Since we are now under warning amidst a "siege" of opioids, and many of the elderly live in pain, very dependent on those pain killers, would it not make sense to make exceptions for the elderly? How many seniors expire due to drug overuse or misuse, compared to non-seniors? Frank
I don't know, Frank. I know lots of older folks who are in more or less constant pain, me being one of them. NSAIDS raise your blood pressure, opiates are addictive, muscle relaxants make it harder for old men to pee. Acetaminophen and the "nerve scramblers" such as Gabapentin are acceptable, but don't agree with alcohol. I have found that a shot of whiskey does as much for my pain as anything, but when I have to function--do hazardous work or drive--I still rely on Ibuprofen and hope I don't stroke out. I know in Hospice situations, opiates are given and addiction, if it occurs, is dealt with until the patient dies. I don't think I have ever seen statistics comparing seniors to other age groups as to addiction or overdose deaths. Chronic pain folks have a higher suicide rate from overdose, but that is not exclusively seniors.
Ditto on the don’t know. Joint pain seems to be a willing partner of aging and in my case a definite issue when I’m working out and tearing up muscle fibers too. With the exception of anti inflammatories such as sodium naproxen (aleve) I will not take over the counter meds because they do a number on the liver which is one heavy duty organ that age also effects so I do not play with it. About a year ago, I started having knee pain which was severe enough that at times, I could not walk. I went to my primary doctor and she (nurse practitioner) gave me a script for a minor steroid and another script for 90 hits for the narcotic, hydrocodone whilst also referring me to an orthopedic surgeon who shot me up with cortisone. Wow, hydrocodone, a narcotic with a street value of $10-$15 beans per hit! Notably, I also hate narcotics so I only take one pill just before bed and only if I know that the pain will inhibit the reparative sleep that I need. I do highly value my rest because muscle fiber is torn down during a workout but built during sleep and the same applies to other body functions as well. Also note one item of interest. The VA is extremely hard pressed to hand out prescriptions for ANY kind of Opioid/ Narcotic for any reason due to the number of GI’s and vets who got hooked on the stuff in the past. When I was in a health care program for vets, I had what was left of my teeth pulled out by a civilian contractor. She gave me a prescription for Loertabs (sp) which was replaced with a non narcotic by the VA because the VA would not honor the prescription as it was written. I have no clue as to what the moral of those two stories is other than that there are other types of pain killers out there which are non narcotic and do the job quite well. And, I guess that if someone wanted an opioid, it’s easier to get via a civilian doctor than a military one. Heck, I remember getting Darvon ( almost akin to aspirin) for shrapnel wounds.
For my daily left shoulder pain, which is really a "nagging/achy" type pain. I have some osteoarthritis in the Head of the Humerus - Glenoid Cavity of the shoulder. In 2015 had rotator cuff surgery due to a fall in our parking lot that completely tore a major tendon. Surgery went fine, as did the rehab, but a couple of months after the rehab, this pain crept in. MRI showed the osteoarthritis in the humerus/cavity of the shoulder. In late 2015, my VA doctor prescribed 800mg ibuprofen for me and 50mg Tramadol. Tramadol to be taken once every-other day, if needed and most of those "every-other" days I do it. As for the ibuprofen, I take one, sometimes two, on a daily basis. I now also take Turmeric and have Hemp Balm that both wife and I use. I don't like pain, even if it is the "nagging/achy" type, so I take what I have for it. I was told that the Tramadol I take isn't powerful enough, nor do I take enough, to get me addicted. The ibuprofen does take the pain away and there are lots and lots of Seniors that do take ibuprofen for pain. Warnings are one thing, using something, like ibuprofen, to get rid of pain, even temporarily, is another. .
Good questions. It's also quality of life. I have had patients with severe arthritis on high ongoing doses of prednisone. They knew this drug would shorten their life but it did add quality for the time they had. Some people are completely psychologically addicted. When you give someone a pain med and the first thing they say is "when can I have my next one" that's a problem. Yet these people are grouped in the same category as those trying to take as little pain medication as possible. Yet really do need pan medication.
I guess the folks with joint pain could try chondroitin and glucosamine, or SAMe, MSM or other sources of sulfur along with turmeric. My wife has joint pain and claims the glucosamine and chondroitin help her a lot when she takes the liquid form. The tablets don't seem to work for her. She had carpal tunnel syndrome when we had goats and she was milking, and it seemed to help the inflammation associated with that as well. I guess we have to muddle through, take what helps and assume the risks as needed.
@Cody Fousnaugh Tramadol is, by the way, an opiate also. I've wondered if it might help me, but looks like a prescription is unlikely. Frank
I have some MSM powder, and I take that if i have bad hip, back , or knee pain. Most of the time, I am proactive, and try to avoid it by not eating the inflammatory foods that cause the pain of inflammation; but sometimes, I either eat those kinds of foods anyway, or the weather seems to make a difference as well. I like the MSM powder because I can add it to some kind of juice (usually lemonade) and drink it, and it seems to work better that way than to take one of the tablets. I also use DMSO, which has a similar sulfur-ingredient , and is what MSM is made from. The DMSO is topical, so between that and the MSM, it usually helps me to deal with the joint pain when I have problems with it.
The only caution I would have for DMSO is that it is a strong solvent and is sometimes used to administer transdermal medications in animals. You have to make sure that the DMSO is very pure, as it tends to carry anything that is dissolved in it right through your skin. It does reduce inflammation and pain though.
This is an important point, too, @Don Alaska , and before I use DMSO, I always take a good shower or at least wash the area where I am putting the DMSO to make sure that the skin is clean and doesn’t have anything on it because the DMSO is a solvent and will carry it right into your skin. That being said, it also makes the DMSO perfect for using in conjunction with creams and gels that are for muscle aches and pains, because it helps the active ingredients to penetrate deep into your muscles. It used to be that the only place that I could buy DMSO was at the feed store, as a horse liniment, but now I usually order mine from Amazon. I have used DMSO for almost 30 years now (as needed), and have never had any bad effects from using it.
@Yvonne Smith Would you say maybe I ought to try it? Relieves pain without other dissolved in gredient? Frank
It has certainly worked for me, @Frank Sanoica ! Since it is a solvent, it is important to be sure the area where you are using it is clean, because it will take in any substance you have on your skin. Also, try just a little at first, and not in a sensitive area, to see how it reacts with you. Never rub it in ! It will penetrate all on its own, and it only takes a little bit. Also, it warms up the skin, so do not put it on and then cover it up, it needs to air dry. You might want to start with one of the creams that have DMSO, because they do not have as much concentration, and once you know your skin is not sensitive to it, you can use it full strength, or diluted in a spray bottle. We have several threads here that DMSO has been mentioned, if you do a search for them. DMSO is actually used for a lot of medical treatment, including brain injuries and strokes, and you can read a lot about its uses online. Here is one website that will give you an overview of some of the uses for DMSO. http://www.jacoblab.com/Studies.htm http://health-matrix.net/2011/03/15/dmso-the-real-miracle-solution/
Yep , like Yvonne says, it is good for pain and also works as an anti-inflammatory. I believe it was first used on horses to treat tendonitis, and for a while was discouraged from human use because of its tendency to carry things through the skin. There was also a less-than-pure DMSO marketed. I don't recall the contaminant, but it cause some bad side effects. I haven't heard of any contaminated stuff lately, but I am not around it anymore either. I would still be cautious with all the stuff that comes out of China (sometimes via Mexico). If you get it from a reputable source, either veterinary or medical, it should be fine. We used it on our livestock for inflammation and my wife used it on her achy hands once in a while as well.