best route. If done properly you should notice an instantly relief from the chronic pain.
Two of my family members had to have surgery for back pain. The problem was that a disc was pushing into their spinal column and pinching the nerves.
The doctors went in, and shaved part of the disc off that was pushing into the spinal column.

 

[Ns1]

medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ns1
medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

I'm really not sure how good marijuana is at pain relief. It does exist, but the type of pain percocet is prescribed for is pretty intense. I would hope to make it livable, at best.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1
medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

I'm really not sure how good marijuana is at pain relief. It does exist, but the type of pain percocet is prescribed for is pretty intense. I would hope to make it livable, at best.

Wifey has fibro + RA and the MMJ works ALOT better than the shit the docs prescribe her

The only thing she prefers over MMJ is diladin, but that shit fucks you up.

 

[wheresmybacon]

I know a few people who are recovering addicts with chronic pain who take suboxone. One of these people takes it for juvenile arthritis. The other two take it for neck/back issues. I don't know a ton about opiods other than there are a lot more options than what your doc is telling you.

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1
medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

I'm really not sure how good marijuana is at pain relief. It does exist, but the type of pain percocet is prescribed for is pretty intense. I would hope to make it livable, at best.

Wifey has fibro + RA and the MMJ works ALOT better than the shit the docs prescribe her

The only thing she prefers over MMJ is diladin, but that shit fucks you up.

Interesting.. I didn't know it had such strong anti-pain effects.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1
medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

I'm really not sure how good marijuana is at pain relief. It does exist, but the type of pain percocet is prescribed for is pretty intense. I would hope to make it livable, at best.

Wifey has fibro + RA and the MMJ works ALOT better than the shit the docs prescribe her

The only thing she prefers over MMJ is diladin, but that shit fucks you up.

Interesting.. I didn't know it had such strong anti-pain effects.

Not gonna say it works for everybody, but if the pain is pretty bad it's worth a shot. She was on lyrica for a few months, the "first FDA approved pill for fibromyalgia" or whatever. Every single goddamn side effect listed happened to her. And it was about as effective as MMJ and had twice as many side effects.

The combination of both helped her alot, but the side effects ended up being too much and she stopped using it.

 

[duragezic]

Sure, there is some less potent ones, but they might not be very effective. I'm not sure why else your doctor would not mention them.

Percocet has oxycodone in it, which is some quite strong shit, although a single pill only contains 5 to 10mg. So I can understand why you don't want to use it long-term and commend you for wanting to take steps to change that.

Less addicting ones would be anything with Codeine (Tylenol 3/4), Propoxyphene (Darvocet/Darvon), and Tramadol like SampSon mentioned. I don't know a whole lot about Tramadol but it is a bit different chemically than other opiods, and might be better for long-term if you do end up having to be on something. But the first two are really weak and its possible they just wouldn't work well for you.

Also, milligram for milligram, oxycodone is stronger than hydrocodone (Vicodin, etc) so even that could technically be weaker. So again it's weird your doctor didn't suggest anything, as there is certainly more out there. But he knows more than me and about your condition so maybe there is something else going on. I've also heard of people on Methadone for pain but that is not as common and that is most certainly something you don't want to switch to. I've heard of people perscribed Suboxone for pain but that is very rare, as expected and actually surprisingly as I didn't think Suboxone had decent analgesic effects at all.

But really, you can get very addicted to any of them. Your tolerance will increase with continuous intake of any opiod. And the side effects in some can be worse than others as your dosage raises due to tolerance. How much oxycodone do you need per day to manage your pain?

edit: Forgot to mention: Like SampSon said, might be best to get another opinion/look into possibility of surgery. Also exercise and/or stretching might be good, although I'm sure you've already tried that. Because surgery is about your only option to not require daily pain killers long-term, weak ones or not.

 

[WA261]

Originally posted by: Tooncesthedrivingcat

Originally posted by: WA261
They dont sell em online any more...sorry.

not true.

Wonder why you cant buy lortab anymore then

 

[Kung Lau]

Originally posted by: duragezic
Sure, there is some less potent ones, but they might not be very effective. I'm not sure why else your doctor would not mention them.

Percocet has oxycodone in it, which is some quite strong shit, although a single pill only contains 5 to 10mg. So I can understand why you don't want to use it long-term and commend you for wanting to take steps to change that.

