Complete pain relief.

[bbelaine]

I've been dealing with spasticity for over a year now-really tight legs, sometimes biceps, sometimes the middle of my torso is tight. I've tried all kinds of meds and nothing really made much difference. Then in September, I tripped over a cord and broke my hip on the corner of a table. The hip was fixed and I was sent home with Norco-it was the only pain med I used. I had three weeks completely pain free-then when I started tapering down the spasticity started to come back. Somedays my legs were too tight to do the walking that I needed to do to get my hip better. Right now I'm on amitryptylline and it helps a bit, but getting up in the morning, sitting up and moving after I've been still for a while is really bothersome. I go see my neuro next week (he doesn't know about the broken hip yet) and I'm thinking about asking him for Norco to help with the spasticity. Does anyone else take it and how has it worked for you? Appreciate any feedback.

[ejonesbowlie]

I can relate

Hi there! First off I can totally relate to your issues with spasticity. I have pretty persistent spasticity throughout my body....legs, arms, neck...you name it. My treatment so far has been stretching..exercise..pt/physio and baclofen. I also had some IV steroids which helped, but unfortunately only temporarily. Some days are better than others for sure. The pain associated with the spasticity can be horrible.

I am not sure about Norco though....is that Vicodin? If so, I think there is the risk of addiction and other side effects? So not sure if a doctor would be willing to prescribe it long term, but I could be wrong.

So far for me, the exercise and stretching are keeping mine manageable. My neuro also has written me script to increase my baclofen mid December if I feel I need it. Other than the baclofen I believe there are a few other muscle relaxants or combinations there of that can be tried. Though I am sure you have likely tried everything
Other than that I think baclofen pump would be the next step? I am sure I will be looking at that in the near future if my spasticity keeps up.

I really am sorry for what you are dealing with. I know I really didn't tell you anything you didn't already know...just wanted you to know that I can relate and hope you are able to get some relief soon as I know how miserable it is to deal with ongoing spasticity

Take Care,

Beth

[bbelaine]

Thanks Beth,
As you said yourself, it varies from day to day. I was on baclofen for a while, got up to 40mg a day, but it didn't seem to make much difference. I knew about the down side of Norco, but it was so nice for three weeks to have none of the tightness that made getting out of bed or up from a seat so unpleasant. The amitryptilline is the best so far, and I sleep really well with it, so maybe that's the best I can do. Sitting here not moving, watching TV, or reading a book, I'm pretty much pain free ( and that's a real blessing). It's just when I want to start moving, got to gear myself up to make those first steps.

[bbelaine]

Beth, forgot to ask, what sort of stretching/exercise routine are you using? It is something a physio gave you or did you get it somewhere else?

[ejonesbowlie]

I have been stretching for quite some time...even prior to my diagnosis as I had the constant spasticity. So, most of my stretching routine I came up with. I showed my routine to my PT and she couldn't really add much too it. I guess I at least got that right! I just stretch everything that I can...I think the major thing is to use proper technique and try and stretch several times a day. It doesn't solve all of my problem, but it does help get me some relief

[bbelaine]

Thanks for the reply. I do something similar, stretching the muscles that are tight that day. I always stretch my thighs (they seem to be the ones that tighten up most often). No formal program though the therapist I had for my hip recovery said that some of the exercises for that issue would also be the ones he would recommend for spasticity. Needless to say, it was only legs we worked on but it gave me an idea of what to do so that I could work some other muscle areas.

[Kimba22]

I go see my neuro next week (he doesn't know about the broken hip yet) and I'm thinking about asking him for Norco to help with the spasticity.

Hi bbelaine,

Norco (hydrocodone/ acetaminophen) is now considered a schedule 2 drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency. Because of that, it is highly unlikely your neurologist will prescribe it for you.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fe...014/fr0822.htm
http://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml
http://www.policymed.com/2014/09/dea...onvicodin.html

Schedule II Substances

Schedule II controlled substances require a written prescription which must be signed by the practitioner. There is no federal time limit within which a Schedule II prescription must be filled after being signed by the practitioner.

While some states and many insurance carriers limit the quantity of controlled substance dispensed to a 30-day supply, there are no specific federal limits to quantities of drugs dispensed via a prescription. For Schedule II controlled substances, an oral order is only permitted in an emergency situation.

Refills

The refilling of a prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule II is prohibited.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pu...t/section5.htm

You may need to increase your baclofen, switch anti-spasticity meds, or even take it in combination with another anti-spasticity medication. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sym...oms/Spasticity In order to find someone to prescribe Norco you may need to find a pain management specialist.

I do sympathize with you and hope you can find relief. The only thing that has done much to help me with spasticity is the baclofen pump. (But I was maxed out on the oral baclofen dosage, besides combining it with other antispasmodics.)

Good luck ,

[bbelaine]

Thanks Kimba-I suspected it was a long shot, but it was so nice not to have the soreness/tightness for those weeks. On the bright side, the amitriptyline-better than any others bar the Norco-seems to be doing the job just now. Maybe it's just the ups and downs of this thing. A little stiffness isn't bad. When it was bad I'd be sitting in a seat thinking I wanted to get up. It would take a little while to get myself set to go because it I knew it would hurt.

[TaoWarrior]

I'm on vicodin and no the neuro will not perscribe it because "there is no pain in MS" or "it is the wrong medication"

I don't care if it is the right or wrong one it works that makes it right in my opinion. My GP is my prescribing doctor and as a schedule II I have to go in and pick up a script each month. He lets me call and leaves it at the front desk but he makes me come in every few months for an evaluation.

I take the 5/325 so it is pretty low dose as far as it goes. Just enough to help.

[rdmc]

I take Lortab 5/325. My GP prescribes it. I only take 1/2 at a time because a whole pill puts me to sleep, and I need to be awake because I work from home.

