There are plenty of pain meds at the hospital, that's were the best ones are! Judy

Not only is that where the best ones are...but they know which ones work best for your pain!

There is a llong acting oxycodone called oxycontin, it's prescribed every 12 hours but actually works for about 8- they usually put you on a break through med as well. As with all narcotic pain meds, there is addiction/dependency so they monitor them carefully. Good luck to you. Lyn

Before being dx i used to pop the ibuprofen like tic tacs. Perhaps you need another med. You need to get the inflammation down. There are plenty out here that will work for you. Predisone works for me and can you belive it: aspirin. I thought yea right! Be strong. You can do it. My prayers are with you

A combination of oxycodone, orphenadrine (muscle relaxer) and tylenol are mine. My doctor diagnosed me with chronic pain, so I just call when my oxycodone runs low and get another prescription. I have tried days of not taking. I can be closer to normal with the combination, so why suffer when we don't have to. Good luck.

I went through the narcotic chain starting with Tyl. with Codeine ,to Vicodin, to Oxycontin, to Duragesic, and ow I am on Kadian, a long acting Morphine.(over several years) It is a known fact that narcotics will stop working after awhile(tolerance). If your doctor is a good one, you should be able to tell them when you think you are not getting relief anymore. Then it is time to go one stronger. With each stronger narcotic, there are more side effects:Constipation, lethargy, dizziness etc... so you will have to monitor your reaction to them. Have you tried alternative medicine? Acupuncture helps me greatly as a supplement to the Morphine. Also Enbrel shots have relieved the joint pain. How about an anti-inflammatory like Celebrex? I take these in addition to my pain med.Sometimes just one thing isn't enough. Also, for me, when I am in a flare, there is nothing better than a Prednisone Dose pack. It whips me back into shape! Good Luck and keep open ,honest conversations going with your doctor. And frankly do not be afraid of drug dependance because studies show that people who take narcotics for chronic pain do not have the addiction issues, in fact they improved their quality of life and enabled them to lead as close to normal lives as they can. :) C

Can anyone tell me what tests are normally done when you are first diagnosed? I'm only taking celebrex for inflammation and the docs think I am SLE drug induced so they don't seem to be treating me and it is driving me crazy. Does lupus affect you normal blood work or are there different tests that should be run?