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I am having a few particularly bad days. the hip itself has been very painful, and my primary dr. (she's actually a PA) has said that I cannot get any more Norco than I'm already getting. She gave me a refill for 60 pills, which is 2 a day. She also said "and these HAVE to last you a full month!" The last scrip was over a month old, so I don't know what she's thinking, but 2 a day is nothing. I've decided to switch dr's, but that will take some time and research. This woman I'm seeing now just seems to either be afraid to prescribe pain meds or she thinks I'm abusing them. Is taking 2 Norco a day abuse???? And, she won't do any refills on the prescript. so I have to call every month, and drive down to the office (20 miles one way) to get the scrip, then take it to my local pharmacy to get it filled. I asked about at least getting 2 months worth, but no way. I've been experiencing horrible depression too, so sick of being in pain and not able to do anything. My life revolves around the couch and my bed, and I have HAD IT. August can't come soon enough. Sorry if it sounds like I'm whining, but I guess I am. I wanted to write it all down here, because a lot of you can understand what I'm going through. My poor husband tries so hard to keep me positive, and I try to hide the depression from him, as I know it worries him when I'm so down in the dumps. Thanks for reading and prayers would be appreciated. Thanks guys. I'm so happy I found this site.
 
Jojool, I wonder why they are being so weird with the Norco, that's what I took right up to my first surgery. Maybe you need to call the doctor's office and talk to her and ask her why can't you have more and what else can you take if not that. Let her know how much pain you're in, I don't think they understand after all she probably has never had a joint go bad. Unfortunately depression and blue days are part of it. I would feel pretty good in the morning, go to work, work all day and when I would walk out to my car the pain would kick in. I would fight my body to get into the car which would be a painful fight and from there on I would be able to cry the whole way home. I didn't think I would ever be able to take it until surgery either. But the count down starts once you have your surgery date, and you will cope and be so glad when that day finally comes. No one in my family understood the pain I was in. I would try to put on a brave face to everyone and so they probably didn't know what I was going through. Are you able to get outside and enjoy warm weather? Or go out somewhere in the evenings with your husband? Even for just a car ride, something to get you out of the house for a while. Also have you tried ice on the hip that's hurting? Continue to post to let us know how you're doing, everyone here supports you and will give you ideas and advice.
 
Oh Jojool, I feel for you. You are in so much pain, its awful. I hope you are able to get more pain relief than you have currently. Thinking of you and sending you some cyber flowers. :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile:
 
Jojool, I ended up going to see a pain management doctor. You need to see someone who understands about chronic pain. Everyone is different, but I was on a pain patch, tramadol slow release plus another pill which targeted nerve pain in the joint. I wasn't pain free, but I could at least get out of bed and go to work each day. I hope you get some relief soon.
 
Jojool, Sorry to hear your doctor is not supporting you as they should. You wont get rid of the pain completely no matter what you do but there are different combinations that do get the pain bearable. I suggest speaking to the doctor again and emphasise the pain is not managed with what they are giving you. We all know the merry go round of trying different meds till we find what works for us. Fingers crossed they actually listen to you and try something else.
Barbara
 
I don't expect to be pain free with the meds, but managed pain is better than the pain I'm having right now. I've been to this particular dr. at least 4 times in the past few months, to discuss pain management and she just doesn't get it. Or, maybe I'm just too wimpy and need to suck it up. ??? :boohoo:

sandybeach I am able to get out with my hubby. We recently bought a side by side Polaris Ranger, and we go for rides in the desert when we can. It doesn't hurt my hip unless we hit hard bumps, but the hubby is a very good driver and keeps those to a minimum. It helps a ton when I can get outside and soak up some sun. :flwrysmile:
 
You are not whining. I feel your pain, and am going through terrible pain too. Narcotics can only be prescribed one month at a time, and the script has to be given in person. It is by law, because there is so much abuse. I haven't found anything to help bone on bone pain along with the nerve pain. I take one Vicodin and one Tramadol at night. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I have to take another. Four more days and I will be free of this pain and rejoicing in recovery. Hang in there and know that you are not alone. I have been waiting for my date for six months, and finally my day is approaching :)
 
Jojool, No way should you suck it up.:shocked: Your doctor is either a sadist or an idiot. I just wish they could experience the pain for a few minutes and they would be treating you better. I am with a doctors practice that has several doctors so I can see any one of them. Are you restricted to the doctor you have?
Barbara
 
Jojool, like what was said by others, you won't be pain free until the surgery but it should be managed better. You do need to talk with your doctor and emphasis your level of pain with her. It's hard when you hurt so bad and then have to deal being your own advocate at the same time. Maybe I was lucky because my doctors kept asking me if the pain med's were working and if I felt I needed anything else. Are you able to talk with Dr. Chow? Maybe he would give you better management for pain. He specializes in hip replacements....I would call his office and talk with his assistant. In the meantime it's good therapy for you to continue to take those rides with your husband. I continued working up to my surgery, for me that was good to get out of the house but that also limited my pain control too, can't drive while on the hard drugs.
 
