Hi,

I have arthritis due to a soccer injury from the past and my dr. prescribes me vicoden to deal with the pain. It really makes me really "loopy" and I don't want to take it anymore. Do you know of any natural pain managemnt remedies that are out there?

Lara

hey Lara,

I am really sorry you have to deal with residual pain from an old injury! I have had chronic nerve pain for the last 2 years and I have tried literally dozens of prescriptions drugs as well as herbal remedies, other non-pharmacological methods and anything else I could find! I have also studied pharmacology through multiple college courses to get a better understanding of all this.

As far as the vicodin goes, if your pain is severe enough to require opioid medication (like vicodin) I am skeptical you will be able to find herbal remedies sufficient. The best bet you have with the vicodin is to find a dose that balances the side effects and pain relief. Most people when taking medications like vicodin regularly and properly build up a tolerance to the side effects much faster than to the pain relief it provides. I have been taking norco (same drug as vicodin but 2x as strong per pill vs. regular vicodin) for about 18 months now and it has barely lost any of the pain relieving effects through tolerance but the side effects have almost completely subsided.

With arthritis, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are your best bet but many can not tolerate their side effects which are primarily gastrointestinal pain, bleeding, ulcers and other GI complications. Most people can tolerate these drugs that include aspirin, aleve and motrin in over the counter forms and many prescription forms as well. These drugs work by inhibiting 2 types of cyclooxygenase (or COX). COX-1 inhibits production of stomach lining contributing to the GI side effects and COX-2 inhibits production of prostaglandins that lead to inflammation and pain. Newer NSAIDs inhibit only COX-2 reducing GI side effects but most have been pulled from the market due to cardiovascular complication and thousands of deaths (Vioxx and Bextra namely). One COX-2 Inhibitor remains on the market and that is Celebrex. For me, celebrex is the only medication that relieves muscle pain (muscle relaxers work better for me but make me drowsy and stop working after a few weeks) without making my stomach bleed. I can't even take Aleve or Motrin without significant problems within a couple days. Celebrex has been a godsend and its worth discussing with your doctors to reduce the vicodin you take or even replace it.

I am not sure of your views on the matter, but I was in a similar situation with morphine and at another time oxycontin that you are in with vicodin and I found a more natural and safer medication to treat my constant pain. That was marijuana. It has provided pain relief without causing withdrawals, in small amounts it causes far less impairment than oxycontin and morphine did for me. I think it can be a better alternative to vicodin for you if other medications like celebrex or regular NSAIDs fail or cause side effects.

Hopefully something here helped and I would encourage you to e-mail me with ANY questions. I have spent countless sleepless nights studying chronic pain, medications and reading medical journals. I have applied this knowledge to my own case but when I can help other people with this, it really makes me feel like I'm not useless! I hope I helped and if not, email me and maybe I can.

Peace
-Brad


rzrsskater01@aol.com

You're going to get a lot of people saying you are an addict for using a pain medication long term. It is true that you will develop a physical dependency for the Percocet but there is a big difference between physical dependency and addiction.

Addiction means your whole life revolves around your next dose of the drug and/or that you will take it even if the pain magically stopped one day.

If you are getting a better quality of life from taking these medications then consider it a blessing. This might very well be a life long solution to your problem, or a long term one until such time as there is a breakthrough in treating ailments such as yours.

I am about your age and take similar medications for my chronic back pain. My quality of life is absolutely better while taking them. I am more active than ever now because I am not constantly focused on my back and my pain.

I would stay with what is working if I were you. If you should develop a problem then talk to your doctor about another form of treatment or using a different medication. Be responsible and don't let the medicatin control you, instead let it control the pain and nothing else.

have you tried fish oil it is a known pain reviler their is a really good resource you look into

I found it online! about fish oil and inflammation have a look their it could help you tremendously ....

nsaids are really bad for you take fish oil daily and rebuild your natural immune strengths...lol best of health