Less addicting ones would be anything with Codeine (Tylenol 3/4), Propoxyphene (Darvocet/Darvon), and Tramadol like SampSon mentioned. I don't know a whole lot about Tramadol but it is a bit different chemically than other opiods, and might be better for long-term if you do end up having to be on something. But the first two are really weak and its possible they just wouldn't work well for you.

Also, milligram for milligram, oxycodone is stronger than hydrocodone (Vicodin, etc) so even that could technically be weaker. So again it's weird your doctor didn't suggest anything, as there is certainly more out there. But he knows more than me and about your condition so maybe there is something else going on. I've also heard of people on Methadone for pain but that is not as common and that is most certainly something you don't want to switch to. I've heard of people perscribed Suboxone for pain but that is very rare, as expected and actually surprisingly as I didn't think Suboxone had decent analgesic effects at all.

But really, you can get very addicted to any of them. Your tolerance will increase with continuous intake of any opiod. And the side effects in some can be worse than others as your dosage raises due to tolerance. How much oxycodone do you need per day to manage your pain?

edit: Forgot to mention: Like SampSon said, might be best to get another opinion/look into possibility of surgery. Also exercise and/or stretching might be good, although I'm sure you've already tried that. Because surgery is about your only option to not require daily pain killers long-term, weak ones or not.

Thanks. I specifically asked if Vicodin was something I could use in lieu of Tylox (5/500) and my primary care doctor said that it would be ineffective. I've tried codeine and it seems to make me way too drowsy for daytime use. The only reason I cared for Tylox was it relieved most of my pain without knocking me out. I understand why some people like getting drugs like these because of the "high" feeling it gives you along with the pain relief but I for one have never enjoyed getting high. I have used any illegal drugs, to include marijuana I don't like drinking alcohol for that reason. I know, I'm not the usual Joe. I like to be coherent, call me freaky.

I believe I've built up somewhat of a tolerance to Tylox and so my pain isn't as well controlled as it used to be. Now I'm on Percocet 7.5/325 and I understand the doses do go higher and there's even Oxycontin itself which I believe is a much higher dosage (80mg-160mg??). I'm just afraid I'll end up like a heroin addict. I've seen some of the other patients who go to the pain management clinc I go to. They look rough.

I've tried physical therapy for months on end, epidural injections of cortisone, transforanminal nerve blocks and am open to other options just not surgery at this time.

I'm kinda scare to try chiropractic care as well as some of my physical therapy "manipulation" of the cervical spine put me in some of the most pain in my life temporarily.

A good friend of mine who had surgery for his lumbar bulging disc had a nerve accidently cut and he just loses 100% feeling in his right leg at random times and just falls to the ground if he's not using his cane. Now he takes straight up morphine around the clock. Man, that just scares the crap out of me.

 

[Old Hippie]

Tylox is just a brand name and also includes oxycodone, same as Percocet. You must have been on a lower dosage Tylox.

Duragezic has given you a complete rundown.

Some Drs. have been scripting Methadone for extreme pain relief.

 

[eits]

chiropractor, duh... why didn't you see a chiropractor in the first place?

why will you NEED surgery?

edit: i just read what you said about being scared to try a chiropractor and the bit about the physical therapy.

understand that physical therapy manipulations are NOT the same as chiropractic adjustments. they're two completely different things that might seem the same on the surface. chiropractors adjust joints day in and day out and it is effective (which is why physical therapists are trying to use a variation of it in their work). the difference is that physical therapists' manipulations are a very general manipulation which could increase degeneration at a spinal segment. chiropractors are specific in their adjustments and move only the segments that need to be put back to where they need to be, so to speak.

don't be scared of seeing a chiropractor... there's a higher risk of you dying from taking pain medication than from a chiropractic adjustment. 1 out of every 2 million patients may experience a stroke, whereas nsaids cause roughly 1 death for every 9000 prescriptions.

 

[meltdown75]

fatties.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: SampSon
Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet) is a good alternative to the typical opiate pain relievers.

