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What structures make up the spine? We review basic spine anatomy here...before identifying potential causes of back pain....
Click here to learn about the most common causes of back pain, and things that increase your risk of backache. We cover lower back pain and upper back pain....
Back pain symptoms may seem obvious. But do you know when symptoms of back pain are more serious or when to see a doctor? Learn what action to take & when...
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Q: back pain management
asked by: cros on July 26th, 2008
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I need to take 240 roxicodone 30mg per month. My family all gets them and they all have similar back pain problems. They have been providing me with meds. Now that I just got my MRI done and it shows that I do have these problems my family demands that I go get my own medication and stop mooching off of them.

I need a doctor that will be able to help me with this in the Orlando FL area. Thanks!
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poobear01101
replied on August 14th, 2008
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roxicodone is not the proper drug you need
1st find a pain mangement doctor that is with in the herman hospital group or a pain management doctor that is well know and not a drug store in a shopping center store front
roxicodone is [ instante morphine] is designed to help with break thru pain short term apin relief. their is no time release for this product that is why yo ate taking the amount you are. oxyconten or oxycodone is morphine with a time release built into the meds
if you tell the doctor the truth what you have been doing i feel sure he will help you i believe that you need to be placed on the drug i described above but i am sure you will go thru some sore of withdrawal. i sugest you start reducing what you are taking before you see your doctor then explain this is what you had to do or thought this is what you had to do. good luck i have had 13 failed back surguries
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joeson76
replied on August 15th, 2008
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drugs aren't a cure
roxicodone is definately not the med to be on for any significant length of time, it is WAY too hard on the body to be taking for such a long period of time. poobear01101 is right, you are going to have to go through some withdrawl getting off the stuff, but switching to another opiate derivative is still only a short term solution.

Pain killers reduce pain, but do nothing to alleviate the cause. You need to combine pain relief with some form of treatment that will reduce the cause of the problem. See a physical therapist, chiropractor or osteopath and they will be able to help you much more in the long run.

other things that can help are topical analgesics such as BioFreeze, and TENS units, both can help reduce your dependence on meds to reduce your pain.

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Gina-MI
replied on August 15th, 2008
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re; pain pills
YIPES, cros, that's nearly 10 pills a day! I don't know how strong roxicodone is but...it might be a miracle you're still alive! According to a number of sites, the usual dose is 30 mg every 4 hours, or 6 tablets/day - at that, it would be 6x30 or 180 tablets/month. You're taking 240, or 60 more...so you're taking 8 tabs/day. That's a bit risky, and yes, you'll probably go through some major withdrawal if you have to go off cold turkey.

