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Saw a doctor today

Question:

I have been taking Darvocet-N 100  for my back pain and it works great!! One every 4-6 hours and it is gone, no more burning!

Yes, I have buprenorphine which I could use. But I don’t want to. It has a lot of side effects for me. -elizabeth

Response:

Hi Elizabeth, Well, the drug is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, which is used mainly for conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Osteoarthritis. I certainly would have asked him why he thought this to be a good med for your back pain. Wonder if he thinks you have any of the above conditions? You are young, so this really makes no sense to me! I t hink that I would call him, and ask some questions! Sorry so late in responding, I’m a wee bit behind on my posts! Good Luck! Steph :-) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Elizabeth writes: So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth

Response:

So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up.

Relafen may be somewhat helpful with getting more sleep, but may also make you drowsy, probably not good with finals coming up. Drowsiness is a common complaint of this med. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug?

Well, it may be worth a try, but having tried other NSAID’s it may be time to move on. It sounds like maybe a conservative choice. I don’t recall your situation but thought you had mentioned tinnnitus earlier, which can be worsened by Relafen, as can depression. I’m not insulting your intelligence, but caught a program a short time ago about a doctor who used non drug treatment for back pain and has far greater success than those using meds (20/20 on ABC). I mention this because it seems you are open to treatments that might not be considered by many as first choice. The reporter doing the piece suffered back pain and was helped by his treatment as was a producer of the "Rosie" show who was so bad off she was in a wheelchair. You could probably do a search on ABC to get the specifics on this if interested (or the Rosie show could probably put you in touch). This may sound corny but hey, his patients swear by him. Ray

Response:

Elizabeth-Do you have access to a swimming pool?  Swimming really can relieve back pain. Good luck!   Ellen

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth

 I have recurrent back problems partly due to the amount of lifting that I do at work (nursing assistant). The best thing for me has been Flexeril, with Vicodin ES for acute pain. I don’t know why he would prescribe relafen when its just another NSAID. Its one I have never tried but I have tried everything on your list as well as Lodine, Voltaren, (relative of Cataflam), Ultram, percocet, darvocet, etc etc. I take Fiorcet for my migraines and it does indeed help with back pain but its the same as Vicodin or any pain reliever in that its mostly just a cover-up for the pain, while the Flexeril is a muscle relaxant that actually helps the cause of the pain go away for me, so that I don’t need to take any pain relievers, which for me is preferable as I take enough medications for my pd and depression as it is. Good Luck, hope you find something that helps, back pain sucks! May

Response:

I have been taking Darvocet-N 100  for my back pain and it works great!! One every 4-6 hours and it is gone, no more burning! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth  I have recurrent back problems partly due to the amount of lifting that I do at work (nursing assistant). The best thing for me has been Flexeril, with Vicodin ES for acute pain. I don’t know why he would prescribe relafen when its just another NSAID. Its one I have never tried but I have tried everything on your list as well as Lodine, Voltaren, (relative of Cataflam), Ultram, percocet, darvocet, etc etc. I take Fiorcet for my migraines and it does indeed help with back pain but its the same as Vicodin or any pain reliever in that its mostly just a cover-up for the pain, while the Flexeril is a muscle relaxant that actually helps the cause of the pain go away for me, so that I don’t need to take any pain relievers, which for me is preferable as I take enough medications for my pd and depression as it is. Good Luck, hope you find something that helps, back pain sucks! May

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth

I too had back and hip pain…I took Relafen for a bit, but it didn’t help all that much…The side effects were not terrible though, so it’s worth trying…However, I recently have come to believe that stress has led to all of my pains…Look for a book by Dr. John Sarno on the relationship between stress and pain (especially in the back)…All of my pain came during a stressful situation…Sarno’s belief is that it is one of the bodies ways of telling you you are burnt out, or perhaps keeping you focused away from emotional issues…Just reading the book cured most of my pain (not kidding)…Worth a try anyway… — Charles Phipps

Response:

Shapere wrote I think/assume it’s muscle-related. It’s not a pinched nerve. I have these – umm, *lumpy* spots in my back in the places where it hurts (they move

around). Hasn’t your doctor given you an explanation of what these are? Is it possible that these are calcium deposits, especially being that they move around? That’s what I think. I’m wondering if Relafen is stronger than the other ones I’ve tried, though. (It doesn’t seem to be working, BTW.)