I had a Baclofen pump implanted and that handles my lower body pain, but I have significant pain from upper body spasticity and especially in the side of my face/jaw/tongue that suffers from spasm. It's not nerve pain...it's plain old muscle spasm pain, and even with oral baclofen and muscle relaxers, it's always there, the more I talk the worse it gets.

At the low dose the Lortab is prescribed, my GP doesn't seem to have a problem writing the script. Yes, now that it's schedule II, I have to show up in his office once a month, or thereabouts. At their office you don't just pick up the RX you have to have an appt with the GP or the NP. At first I thought I'd hate it, but it's become quite the asset to have this regular appt.

I see a bunch of other specialists, and unfortunately, it seems that not a month goes by that I've had some "mini crisis" (this month I've had pneumonia, diagnosed in the ER, but I'm supposed to see the GP for a check once I finish the meds, and I already have an appt on the books due to my regularly scheduled ones.) I check in with the GP/NP and let them know what's been happening, and they make sure they have the report from the other doctor, and bring my file up to date.

For the first time I actually feel that my MS (and all the issues it entails that bring me to other doctors) is being managed...but not by my neuro but my GP. I like the feeling of staying up to date and at least one doctor knowing what's going on with all the other docs.

As far as addiction, I've heard the issues, but I've taken a benzo my entire MS journey for facial spasms and been at the same dose for 15 years. Am I addicted to it, I don't have a clue, but I know I have to take that medicine in order to move my jaw or open my mouth to eat, so I take it.

Same with the pain meds, without them, I can't communicate for long, it hurts too much to move my tongue/jaw...so I take them, in moderation, under a doctor's supervision. Am I addicted to them? I don't know, all I know is if I don't take them I can't function.

Maybe the fact that I'm older and I've found that I've been able to use these drugs at the same dose for years and not increase the dosage, gives me a laissez faire attitude toward them. But you gotta do what you gotta do to "stay in the game", so to "speak" (pun intended .)

Well sorry for that rant, but when one has legitimate pain that isn't being managed, that's just not acceptable. And it seems in the MS community there are lots in that boat.

[TaoWarrior]

Well sorry for that rant, but when one has legitimate pain that isn't being managed, that's just not acceptable. And it seems in the MS community there are lots in that boat.

Yep it seems like a specialist falls back on MS acts this way I know I am the specialist. Very few seem willing to listen to us as individuals dealing with our own special issues.

GP's seem more willing to listen to us. Glad you found someone to take care of you.

[Justsayyes]

I have hip arthritis and am having a total hip replacement soon. My doctors had no problem prescribing Tramadol, and it does work for pain pretty well. Perhaps not as well as hydrocodone, but it is the go to pain med it seems when they don't want to prescribe a schedule 2.

I also take 300 mg. gabapentin at night and a prescription anti-inflammatory, diclofenac 3 times a day.

My neighbor with a herniated disc is on the same 3 medications. We are both in some serious pain, and it has not been easy to figure out how to best get it under control. Good luck, I think the Tramadol is worth a try while you still have chronic hip pain.

[Marco]

I think I tried every muscle relaxant, pain reliever and anti-spasticity medicine on the market. My spasticity got so bad I spent over 2 years in a wheelchair. Finally, I got to the right doctor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and he diagnosed most of my problems (walking, talking, thinking as extreme spasticity). A few weeks later, after a successful trial, I had a baclofen pump installed. I had previously tried oral baclofen, but it's hard to even suggest oral baclofen and ITP-baclofen are the same medications. I am now out of a wheelchair and on my way back to walking like a normie.

I know many of you are hurting and hurting badly. Never give up, if there is not a current solution to your symptoms science is working on one. Just like MS, they are working on a vaccine, new therapies, etc. Always maintain hope! If you want to know more about my story full, probably too many, details can be found here:
http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=135229

[bbelaine]

Thanks everybody for your input. I saw my neurologist on Thursday and I was given another prescription for amitriptyline to also take in the morning. I did get a prescription for Norco too that I can take as well. I was could I could take them both, so the Norco is being saved for the times when I'm having a bad day, which I'm glad to say, is not every day.

[Dale76]

I have hip arthritis and am having a total hip replacement soon. My doctors had no problem prescribing Tramadol, and it does work for pain pretty well. Perhaps not as well as hydrocodone, but it is the go to pain med it seems when they don't want to prescribe a schedule 2.

I also take 300 mg. gabapentin at night and a prescription anti-inflammatory, diclofenac 3 times a day.

My neighbor with a herniated disc is on the same 3 medications. We are both in some serious pain, and it has not been easy to figure out how to best get it under control. Good luck, I think the Tramadol is worth a try while you still have chronic hip pain.

Personally I think the doctors that think Tramadol is safe should be dragged out back and beaten! It is the worst drug I have ever taken both for side effects and for withdrawal. I promise you if you ever have to go off it it will be the worst 3 weeks of your life.

I took it for 3 years, both the short acting Tremacet version and Zytram which is time release. When I first started I had great results and no side effects. Then the positive results started diminishing, it started wearing off between doses sending me into a horrible zombie like state of tiredness. Doctors answer was a higher dose, he said it was a safe drug and my dose was still low. Each time he upped the dose I got the good results back for a short time. Pretty soon I started having violent stomach problems , puking each morning and twice I got so sick from it I couldn't hold food down and had to be hospitalized with an IV for dehydration.

I quit on my own , I have since quit all my prescriptions and use only MMJ for 4 years now with nothing but positive results.

I urge anyone to stay clear of Tramadol for long term treatment. They say Codeine is so bad and I'm not saying it isn't but I took a very high does of T4's and time release Codeine for over a year and when I quit Cold turkey I had no real withdrawal symptoms???