Back problems, here is a solution for you.

[Silent Bob]

Okay I am a big advocate for water hydration, ice and warm heating pads for back pains. Alternative ideas are drugs such as Motrin and Naproxen for OTC pain management. I've got tons of hydrocodone and other drugs prescribed to me over the years, but shy away from them for one reason or another. In the hydrocodone case, it dries me out and then I wind up causing more problems with my back with constipation. So as a pain management idea, I also use TEMS with a heat/ice pack afterwards.

Here is a video that offers such ideas.

 

[Gazrok]

My wife tried the TEMS, but has to rely on the hydrocodone to be functional each day...though she takes less than she's prescribed. This will be a big challenge come SHTF, but my only solution so far would be to grow poppies for opiates (after SHTF of course).

 

[hlrive]

I have a very bad back. I am suppose to be taking all kinds of medicines for the pain. However I do not want to take anything that I will get addicted to. I also told the doctor that I didn't want to be out of control. They gave me a morphine patch to use. I gave up on it very fast once I realized how drunk I felt. I have learned on my own how to deal with the pain. I block it in my mind all the time. I don't care how much pain I am in it could always be worse. I have my days when my husband has to help me out of the bed in the mornings and I groan a bit. However if I let my guard down I would be screaming in pain. However I have learned to live with it.

When I get to the point to where I can't handle it, that is when someone can shoot me.

 

[Gazrok]

Hydrocodone seems to work well for my wife. The trick is to stay hydrated, and drink a lot of water. She has fibro, and 8 bulged discs, so is in constant pain without medication. I get it, as I have sciatica, though I only take medication when it is really bad. Mostly, more like the above poster who blocks it out mentally. I never got why Hydrocodone got such a bad rap. All it does for me, is take away the pain (completely), and without any other side effect (at least for me). I only take it about 4-8 times a month, when it is really, really bad.

 

[hlrive]

The doctor asked me once on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being worst pain ever where was my back pain at. I told him about 15. I had gallbladder and that was bad, I had to have my appendix out and that was bad, and I have had 3 major heart attacks. I could handle the pain of all of it way more then this. Even giving birth to all 3 of my kids with no pain medicines, and the nurse was in shock because I didn't even scream. I told her I never do that. However when it feels like someone is stabbing you in the back and you can feel it from the middle of your back clear to your toes, that is sheer pain that most of us can't handle. I have days when even my pelvic bone hurts, and believe me that is the worst pain possible. However on days when that happens, my feet and legs go numb and then I have a hard time walking. But mentally blocking it out to me is for the best. Being on pain meds is only a temporary fix, and sooner or later the meds wear off.

 

[Silent Bob]

Colace or stool softener is a must when taking Hydrocodone, it literally dries out the colon. As Gazrok stated lots of water, or might I suggest a little Gatorade with Polyethylene glycol 3350 NF, Powder for Oral Solution mixture. The Gatorade makes it taste better.

If you go it alone, you will begin to have mild abdominal cramping and eventually an intense lower lumbar back ache as you stools begin to be rock hard. Solution outside of the mixture/stool softener is to use a good dose of suppositories or a stool clean kit (AKA bottle).

 

[Gazrok]

For the water, she typically uses MiO for flavor, or products like it.

 

[pooky2483]

Silent Bob, you mention Naproxen in your first post, you mention getting it as OTC medication. Are you saying you can go into a pharmacy (we also call them a 'chemist' here) and just ask for it?
I ask because we can only get them if our doctor has prescribed them for us as it's a Prescription Only Medicine (POM).
I know as I am on them for a trapped nerve. I also take Tramadol, which is a POM too and has only recently become a controlled drug, like Morphine (which my wife is on)

 

[Gazrok]

Naproxen Sodium is OTC here, (usually brand name Aleve, but available unbranded too). I pick mine up at the Dollar Tree for a buck, but about 40 pills. NSAID pain reliever. Ibuprofen is a good one to use though too, for pain, as it is gentler on the stomach, if it will do the job. Like the other, I get it (and other meds) usually at the dollar store, as I can stock up for next to nothing.

 

[hlrive]

Yes I buy my medicines at the dollar store. I always buy the cheaper Tylenol at dollar tree, and then open them and put them all in a bigger bottle. Same thing goes for cold medicines. I can get plenty there for $1 and works just as good as the name brands.

My back messed up on me last Friday and a nice hot bath seemed to help loads. It still hurts a little but I found myself lifting and tugging today on things without sheer pain. Saturday I almost passed out the pain was so bad. Luckily today was a pretty good day. I might be able to get a few things done if it stays like it was today. At least hubby didn't have to help me out of the bed.

 

[pooky2483]

I wish either of us could go a day without our pain meds as when we do, we really know about it. We have recently moved into a housing assoc bungalow and sadly it doesn’t have a bath, only a shower :-(

 

[hlrive]

I wish either of us could go a day without our pain meds as when we do, we really know about it. We have recently moved into a housing assoc bungalow and sadly it doesn’t have a bath, only a shower :-(

That isn't good at all. I have tried using the shower it helps a little but not much. To me getting in a hot bath really works, and I always do my hot baths as hot as I can stand it. I still try and walk daily around the yard if I didn't do that I would be having more issues with my back. It is mostly if I lift things when it really starts hurting. A good friend of mine told me to lay with my back flat on the floor for 30 minutes each day the first time I did that I gave up I was stuck in that position for the whole day until hubby came home.