Surgery, depending on the specific procedure, is the best route. If done properly you should notice an instantly relief from the chronic pain.
Two of my family members had to have surgery for back pain. The problem was that a disc was pushing into their spinal column and pinching the nerves.
The doctors went in, and shaved part of the disc off that was pushing into the spinal column.

he never talked about pain down his arms or in his hands, so there probably isn't a disc herniation in his neck... one that requires surgery, anyway.

op, realize this... once you have surgery on a disc, you speed up the rate of degeneration of the vertebral levels above and below it. also, you increase your risk of more herniations in the future because you've lost the integrity of the fibrocartilage in the annular fibers of the disc that keep the stuff in the middle of your disc from pushing out.


what is the diagnosis your primary care gave you about your neck? by the way, keep in mind that most primary care doctors don't really know very much about musculoskeletal problems, so you kinda gotta take what they say with a grain of salt and see a specialist about it (chiropractor or orthopedist).


also, keep in mind that painkillers won't fix anything... a chiropractor could correct the problem so that the pain symptoms go away so you won't need to take the painkillers anymore. the problem might not be in your neck at all... your problem could be a short leg or an unlevel pelvis or something, which is causing a structural issue that goes up to your neck and causes pain. you need to get it checked out by a chiropractor to make sure.

make sure you ask around to find out the best chiropractor in the area and see if he takes your insurance. there are some quacks out there, so just make sure you do your research. you want to go to a chiropractor with a good reputation. there are TONS of chiropractors in florida... i'm sure you can find a good one who's on your insurance around you.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: WA261

Originally posted by: Tooncesthedrivingcat

Originally posted by: WA261
They dont sell em online any more...sorry.

not true.

Wonder why you cant buy lortab anymore then

Just PM zanejohnson...he'll hook you up.


OP, I too have a FUBAR'd back. My docs keep trying to give me the opoids for pain and I refuse to take them. I'd rather live with the pain than develop any kind of dependence on them. My neighbor lives on vicodan and Fentanyl patches...and is stoned all the time from them. No thanks. Pain just reminds you that you're still alive.

If your neurosurgeon thinks surgery will help you, get it done. Mine is too far gone to fix, so I live from epidural to epidural. (have you tried those yet? Some people get excellent results, others not so much.)


IMO, chiropractic is a good option, IF there's not too much damage done. My chiro finally refused to treat my low back because with the 3 herniated disks, he said he could actually do more harm than good. HE referred me to the neurosurgeon.

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: Tooncesthedrivingcat

Originally posted by: WA261
They dont sell em online any more...sorry.

not true.

PM me a link?

 

[Canai]

My dad has chronic nerve pain in his neck, and every couple months he goes in and they basically burn the nerves (his words). Not sure what it's called, but it might be worth looking into.

IIRC he's on a constant perco script too.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Ns1
medical marijuana for pain relief

I think your only long term prospect is surgery though, as mentioned above

I'm really not sure how good marijuana is at pain relief. It does exist, but the type of pain percocet is prescribed for is pretty intense. I would hope to make it livable, at best.

Wifey has fibro + RA and the MMJ works ALOT better than the shit the docs prescribe her

The only thing she prefers over MMJ is diladin, but that shit fucks you up.

Interesting.. I didn't know it had such strong anti-pain effects.

Mother takes it for MS related nerve pain and it helps her a ton (MJ), Dad takes it for arthritis and club foot pain and it works better than the meds as well.

 

[RandomFool]

One thing I hate is that now with all the drug commercials on TV, everyone thinks they just need to find the right drug and tell the doctor to give it to them. I like to think that the doctors know what they're doing and just because I saw that DrugFixaca treats XYZ disease doesn't mean that it's going to be any good for me. If you really don't trust you doctor to know what is right for you then get a new doctor or at the very least a second opinion. ~grumble~

*edit*
Not directed at the OP, just a slightly related rant.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Canai
My dad has chronic nerve pain in his neck, and every couple months he goes in and they basically burn the nerves (his words). Not sure what it's called, but it might be worth looking into.

IIRC he's on a constant perco script too.

uh, that's horrible.

 

[Auryg]

I'm with eits. At least try a chiropractor. I got into a ski accident..wow, many years ago now. It seriously wonked up my neck and lower back. After about a year and a half my mom dragged my to her chiro. He was a very old man in a stinky house, but lordy was he good. He didn't crack you, he just..did stuff. I was good for a half a year to a year after seeing him, then I went again. Was good for about a year again, and then he got a bit too old and lost his memory The new guy I have is also good, doesn't use the same technique, but I have to go in about every 2 months. I also got a water-pillow from him which really, really helps.

Also, a lot of over the counter meds don't do anything for neck pain. Aleve, for instance, works wonders, whereas tylenol and aspirin don't do anything for me. So if you went straight to the higher ups, it might be worth a shot to use one that cuts down on inflation.

 

[eits]

it's like taking painkillers for a toothache and not seeing a dentist.

go to a chiropractor.