I have severe chronic back pain - started out when I smashed up some vertebrae as a kid in high school hiking in Colorado, and just snowballed as the years rolled by - falls, rear-end collisions, etc. and age, until now, the pain is very very bad and has started to go down legs and back. I possibly have a terminal lung disease (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - we're about 80% sure...a few more tests should give us our answer. The pulmonary function tests showed a major shift toward restrictive lung disease from COPD. The CT scan should break the tie). I'm not saying this to get sympathy, I'm simply saying this to show that you can make it inspite of it. I use a medtronic intrathecal morphine pump. It's not 100%, and my back still hurts, but I CAN walk down hallways, stand for short periods of time, and sit without crying in pain, or having to sit down after a few moments of walking. Before the pump, I would get no more than say 15 feet down a hallway and have to sit down, the pain was so excruciating. Between the pump and dilaudid for break-through pain, I'm doing pretty good that way. Now, if I could get my lungs to cooperate!
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poobear01101
replied on August 16th, 2008
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poobear here again in ref to metronic interfecal pump
installed the pump in 2000 to 2007 battery was running out went to change out picked up surgical infection had to remove the replacement pump. my body is morphine torallante my pain was the same on oxyxondone as with the pump. no matter how high e turned the pump up long term no difference. sure the first 45 to 60 days were great then back to same pain. the morphine was depressing me so i attempted to end it 2 times.
i changed pain mgt doctors this past jan 08 told hime i ws on a short lead and just wanted to die. i told him fusion has broken at l-3/l-4 and l-5/s1 as per milogram, mri & film. i told him i have always tried new things for 30 days then eval.
he changed me to methadone & used norco as a break thru pain it worked great the depression is very low i am coming up on 1yr since the change. still wish i would die today but i dont act on it anymore. my pain level is about the same with the pump ect my body has become use to the methadone ect. yes i can increase the dose but it is just a circle of up up up
i did by a inversion table i use daily 2 x it hs really helped. i did this due to in april my vert @ l-4 sliped and has moved forward 2/3 of the distance toward the front edge. this has caused spinal cord pressure as well as smashed the nerve their. went into the epadural did a nerve block 2 weeks age worked so far it shall continue until it smashes the cord. so i enjoy every day. 13 failed back operatons and still here to suffer a bit
more
now good news spread the word please. i am in the middle of teeth replacement total top & bottom morphine & depression will rot your teeth. the dry mouth caused by the morphine or sulfate drugs rots your teeth. get your dentest to get you on a script of floriade treatment . use it daily it will save your teeth. i just found this out thru my new denture doctor. he works with cancer patients they lose there salava glands dry mouth same problem. so please pass it on floriade in a small bottle rinse daily will save your teeth.
with todays tech breakthru with the improved simulators and new tech break thru dont get cut ooh yea your just think you hurt now scar tissue grabs nearve ending and they pull. my back is like rubbing your fingers on concrete. due to scar tissue.
i am not a know it all but just what i have been thru for the past 14 yrs their are some really great pain doctors always stay with antistiagolist ?? the gas passers. they are the best of the best of pain management
you have to do what is best for you. i have found that if i get off my pain meds for 3 weeks then restart them it is like resetting the clock for me m dose is reduced and it works great for a while then increase the dose ect then reset the clock. do not do this with out talking to your doctor it is pure hell on your body. it has worked for me but now i have to be put in the hospital due to the pain sends my very low blood pressure thru the roof like 228 over 210 they uses thordal iv push to control my pain then.
also lidocane patches work great ask your doctor for them same med yor dentist use or they use to stitch you up from a hurt cut finger. these are great patches. pleae excuse my spelling it is poor i have burned up many brain cells due to pain killers ove the yrs
if i can help hollar
god bless ya and remember the more you hurt the bigger asshoe you become tell those around you you love them and thanks for still being their in your life
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Users who thank poobear01101 for this post: painspouse 
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BarryH
replied on October 13th, 2008
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Poobear about the Metronic Pump
I have had one in me since February 11, 2002. The thing is great but it took about 5 years for me to guess at a way that made it so that I did not have to have it increased every 6 weeks to 3 months. What I have is what they call a "BOLLIS" not sure of the spelling. What it is, is between 3am and 5am I get a 30% increase. Then the meds go back to the previous setting. My doctors never suggested this but I asked if we could try something like this. To find out, all (or at least most) of the doctors know they can do this but I guess they don't realize the great benefit of this. I have been able to cut the pain meds down by 1/3 since I started this over the last 3 years.

Side bar. I had my pain pump fail the last of January this year (2008)!!! I woke up in drug withdrawl, freezing and shaking violently. It took me 3 hospitals and many many tests for anyone to check and realize it was the pump. It took about 3 weeks to get it replaced ... and in doing so they damaged the lead to my spine ... and it took another 5 months to find out and believe me that something else was wrong. It had both a kink and a hole in it. BUT, all things said, it is back working for 3 months and I am starting to get back to normal ... as normal as I am with the amount of pain that I have ... but I AM WALKING ... something that I could not do with out the pump as my knee pain was too bad.

Just some information for you. I hope some of it helps.
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larry11
replied on November 12th, 2008
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Have you considered trying a TENS Unit?
Have you considered trying a TENS Unit? Chiropractors use it to control pain for a variety of conditions. They have portable TENS Units which are easy to use. I use it for back pain and it works great
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painspouse
replied on January 22nd, 2009
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BarryH 3 to 5 AM
Hi, What is the significance of the increase during the designated time? I am glad you are getting relief. Thanks
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BarryH
replied on January 24th, 2009
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painspouse
I am not sure as to why it works for me by the increase during those hours. I do not sleep well and that was why we tried it in the mornings. I would wake up in extreem pain and could hardly walk so we increased it in the AM so it would not be as painful ... I do remember that ... but I am not sure it that is the ONLY reason that it is working.

As far as a TENS unit, I have one and I used to wear it all the time before the knee broke and I had the nerve damage ... I would have to have it on all the time now for it to help. I still have it and use it when the pain gets extreem.

I also use BIOFREEZE which you get at chiropractor;s offices or online. It is topical but it helps. My pain doctor that I had in Denver wrote it off as not being that good and gave me his own special formula but his did not work and the BIOFREEZE does help.

Just some food for thought. I hope this helps some of you as pain is no fun to live with... BUT as I say every day .. IT COULD be worse ... others DO have it worse ... and I AM still walking.
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