I don’t believe Relafen has been shown to be any stronger or more effective. Not being sure how long you have been taking it, a new approach might be helpful. How do you think he chose this drug? Was it a sample given to him from the manufacturer? Is it a fairly new med? No, not a sample. I don’t think it’s all that new, but I don’t know for sure. (It’s new enough not to be off patent, anyway.)

It’s been around since the mid 80’s, 84 or 85 if I remember right. Something that bugs me – maybe you can explain this – is, he claimed I should give it "a few weeks" before deciding whether it’s working or not. ???

One to two weeks should be plenty of time to see results, if it doesn’t help by then it almost surely won’t. I’m sure you know to take it with food as this makes a big difference.  This isn’t really that bad, it just makes it hard to sleep (my sleep is disturbed enough as it is!) and sometimes it interferes with my concentration too. People can feel the "lumpy" spots in my back. (A friend once claimed I must have a golf ball stuck in my neck. :-} )

It sure sounds like it could be calcium deposits. I have had these on an earlobe, hands, and feet, as well as upper back.  Fioricet is kind of cool because it’s a barb with caffeine mixed in (it’s for migraines, of course), so it’s "non-drowsy." It’s out with the lithium, though (complicated, huh?). Thanks for the ideas – I’m feeling really lost with this one…!

I’m not sure what meds you currently take but think Relafen causes an increase in lithium levels and decreases bete blockers. You probably know this though. Ray – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –elizabeth

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I take Fiorcet for my migraines and it does indeed help with back pain but its the same as Vicodin or any pain reliever in that its mostly just a cover-up for the pain, while the Flexeril is a muscle relaxant that actually helps the cause of the pain go away for me, so that I don’t need to take any pain relievers, which for me is preferable as I take enough medications for my pd and depression as it is. Hey May. Actually Fioricet contains a muscle relaxant. (Barbiturates, like benzos, are muscle relaxants.) Flexeril, which a couple people have mentioned, is actually pretty much a tricyclic antidepressant – it’s a NE reuptake inhibitor, anticholinergic, antihistamine. Lot of side effects. (Maybe not for you, but I seem to be sensitive to those.) Some other muscle relaxants I haven’t tried: Norflex (orphenadrine) Parafon Forte (chlorzoxazone) Robaxin (methocarbamol) Skelaxin (metaxalone) Soma (carisoprodol) – Cathy, how did this work for you? I think all of them are basically CNS depressants, much like the barbs & benzos. Some other comments: – can’t take Ultram with Parnate (too bad, since Ultram worked pretty well) – I’ll ask if it might be a disc thing – he did say it wasn’t anything "mechanical," but who knows what that could mean. What are the signs & symptoms of a ruptured disc? How does it feel, etc.? Thanks everyone. It’s a bummer to find out that so many other people suffer from back pain, but at least I know I’m not alone! -elizabeth

 Oh I forgot about Soma..Soma has been very good for my back on several occasions. I wasnt aware that Fioricet was a muscle relaxant, I have taken it for years and years for migraines and that may be why its not much good for instances of back pain for me; I mean it will ease the pain for a few hours but it doesnt seem to have any improving effect for me once it has worn off where as the Soma and Flexeril both do. I do know a lot of people have side effects with Flexeril but they dont bother me, after all I take a tca regularly for my depression so I don’t seem to be affected by them the way some people are. I do not recall any side effects at all from the Soma, but thats just me, I am sure it must have some. Well I hope you find some relief soon, in any event. May

Response:

 What are the signs & symptoms of a ruptured disc? How does it feel, etc.?

More importantly, it will show up on a simple X-ray. But I take it you have gone through all the diagnostic procedures, or have you? Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi elizabeth, So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain.<snippage That’s good! He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? Seen an acupuncturist. It DOES work for back pain…amazingly well. Ask both my husband and I. And we are two of the biggest skeptics in the world….until we went to a acupuncturist for back pain. Relif in two session. First session, 90% relief. Second session a couple of days later, 100% relief.

