Pain medication

[Tish47]

I have rheumatoid arthritis and am on co codamol 2 pills every 6 hours, I am having physio on my back as I have problems with my L4-L5 area, the pain is excruciating daily, it never goes away, even after taking the pills, I am going to see my GP this week, to see if there is anything stronger to take, I used to take tramadol, but it would give me migraines. Does anyone know of any other medication I can take, as this pain is getting me down mentally and physically.

Do you take any anti inflammatories, antidepressants or anti epileptics? All can help with pain :)

And are you on any DMARDs?

I dont know if this is possible any more but you could ask if there is a pain team in your area/at your local hospital that you can be referred to.

I'm not on any DMARDS, or antiinflammatories, I used too have neproxen but it would give me chest pains and ringing in my ears, and I'm not on any antidepressants. Don't need those, just feel physically and mentally tired, and my job is strenuous, but I'm in constant pain which makes me tired all the time, and sleep a couple of hours a night, because of the pain.

If I were you I would insist to be put on a DMARD. Any other medication is just fire-fighting, when the DMARD could address the cause of the pain

I'm not surprised you're struggling :(

Ask your doctor if you can be referred to a pain clinic. They will look at all the ways of managing your pain including medication, physio and alternative treatments like acupuncture. They look at the pain in the whole rather than just meds but can also look at all the different medication.

is it nerve pain? Amitriptaline can be good for that, I had it as I find painkillers really hard on the stomach.

It's not a trapped nerve I have osteoarthritis in my back, and inflammatory arthritis in all of my joints, already had surgery on my elbow because of this, and umpteen amount of steroid injections, that last a couple of weeks, and then the pain is back. I will defiantly ask my GP about the DMARDS, but I know I will have a fight on my hands. Thank you all anyway.

Mam has RA and is on morphine. The methotrexate made her really ill by wiping out her platelets and white blood cells.

Nerve pain isn't a trapped nerve, it's a kind of pain. It's kind of like burning or a lightening strike ime.

I cant believe you're at the point of needing surgery and not on DMARDs, that's so shocking :(

I have a similar kind of arthritis btw - I take a shit load of medication on top of my DMARDs, and along with major life changes I am just about coping now.

DMARDS are usually prescribed on the say so of the hospital. If you have rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis you should be referred to hospital outpatients. GPs will not prescribe them directly themselves as you need counselling beforehand.