 

[pooky2483]

Many years ago I injured my back by flying over the handlebars of my bike and landing on my ass.
I first hit the ground with my elbow then ass then back, which I was wearing a small backpack with my workboots in, which gave me whiplash.
Well, anyway, a guy at the place where I worked back then recommended a 50/50 mix of methylated spirits and some oil, the name of which I can't remember (from a chemist)
I tried it and within a week, I could feel a huge improvement.

 

[hlrive]

I went to a pain management doctor, and I got tired of him injecting stuff around my spine every 2 weeks. So then he said he was going to start doing an eppi, and I said heck no. I don't want anything like that. I have even had morphine patches the best way I can get rid of this back issue is forcing myself not to feel it. They said my back issue happened due to my ex kicking me in the spine so many times. Nothing at all they can do to fix it either.

 

[DrHenley]

Shiatsu massaging backrest and glucosamine/chondroitin pills.

 

[hlrive]

Shiatsu massaging backrest and glucosamine/chondroitin pills.

Hubby is taking the Glucosamine for his knees. His knees bother him a lot where he has to bend so much doing roof work. It seems to be working for him. But the pills are so huge I could never get one of those down.

 

[Gazrok]

I went to a pain management doctor, and I got tired of him injecting stuff around my spine every 2 weeks. So then he said he was going to start doing an eppi, and I said heck no. I don't want anything like that. I have even had morphine patches the best way I can get rid of this back issue is forcing myself not to feel it. They said my back issue happened due to my ex kicking me in the spine so many times. Nothing at all they can do to fix it either.

Surprised they don't have you on hydrocodone. Sounds similar to my wife's issues. She needs it to function, basically, but no real bad effect from it. And I seriously don't get people who take it for anything but pain. I've taken a half a one before, with like a bad toothache, and all it does is knock out the pain. Nothing else. Damn good stuff, as it simply does exactly what is needed. I keep some in my GHB, just in case.

Post SHTF, guess I'll have to go with trial and error opium (i.e. poppies).

 

[Silent Bob]

Silent Bob, you mention Naproxen in your first post, you mention getting it as OTC medication. Are you saying you can go into a pharmacy (we also call them a 'chemist' here) and just ask for it?
I ask because we can only get them if our doctor has prescribed them for us as it's a Prescription Only Medicine (POM).
I know as I am on them for a trapped nerve. I also take Tramadol, which is a POM too and has only recently become a controlled drug, like Morphine (which my wife is on)

Pooky,

Having been stationed in East Anglia, I know that maybe it might be a bit hard to find in the local chemist, but I know that the larger cities, not to mention London offer the OTC brand...it either comes under the title, Anaprox, Naprosyn or Naprellan, the milligram size varies from each manufacturer, but I'd go for the 500mg, based on your comments.

Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory medication and also can be used to as a fever reducer. I'd also say that you can use this medication for rheumatoid arthritis and treatment for menstrual pain and gout. In the military, I use to stuff several packages of them in my troops Individual Medical kits and issued at least 3 packages of them to each member prior to a flight, not to mention a host of other medications when we left on deployments.

I did a quick search of the UK Chemist companies and their are many companies you can simply purchase online. Hope this helps.

Sorry for answering late, but I've been dealing with walking pneumonia and been dosed with some very good antibiotics/steroid therapy, while trying not to be admitted by my provider. Yes, medical folks really make the worst patients....and I am the worse!

 

[hlrive]

Surprised they don't have you on hydrocodone. Sounds similar to my wife's issues. She needs it to function, basically, but no real bad effect from it. And I seriously don't get people who take it for anything but pain. I've taken a half a one before, with like a bad toothache, and all it does is knock out the pain. Nothing else. Damn good stuff, as it simply does exactly what is needed. I keep some in my GHB, just in case.

Post SHTF, guess I'll have to go with trial and error opium (i.e. poppies).

I had hydrocodone before many years ago. However if I can hack it I would rather go with nothing. This last time though when I messed my back up the pain was worse then I have felt it in years. Lucky for me the hot bath worked. Had it not of worked then I would have been back at the pain management doctor. I can't stand that man. He kept giving me Ibuprofen 5000 mg. And after a year I was at the regular doctor and they said my liver was messed up. It was from taking all the Ibuprofen for a year. Once off that my liver started healing. But they said any doctor knows you don't take that daily for a year. I guess he didn't get the memo.

 

[pooky2483]

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, my wife also has 2, yes TWO frozen shoulders. She had a steroid injection in one of them just over a year ago and that has now worn off and she is in such pain and is going to ask for one in each shoulder this time.
I am also looking at natural remedies/cures but I find it quite difficult to comprehend a natural cure/remedy for a trapped nerve!

 

[Gazrok]

My wife swears by this stuff. We tried it one time, at the Florida State Fair, mostly as a lark, but it worked really really well for her.

http://www.floridasbest.com/product/apr-arthritis-pain-relief-16oz/