Right! Accupuncture is a wonder of the medicine! I allways master my back pains with it. It is not a question of belive, because meds rarely help me to overcome pain while accupuncture works immediately. If you do a complete therapy by a specialized doctor, 10 times or more, you may get rid of many correlated disturbs. good luck. Leone

Response:

You need to have a MRI to really tell how bad your back is. I have had two back operations and am getting along fine now. Golf, waterski etc. Good Luck – bb — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

Response:

Hi Elizabeth, Why kind of back pain is it? Is it muscular, pinched nerve or spinal (slipped discs )? I think/assume it’s muscle-related. It’s not a pinched nerve. I have these – umm, *lumpy* spots in my back in the places where it hurts (they move around).

Ah…….you  need a MRI to see what is really going on. Your diagnosis would make a difference in the meds and/ or therapy you would require. How big are the lumpy`s? Are they the size of a lymph node? I know when I have tight muscles, which hurt alot, I feel the whole muscle, it is hard as a rock. Very interesting. That’s what I think. I’m wondering if Relafen is stronger than the other ones I’ve tried, though. (It doesn’t seem to be working, BTW.)

When it comes to NSAIDs,  the ones that require prescription are stronger than the OTC  NSAIDs. I am not sure with the prescription NSAIDs, if some are stonger than others. I think its a YMMV, some may work for you, others may not. IMO……this is not a med that is going to work. A few years ago, I had a sharp, stabbing pain in the front of my neck. They never did figure out what is was, but he felt something was inflamed. He put me on Naprosyn. I took it twice a day, and it worked right away. It was wonderful. I also used it on my own, when I had a tooth that was dying and needed root canal. The pain was severe, it was a throbbing type pain, and I knew it meant inflammation, I took the Naprosyn, and it worked like a charm. Maybe you don`t have a inflammation, but a tight or pulled muscle, which might explain why the NSAIDs don`t work, don`t know. I bet with your psych history, steroids are out, correct? Oooh yeah. (I’ve seen what they do to people. Acne and mood swings – lovely.)

Steroids can be a risky med for people with depression and other disorders. A friend of mine took steroids for some kind of pain, she is bi-polar, and it made her have a 10 day psychotic episode of hearing voices. And my mom took steroids for bursitis, and she sunk into a moderate depression for a few weeks. And they said it was the steroids. No, not a sample. I don’t think it’s all that new, but I don’t know for sure. (It’s new enough not to be off patent, anyway.)

I know my doctor will open her  closet, and give me handfuls of nasal sprays or other meds such as the new anti-biotics. And they are samples from the drug manufacturer. My husband hurt his back ( Pinched nerve), and she  gave him 6 boxes ( three day supply in each) of "Naprelan 500", and on the box it states "sample". So that is why I asked if it could be samples. Something that bugs me – maybe you can explain this – is, he claimed I should give it "a few weeks" before deciding whether it’s working or not. ???

I can see it taking a few days for the med  to build up effectiveness, not a few weeks. He could just be dragging his feet about prescribing something stronger. I really think with the amount of NSAIDs you have tried, you would have  had relief by at least one of them by now. It is time to move on and try something else. I think so too. This isn’t really that bad, it just makes it hard to sleep (my sleep is disturbed enough as it is!) and sometimes it interferes with my concentration too.

To bad he couldn`t prescribe something stronger just to get you through your finals, then after finals discuss some kind of pain management……long term. People can feel the "lumpy" spots in my back. (A friend once claimed I must have a golf ball stuck in my neck. :-} )

Muscle relaxants…benzos and barbs both are muscle relaxants. Benzos (Valium, Klonopin, Xanax) seem to work variably. Fioricet is kind of cool because it’s a barb with caffeine mixed in (it’s for migraines, of course), so it’s "non-drowsy." It’s out with the lithium, though (complicated, huh?). Plus, doctors hate to prescribe barbs, especially to people with depression (I assume they fear that we’re going to get "addicted" or try to use them in a suicide attempt).

I was on Fiorinol for migraines, and didn`t like it. Made me hyper. Anybody can become addicted to barbituates. I agree that someone suffering from depression, may be more at risk than a non-depressive person, it still is a medication that should be prescribed with caution. Yeah, your Lithium makes it a bit difficult, but you can be treated effectively for back pain. I had no idea you were on Lithium, is this new for you? Of interest, Ambien – supposedly *not* a muscle relaxant – also works. It’s pretty short-acting, though (wears off in the middle of the night), and I worry that I’d be walking around acting flakey the next morning if I took a second one at 4am. (This did happen once.)

