Can anyone tell me if the meds work for the pain I am really in pain and find it hard to get down on my knees at the moment. I am due to see specialist next week but need to know if these drugs work and that I can start to enjoy life again and look after my family.

It really is a personal choice. 11 years ago, I shattered my back. When I was in rehab for that, I had a doctor that would not give me pain medicine. I thank god he didn't, even though I was in horrible pain. What I discovered is that narcotics stop my back pain for only a few hours, but then they make my head explode into a horrible migraine. What has really helped me is staying active. If I move, my back feels so much better. When my back and other joints are bad, I use pain patches (which are just NSAID pain patches), heat, and ice. It really helps alot.

But for some people, that just isn't enough. If narcotics help you live a semi-normal and relatively pain free live, then do it, and don't let anyone discourage you. You have to do what you have to do to feel normal.

good luck to you.

As others have previously stated, it very much is a personal choice that should be made after discussion with your doctor. Only you and your doctor know every little detail about your condition. Assumingly, we all have arthritis here on this forum but, there are many forms and varying amounts of pain/inflammation. Prior to last year, I only took ibuprofen for my pain. I tried various prescription anti-inflammatories but only OTC ibuprofen did not cause any stomach discomfort. I have OA in my knees, elbows, right shoulder, and both wrists. I am 33 years old. Recently, after a diagnostic arthroscopy of my right knee, it was discovered the OA destroyed it to the point where I should get a TKR but, because of my age, my doctor wants to try a type of Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation to postpone a TKR as long as possible. Basically, he is going to reconstruct all the cartilage in my knee using a deceased donor's tissue. I am currently waiting for the donor (how morbid) and in the process of quitting smoking as I must be smoke free at the time of surgery for at least 10 days. Anyhow, last year the pain got to a point where I needed more than ibuprofen to lead an even semi-normal life. I was prescribed tramadol (50mg) a few times a day, final dosage being four 50mg tabs a day. I didn't like this medication because getting off it was pretty awful but it did help for the pain for almost that entire period - it wasn't until the end that it wasn't working effectively...when I was referred to this surgeon. Anyhow, I digress. Because the surgery in August didn't really "fix" anything and, actually, increased the pain...I have been taking hydrocodone (Norco) since the surgery. I take one 5mg tablet 4 times per day. Sometimes in the evening I take two 5mg tablets on my 2nd to last or last dose...it just depends. Per my doctor, I also take ibuprofen for two of my daily doses. It is likely I will need to continue on this medication regimen until the next surgery and I am okay with that. I am finally able to kind of do things I used to although I did have to make some changes. I don't get dressed upstairs anymore. I keep my wardrobe in one of my daughter's closets on the first floor so I am minimizing using stairs. I no longer walk long distances unless I absolutely have to. I brace my knees when I have no other choice and make sure I carve some time out to rest and ice them later. I cook less (which sucks) because standing for more than 5 minutes is difficult. I've just had to do what I can to remain as comfortable as possible.

I take a medication that does not 100% take my pain away by choice because I want to feel when I am overdoing it. Otherwise, I am one of those go-go-go people that would end up making things worse. I take enough to take the edge off my pain and, when pain increases significantly, I know to slow down. But, that obviously won't work for everyone's situation...that's just mine.

Good luck with whatever you've decided...I know how great it feels to FINALLY feel semi-human. It really is an amazing feeling.

