I met briefly with a pain psych but found out she was not willing to work with me if I was also working with my trauma therapist (totally different, so WTF), but she told me I was probably on the wrong meds (primarily tramadol at the time). I did my own research. A physical medicine doc gave me some more info about my possible pain issues and referred me to a different PT (again, not extremely helpful or a fix-all). I asked him about gabapentin and he said, "Oh yeah, that would be a good one for you to try" and whipped out an Rx. Now my regular GP continues to prescribe. I also asked her for other options for muscle relaxants when flexeril quit working for me (unfortunately and seemed random, but I think it was related to some hormonal change). She knows I'm serious about managing pain without contributing to some kind of addiction, and also managing on minimal meds and side effects all together. So she's great about responding if I need to message her and ask for something different. I don't need to go in for appointments.
Now I'm on a little cocktail. I hate that I have several prescriptions and never imagined I'd be like that (the lady with a whole bunch of prescriptions) but it's actually a lot better for me. Just tramadol, for example, is a losing option. It helps not at all with the source of pain, just numbs you out and further distances you from your body, and if used daily over long periods there is no option but to increase dosage for it to be effective. Same with all other pain killers. But it's great on a particularly shitty day that I can take 1-3. I'm on a small dose of everything I take and I wax and wane the little doses...like 1 tramadol today, 3 baclofen, and 5 gabapentin. I also take turmeric capsules...anti-inflammatory, not sure it works, but doesn't hurt.
As for anti-inflammatory, generally breads and sugars will f*ck me up...if in pain, that kind of food makes it all worse. Just research anti-inflammatory diet or foods. You'll see lists pop up instantly. And lots of good foods, though if you love things like donuts and cookies...:(. I eat shit food once in a while, like a candy bar, if I'm having an okay day...won't mess me up really. But generally I eat low-inflammatory foods and am extra careful when pain is flaring up. There are also foods that can naturally help, like turmeric, cinnamon, ginger. I have had some painful hormone imbalance issues too (biopsy okay but it wasn't all normal in there! :grumpy:)...hormone-balancing foods and low-inflammatory have seemed to help overtime (lots of coconut oil, licorice root...add to anything slightly sweet, smoothies, etc). Diet is major. With chronic pain, it can't really be neglected, but it's sucks that doctors are so often in the role of just writing prescriptions. Probably few people want to be told to look at what they eat. Anyway, it also doesn't cure my pain but I have noticed a connection. I have fewer pain meltdowns because the pain does not get so out of control anymore. The combination of small doses of a few meds, including the non-addictive and mild anti-convulsants, along with listening to my body better (sometimes I need a walk, sometimes stretching, sometimes laying down, etc), and cleaner and less inflammatory foods all help...all that stuff together. And it's sort of habit now. I'm pissed off I haven't rid myself of pain :devilish::cry: but also much less insane over it because it's just not so intense anymore and I manage quite a bit better.
Advocate for yourself. Find a doctor who understands pain or will at least listen well and be willing to let you try safer alternatives. Have you tried amitriptyline? Oddly it kept me awake, but that's helpful for chronic pain for some people. Basically, there are many options beyond tramadol and oxy and you are wise to be considering them. If you've been on opiates for even just a month, you will have to taper down. Doesn't mean you're a drug addict, but our bodies do become dependent to that shit quickly.