Thanks for the ideas – I’m feeling really lost with this one…!

In my unprofessional opinion, I think you need to try a muscle relaxant. You had variable results with the Valium, which does have a slight muscle relaxant something new. May mentioned a very good muscle relaxant, called "Soma"(  Carisoprodol ). It is a older med, it was a common med I gave my patients, and it worked nicely. I think you can take it with the Lithium. If you can get a prescription for a muscle relaxant, I would take a nice hot shower or bath and then take the med, and hopefully you can get some sleep. I am sure the stress of finals is not helping this muscle tension. Elizabeth, I know you can be tough. And you know your meds, be adamant about what you need, at least until finals pass. I have seen so many people suffer with chronic back pain, due to ineffective meds, and doctors who won`t prescribe what is needed. Good luck with finals and hope you feel better. Jackie

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (JacandGil) writes: Is this like a quiz? You know the answers, but you  are testing us? Or do you need feedback? <VBG Hi Jackie. No, I was seriously looking for answers – it’s not a quiz. :-) <snip – Elizabeth’s and Jackie’s discussion Something that bugs me – maybe you can explain this – is, he claimed I should give it "a few weeks" before deciding whether it’s working or not. ??? <snip – more of Elizabeth’s and Jackie’s discussion Thanks for the ideas – I’m feeling really lost with this one…! -elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth, I have a 1999 PDR which has two pages on Relafen based on SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals’ labeling in effect on July 31, 1998.  As I’m not in any area of medicine except on the receiving side, I can’t really answer questions, but if you have specific ones, I can look it up. As you know, it’s a brand of nabumetone, it’s an NSAID and is "indicated for acute and chronic treatment of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  It’s typically dosed at 1000mg and adjusted as necessary, up to 2000mg.  Dosages above 2000mg have not been studied. It undergoes hepatic biotransformation to the active component, 6MNA. Elimination half-life is 24 hours. For Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis 1000 mg/day administered at night was comparable to Naproxen 500 mg/day and aspirin 3600 mg/day. One difference to other NSAIDs is that there is no evidence of enterohepatic recirculation of the active metabolite. Whew!  I hope some of that made sense.  I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but as I recall, NSAIDs require time before the real anti-inflamatory effects occur.  The last sentence of the above paragraph leads me to believe that time wouldn’t make much difference for Relafen, but what do I know.  :^) tnx, drr — The second nicest guy on the internet

Response:

(JacandGil) writes: Is this like a quiz? You know the answers, but you  are testing us? Or do you need feedback? <VBG

Hi Jackie. No, I was seriously looking for answers – it’s not a quiz. :-) Why kind of back pain is it? Is it muscular, pinched nerve or spinal (slipped discs )?

I think/assume it’s muscle-related. It’s not a pinched nerve. I have these – umm, *lumpy* spots in my back in the places where it hurts (they move around). Okay, what would I have done? First off, I didn`t know what Relafen was, so I read up on it. It is a non-steroidal , anti-inflammatory. Looking at the above list of things tried, I see you have been on a few nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatories, not one of them doing anything for your

That’s what I think. I’m wondering if Relafen is stronger than the other ones I’ve tried, though. (It doesn’t seem to be working, BTW.) I bet with your psych history, steroids are out, correct?

Oooh yeah. (I’ve seen what they do to people. Acne and mood swings – lovely.) You probably want something to take your pain away, enough to allow sleep, but you need  to be  alert for tests and school the next day? A very good med for back pain, works quickly, an the duration is about 5 hours, is Oxycodone. It is good for moderate to severe pain, as seen with back problems and cancer patients. I might have the wrong med, I believe they came out with a longer duration one recently.

Oxycodone has the problem of causing rather icky side effects (similar to buprenorphine, morphine, codeine, etc.). If I tolerated opioids better, I’d use them all the time – buprenorphine was a really good antidepressant (better than morphine), and I think it prevented panic attacks as well. How do you think he chose this drug? Was it a sample given to him from the manufacturer? Is it a fairly new med?

