Hi there just wondering what kind of pain meds is there to take and what helps most for Lyme PAINS?
Have a great day !!!
Posted by lyme_suz (Member # 7628) on :
Fortunately, ibuprophen plus tylenol althernated is enough to keep my arthritis pain.
Unfortunately, I take a lot and my kids say I am and ibuprofen junkie.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I've taken just about everything at one time or another. Now I rely on vicodin [hydrocodone] if things get bad. I don't really need that for Lyme, it's for my bad shoulder and sciatic nerve pain which flares from time to time.
Just about nothing touches the pain from Lyme!
PS to Suz....I don't think you're supposed to take ibuprofen with tylenol. Protect your kidneys!
Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
I have found the only thing that works for me is asprin with codeine. Tylneol does not work for me!
I have taken Darvocet which is made up of tylenol and codeine. It does not work on the arthritic pain. I believe the asprin thins the blood and helps the blood flow to the brain. It does helps my headaches. Plus asprin has anti-inflamitory properties for arthritis. Where tylenol doesn't.
Hope this helps, Lisi
[ 20. September 2005, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: Lisianthus ]
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Annette,
The type of pain med that works depends on the type of pain you have.
I worked with a pain specialist. Although we had our issues, in particular he was determined I had fibro and not Lyme, he did know his pain medication enough to help me find good treatment of the symptoms. I think the pain control was crucial to my Lyme treatment, because it reduced my stress and allowed me to exercise.
My pain is mostly soft tissue: muscle and tendon. I also have some inflammation and joint pain and some nerve pain. The pain treatment I got mostly focused on the soft tissue, because that was my worst problem.
What worked best for me was Flexeril (a muscle relaxer), 30 mg every night (slowly ramped up from 5mg) combined with Vicodin for break-through pain. When I first started treatment, I was taking Vicodin 2-4 days a week probably. It didn't cause any sort of high. I found myself extremely productive when I took it, because the pain was so draining.
At one point I took Ultracet as needed for pain. I found that worked well. But it causes seizures combined with Flexeril, so I couldn't take both.
I have tried many different NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). None of them helped relieve pain and all of them made me extremely tired. However, Plaquenil definitely reduced inflammation in my hands and fingers.
I also tried a number of different anti-depressants that are supposed to help reduce pain by regulating seratonin and other neuro-transmitters. Many fibromyalgia patients find reduced pain with this treatment. Again, no help for me. And I tried Neurontin for nerve pain (mostly foot pain for me) but I was too tired on it to get to a good dose.
At the moment, I am off the Flexeril and only take ibuprofen when needed. But that's after 2 years of pain treatment and 18 months of Lyme treatment.