~Michelle

I have been on Celebrex for joint pain also Plaquiniel for stiffness. When it is worse I take Tylenol Arthritis with it. This week, I had some oral surgery. He gave me 20 Hydrocodone tablets. I only took two. He told me to take one before the feeling came back so I took one on the way home. And I took one at bedtime because I didn't want to wake up in pain. But the amazing thing that I noticed was that I could sit on the couch and get up and walk without my feet being so stiff and I could stand up straight and it didn't hurt. I also got up in the middle of the night and the next morning without the pain and stiffness. I can certainly see why my Mom took them daily. I don't think she could have functioned without them. I chose to put them away after taking the two. After all they were for my mouth, not my joints. But I'm hanging on to them in case I have a really bad spell. The last time I went to the doctor, he offered to give me something for pain but after having a mother who took them regularly plus a lot of other meds, I just want to hold out as long as possible. I'm not sure what my doctor wanted to give me. I should have let him explain. Now I'm sort of wondering what it was. I just didn't want a narcotic. My mom had been on them so long that she had gradually gone up to the highest mg. that the doctor was willing to prescribe. So he sent her to a pain clinic. They prescribed morphine and she died within two weeks. Her kidneys weren't well enough to handle it . So please make sure if you go to a pain clinic that you make sure that they really know what they are doing. I told them that my Mom's kidney function wasn't good and I feel like he didn't check her history enough before they prescribed the morphine. I so wish I had never taken her. But she had such high hopes that they could help her.

I have taken meds all my life for Epilepsy, born with Epilepsy. Have taken meds for other health issues also. Physical dependancy on meds does not bother me at all. The rule of thumb I tend to adhere to is that ANY med that is of a group of meds that is "ANTIwhatever is not a med to go off of cold turkey., unless the doctor is replacing it with another medication of the same family for medical reasons. So after 59 years almost of taking meds I say go for it! You can ask your pharmacist about side effects so as to recognise possible problems. But there is no such thing as a side effect that effects ALL consumers of a given medication. I was just diagnosed with OA yesterday morning(Saturday) Talk of possible medication down the road was discussed by ny GP. But if I need it I'll go for it also. So you relax and enjoy being 99% painfree and enjoy what life has to offer you! I'm astonished that there are so many doctors who don't prescribe meds for pain of OA!

jewl12, Don't blame yourself for your Mom's death. There are doctors who have a problem with their own egos when it comes to listening to those with the patient or the patient. I experienced it at both sides of that coin. Something about patients or those accompanying patients who ask questions that the average person would not ask frightens some doctors....makes them feel insecure. But furthermore there is always risk with surgery. That is not for you to discern. But up to your Mom and the doctor(s). You did everything right. Don't drown yourself in blame for doing everything right. I'm sorry for the loss of your mom, and I really mean that.

Hello, akacountrygirl! I would not worry too much about becoming physically dependent on the medication. I have been taking optiates for nearly 14 years and am not addicted. I just hate not having them when I run out because I know how bad the pain can get. I keep a separate pill bottle which has the correct label on it by my bed with the exact daily dosage in it so I know I won't exceed the amount I take each day. I have good days and bad days, so sometimes I need less than prescribed; and then some days (especially when I have to do a lot of chores) the pain is worse and I have to take one extra that day. However, I am very diligent about taking my medications properly so I don't run out.

I have done some research and know the symptoms of withdrawal from opiates. They sound awful and have been compared to an alcoholic who quits drinking abruptly: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hot/cold sweats... That's how I know I am not addicted to the pain medication because I have run out before and did not have any of these symptoms. I was just in excruciating pain and confined to bed.

Some of my doctors wanted to give me trigger-point injections but everyone I have talked to said that they really don't last very long, and they are very expensive. Osteoarthritis in my case is inoperable so I have very little choice. I've tried all of the OTC pain relievers, including creams and patches, and none of them work for me.

I am also very careful about taking too much acetiminophen (Tylenol) because of the danger it may cause to the liver. It can actually give you Cirrohsis of the liver like an alcoholic. Naproxin (Aleve) can cause bleeding ulcers and other side effects.

So in my opinion, there are terrible risks of bad side effects in taking almost all medications, so I would rather stick with the one that actually does what I need it to do...eliminate my pain.

Put your mind at ease, and enjoy your life! The longer you can walk and exercise, the better your general health will be. Worry only gives you anxiety, and you don't want to add another pill to the ones you already take on a daily basis. Be happy & have fun living pain-free!

My doctor finally gave me neurontin for pain....I take it 3 times a day and have noticed a big difference. If your doctor suggests it try it. I know of a lot of other folks who say it worked for them too.