No, not a sample. I don’t think it’s all that new, but I don’t know for sure. (It’s new enough not to be off patent, anyway.) Something that bugs me – maybe you can explain this – is, he claimed I should give it "a few weeks" before deciding whether it’s working or not. ??? Unfortunately, back pain reminds me a little of anxiety, being it can`t be seen or felt, it is hard to be taken seriously. I know too many people that suffer with severe back pain, because of being under medicated.

I think so too. This isn’t really that bad, it just makes it hard to sleep (my sleep is disturbed enough as it is!) and sometimes it interferes with my concentration too. People can feel the "lumpy" spots in my back. (A friend once claimed I must have a golf ball stuck in my neck. :-} ) If  your not happy with this med, tell him. or you can give this med a shot and hope it works. Have you tried any muscle relaxants?

Muscle relaxants…benzos and barbs both are muscle relaxants. Benzos (Valium, Klonopin, Xanax) seem to work variably. Fioricet is kind of cool because it’s a barb with caffeine mixed in (it’s for migraines, of course), so it’s "non-drowsy." It’s out with the lithium, though (complicated, huh?). Plus, doctors hate to prescribe barbs, especially to people with depression (I assume they fear that we’re going to get "addicted" or try to use them in a suicide attempt). Of interest, Ambien – supposedly *not* a muscle relaxant – also works. It’s pretty short-acting, though (wears off in the middle of the night), and I worry that I’d be walking around acting flakey the next morning if I took a second one at 4am. (This did happen once.) Thanks for the ideas – I’m feeling really lost with this one…! -elizabeth

Response:

I take Fiorcet for my migraines and it does indeed help with back pain but its the same as Vicodin or any pain reliever in that its mostly just a cover-up for the pain, while the Flexeril is a muscle relaxant that actually helps the cause of the pain go away for me, so that I don’t need to take any pain relievers, which for me is preferable as I take enough medications for my pd and depression as it is.

Hey May. Actually Fioricet contains a muscle relaxant. (Barbiturates, like benzos, are muscle relaxants.) Flexeril, which a couple people have mentioned, is actually pretty much a tricyclic antidepressant – it’s a NE reuptake inhibitor, anticholinergic, antihistamine. Lot of side effects. (Maybe not for you, but I seem to be sensitive to those.) Some other muscle relaxants I haven’t tried: Norflex (orphenadrine) Parafon Forte (chlorzoxazone) Robaxin (methocarbamol) Skelaxin (metaxalone) Soma (carisoprodol) – Cathy, how did this work for you? I think all of them are basically CNS depressants, much like the barbs & benzos. Some other comments: – can’t take Ultram with Parnate (too bad, since Ultram worked pretty well) – I’ll ask if it might be a disc thing – he did say it wasn’t anything "mechanical," but who knows what that could mean. What are the signs & symptoms of a ruptured disc? How does it feel, etc.? Thanks everyone. It’s a bummer to find out that so many other people suffer from back pain, but at least I know I’m not alone! -elizabeth

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects)

Good grief, Elizabeth, it seems like there is no med in the whole wide world you haven’t taken and you don’t seem to have much luck with any of them whatever you take them for. I am sorry about that. You’re young and brilliant and witty. I really hate it that you suffer so much from various  diseases. He prescribed Relafen.

Obviously (Relafen?) What would you have done?

No idea. What is it? How do you think he chose this drug?

Tossing a coin? -elizabeth

Philip

Response:

Hi elizabeth, So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain.<snippage

That’s good! He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done?

Seen an acupuncturist. It DOES work for back pain…amazingly well. Ask both my husband and I. And we are two of the biggest skeptics in the world….until we went to a acupuncturist for back pain. Relif in two session. First session, 90% relief. Second session a couple of days later, 100% relief. How do you think he chose this drug?

mmm, a dartboard? ;-) Seems that’s how most M.D.’s do it. Regards, Jen

Response:

Good grief, Elizabeth, it seems like there is no med in the whole wide world you haven’t taken and you don’t seem to have much luck with any of them whatever you take them for. I am sorry about that. You’re young and brilliant and witty. I

really hate it that you suffer so much from various  diseases. Thanks. That does mean quite a lot to me, that you care. He prescribed Relafen. Obviously (Relafen?)