I'm not limited to seeing this practitioner, so have made an appt. with another. I'm hoping that he will understand the pain levels more than the one I'm seeing now. I've heard some things about my PA that I don't like...so I guess it's time to move on. As far as Dr. Chow, he told me I need to see my regular Dr. for pain management before the surgery, and that after surgery he will be in charge for 3 months. All the abuse has hurt the rest of us that need the pain meds!!! I understand the need for regulating the drugs, but having to pick up a scrip every month from my dr is a pain in the butt!! (literally and figuratively!)

Tell me a little about tramadol. Should I ask this new Dr. about it? What is it for, and how different is it from the Norco? I've not heard of it before this website.
 
Jojool, I couldnt take tramadol it made me feel sick and did nothing for the pain. Other people swear by it. There are lots of different medications out there. Some work better together.I will tag Josephine. Its late in UK so it might be a while till she sees it ,but she will be able to suggest what to ask your doctor to try. I am pleased you are going to see another doctor. Hopefully this one will listen and get the pain better managed. Best of luck
Barbara
 
Jojool said:
I don't expect to be pain free with the meds, but managed pain is better than the pain I'm having right now.
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Jo, you have to understand this one immutable fact - there is not a pain killer yet invent that will 'manage' bone-on-bone pain. Best you can hope for us that it will take the edge off it but even that is chasing the wind. Any person who comes up with such a drug will be very, very rich overnight!

I have read this thread from first to last post and I don't see any mention of a date for your surgery. Do you have one yet? For the simple fact is - as if yoy didn't know it! - that you need a new hip and that's the only thing is going to sort out your pain. Sorry, but I hate to see you chasing round doctors and expecting them to do something when they just simply can't.
 
Josephine I don't have a surgery date yet. They are supposed to be calling within a few weeks with the date. I was told that they are scheduling surgeries for August so I assume I will have an August date.

I understand that nothing will get rid of the pain. I have had major back issues for years (broke it about 10 years ago) so I know what it's like to live with pain. What I was looking for from the Dr's is something to take that edge off. Norco no longer works, even to take a little of the pain away. I guess I DO need to just suck it up. :shrug:
 
I know - it's really rotten, isn't it? I watched my sister go through years of this pain; first one knee, then the other, then one hip, then the other. As soon as she got one joint sorted, another one went out and she spent years on ever increasing amounts of every kind of med you can think of. All it ever did was to make it impossible for the meds to work after the surgeries. Opioids: chronic opioid use prior to total knee arthroplasty. I don't have any answers but I would hate to see anyone end up like that she was.
 
Jojool, I want to echo what Josephine said. My husband just had his second laminectomy and fusion (back surgery). Before the first one, he was on a very high dose of Percocet for several months, and the pain after surgery was unbearable and unmanageable. This time, he didn't wait. He had been taking a lower dose of Percocet only for about a week, and is having a much easier time managing the postop pain. I hope you can have your surgery soon. Also, I took tramodol and I can only speak for myself, but I didn't think it was great at pain control (I got the most relief from 1000 mg of acetaminophen combined with 400-600 mg of ibuprofen). It does make you feel good--it works on the serotonin in the brain, and can be hard to stop. I hope you get your date soon. And ask them to call you if there are any earlier cancellations--I did that and my May date was changed to February. All the best.
 
Update: I have stopped taking the Norco, for fear of the after-affects of surgery and opiate use. The pain is excruciating at times, and other times it's not that bad. I am taking Ibuprofen 800 and Tylenol 1000 every 8 hours, and that seems to take a bit of the edge off. My problem is, my world is shrinking.:sorry: I feel like my life is confined to either the couch or my bed. I've gotten to the point that even going outside is painful, so I tend to stay indoors. (which isn't a bad thing when you're dealing with 100*+ outdoor temps!). But even when my husband wants to go out to dinner, or go shopping, or leave the house, I start having panic attacks because I know what pain I am about to endure. I feel like I'm a shut-in. My husband goes to work every day, and I sit here bored out of my mind, in tears, :boohoo: just waiting for him to come home. I count the hours. The only company I have are my dogs, :puppysmooze: which without them I'd be in the loony bin. Sorry for whining again, but I know a lot of you know what I am going through. Thanks for listening. :friends:
 
Jojool, sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. I know what you are going through. The month before surgery I had to take sick leave, I just couldn't bear the pain any more. Is there any way you can get scheduled sooner?
Feel free to vent on here we know what its like. Having pets around does help. They cant talk but they seem to understand when you feel bad.
Sending big hugs Barbara
 
Jojool, I am so sorry for the pain you're having, but I have to tell you that your post was just what I needed to hear today. I too have been feeling like my world is shrinking. Every trip to town or activity I want to do has to be measured against how much pain I will be in during and afterwards. I was feeling terribly guilty this morning for not being able to do some of the things that need doing around here. Your post reminded me that it's ok to let others take over some of my jobs and that I am not alone in my situation. Hope you feel a little better today!
 
I don't have a date yet. I called a little while ago, got voicemail. :( I'll keep bugging them though.
 
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