Relafen…it’s a NSAID. Three of the things I’d tried before (ibuprofen, naproxen, Ponstel, and Cataflam) are the same type of drug. This one may be stronger – I don’t know and the PDR is curiously unenlightening. How do you think he chose this drug? Tossing a coin?

That was my thought. The reason I posted this here in particular is that I know a *lot* of people have trouble doctors who don’t "believe" in prescribing benzos long-term for panic disorder and GAD and things like that. Well, now I have the same problem trying to get a muscle relaxant. Not to use every day, even – just when I need it. My doctor doesn’t "believe" in prescribing barbiturates for  back pain. I left wondering what sort of religion he practices that he has this "belief." (Fioricet, the one that worked pretty well, is a barbiturate (butalbital) + caffeine + APAP (Tylenol); it’s out because of the caffeine (I’m on lithium), but a "clean" barbiturate would be fine.) Jen says: Seen an acupuncturist. It DOES work for back pain…amazingly well. Ask both my husband and I. And we are two of the biggest skeptics in the world….until we went to a acupuncturist for back pain. Relif in two session. First session, 90% relief. Second session a couple of days later, 100% relief.

Actually I’ve done that too. And massage therapy. They’re both very expensive, not covered by insurance, and don’t seem to have lasting effects beyond the day I go in (and acupuncture wasn’t even all that effective immediately afterwards). I gave each several weeks. My therapist suggests yoga. I need something that will get me through final exams, though! -elizabeth

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Hi Elizabeth, So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried:

- Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done?

Is this like a quiz? You know the answers, but you  are testing us? Or do you need feedback? <VBG Why kind of back pain is it? Is it muscular, pinched nerve or spinal ( slipped discs )? Okay, what would I have done? First off, I didn`t know what Relafen was, so I read up on it. It is a non-steroidal , anti-inflammatory. Looking at the above list of things tried, I see you have been on a few nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatories, not one of them doing anything for your I bet with your psych history, steroids are out, correct? You probably want something to take your pain away, enough to allow sleep, but you need  to be  alert for tests and school the next day? A very good med for back pain, works quickly, an the duration is about 5 hours, is Oxycodone. It is good for moderate to severe pain, as seen with back problems and cancer patients. I might have the wrong med, I believe they came out with a longer duration one recently. How do you think he chose this drug?

Was it a sample given to him from the manufacturer? Is it a fairly new med? Unfortunately, back pain reminds me a little of anxiety, being it can`t be seen or felt, it is hard to be taken seriously. I know too many people that suffer with severe back pain, because of being under medicated. If  your not happy with this med, tell him. or you can give this med a shot and hope it works. Have you tried any muscle relaxants? Take care…. Jackie

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth

I have tried the same things as you have except for Ponstel, Cataflam, Valium & Fioricet.  My best results were with Steroids but I don’t think I would use them again because of long term effects.  The next best results I had was 800mg Ibuprofen every 8 hours and a muscle relaxer called Carisoprodl 350mg every 8 hours (I can’t take this long term) and Propoxy-N/APAP (Darvocett)100mg every 4 hours.  This is the only combination that has helped my pain in 12 years.  But the first thing I think you should demand is an MRI.  I found out that I had a ruptured disc and was being treated for arthritis until I had the MRI and then put on the right combo of drugs for me. Cathy P.H.O.B.I.A. Off-line Panic/Anxiety Support Group Learn about us at http://community.nj.com/cc/phobia

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So today I finally saw a doctor for my back pain. I told him that it had been present intermittently since 9/95 and that I was having a flare up over the past couple weeks. I explained that it is making it very hard for me to get adequate sleep, and that I have finals coming up. I told him which other treatments I’d tried: – Tylenol (no effect) – ibuprofen (no effect) – topical salicylates (no effect) – naproxen (no effect) – heating pad (no effect) – cold pack (seemed to help temporarily) – taking breaks every 20 minutes when using the computer (helps some, maybe) – Ponstel (no effect) – Cataflam (no effect) – Valium (modest effect, inconsistent) – Fioricet (good effect) – physical therapy (3 months), then doing the exercises faithfully for another 6? months (no effect) – finally gave up and just decided I would try to get daily exercise – buprenorphine (good effect, too many side effects) He prescribed Relafen. What would you have done? How do you think he chose this drug? -elizabeth

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