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bad backs and the weather.......

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
I know exactly what you mean Hank, I'm narcotic sensitive and so I have to take Compazine (an anti nausea drug) to take my prescribed opiates in hopes of not puking, more often then not I hurl anyway. lucky me.

Narcotic sensitive with oxycodone when I took it. My feet and ankles puffed up like elephant stumps, severe constipation, itching and totally killed a good sex drive. Did little for pain and all it really did was give me a rush for an hour or so. No, not worth it to me!
 

Hank Hemp

Active member
Veteran
That's Y

That's Y

double spinal fusion and laminectomy here, followed by further damage to the vertebrae above the fusion. . i too can have had an abundance of opiates, have been down that road its not pretty.
sad to say my govt prefers us on opiates rather than thc.

That's why I don't get fused. Afraid the ones above and below will go out. Then what more fusion? :ying:
 

gobbler3447

Active member
Just wondering, how many of you guys, were student athletes, can any of your pains be traced to injuries or stress from sports. Look I've had my share of probs but no joint probes only genetic probes, a liver transplant 13 years ago. Just wondering about sports injuries. I was a miler, at 66 no joint trouble, just genetic flaws that caused my first liver to shut down.
 

wildgrow

, The Ghost of
Veteran
Got a gimpy knee from taking too deep a step while hiking. I dont feel all the weather changes (yet) but I do know when spring and fall have started.

Luckily my sciatica doesnt react to the weather.
 

larfin1

New member
That's why I don't get fused. Afraid the ones above and below will go out. Then what more fusion? :ying:

that was one option which i wont be taking.i had to get the first fusion just so i didnt fall over all the time.
i resumed work after my fusion, loading up on the painkillers so i could bring home the cash, that all came to an end when further damage was discovered. no way would i ever get another fusion
 

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
Just wondering, how many of you guys, were student athletes, can any of your pains be traced to injuries or stress from sports. Look I've had my share of probs but no joint probes only genetic probes, a liver transplant 13 years ago. Just wondering about sports injuries. I was a miler, at 66 no joint trouble, just genetic flaws that caused my first liver to shut down.
I was one of fastest kids in school (set a record in the shuttle run) and did work out 6 days a week for a few decades but no sports, just recreational stuff. I'm 55 now and blame a lot of my pain on being sedentary and then overdoing something like lifting a heavy object which I think could have been prevented by being more active.
 

Hank Hemp

Active member
Veteran
I never had a bad back until that 5 or 6th coal shovel full of snow that fateful Saturday that changed my life. Within 24 hours I couldn't bare weight on my left leg. Before then I was a land surveyor, up and down hills and Mts. all day and loved it. Now I can't even handout carts at the walmart. Get to live in poverty the rest of my days. Disability sucks big time.
 

headband 707

Plant whisperer
Veteran
You fellas are children. I've had 4, count em, 4 back ops. I hurt my back in 91, lived with it till 98 when i had my first, the rupture re ruptured two weeks later then back in for another laminectomy. I fought off my problems and continued working my physical job until 04. spring of 04 i had three level fusion on lower back, forced to retire. Then in 09 after learning i was a good candidate to be in a wheel chair and in diapers, I found a surgeon to clean out my spinal canal without fusion, most would not take on my case with fusing, but with fusing I could no long tie my own shoes. So i had the op, but scar tissue from previous ops had grown into my dura (sac that hold spinal fluid. That op was a bitch. They had to rebuild my dura. Recovery was a bitch. Now my back is back where it was before that op, and now i need hip replacement, plus i just found out I have prostate cancer. I opted to wait 6 months to give me time to research my options. I most likely will have prostate surgery this next winter.




But you know what, it is still better than the long dirt nap. Do what you can, help others, and get on with it. The best revenge is living a long life and growing your own meds. So enjoy those pain free moments, don't take out your frustrations on those around you, try and get some exercise, enjoy what you have , not what you think it should be.......scrappy



They actually call weather forcasts "Arthritis pain forcasts"! Time to move to a sunnier location it really does help a lot!!!
I obviosuly don't like to give out medical advise over the net but I read your hip replacement part and let me suggest you don't do this.. There are injections that you can have put into your hip and knees. Ostinel there are others more effective I just can't remember the name I think it starts with an "A" ... Anyways here are some links you might want to see. I would be far more infomed then my doctor GP's are usless. I understand these links are for knees so this would again depend on the type of problem your having with your hip. Good luck bra headband 707


http://www.cameronmedical.com/ostenil-injections.htm

http://boneandjointclinicbr.com/specialties/knee-cartilage-regeneration
 
cold weather storms changes in barimeteric pressure makes my joints arthritis and bad back hurt pop and heavy pains i make edibles and a great salve the takes away all the aches and pains and relaxes the body mmj really works feelin good in colo
 

Hank Hemp

Active member
Veteran
I've just weaned myself off the opiates to see how bad my back really is. I went 4 days barely could move around. So I'm back on them. I've got to be able to function a bit. Can't just live on my heating pad and recliner eating ibuprofen by the gram, a 1000mg dose, 5 times a day at least.
 

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
I've just weaned myself off the opiates to see how bad my back really is. I went 4 days barely could move around. So I'm back on them. I've got to be able to function a bit. Can't just live on my heating pad and recliner eating ibuprofen by the gram, a 1000mg dose, 5 times a day at least.
It was RLS (restless leg syndrome) driving me bats when I quit oxycodone and that lasted for about a week. After 4 days and your actually starting to see the clearing withdrawal wise. Actually I think Aleve (naproxen sodium) works better than 10 mg oxycodone. My oxycodone had no liver rotting tylenol in it. Aleve works for 12 hours and also can do wonders for joints. I took 4 a day for a week initially, they actually say 3 a day is the max dosage but it did wonders for me. :D

On another note Aleve is an NSAID and can be hard on your stomach especially if it's sensitive. I used to have serious stomach problems and took Prilosec for a year (yes docs advice) and couldn't get off that stuff because most people will relapse from taking it long term (6 months or more). Prilosec can seriously mess with your mind and body if you take it long term and I highly advise not to listen to anyone suggesting that! Zantac 150 (rantidine) is way way better and "stomach withdrawals" only last a few days vs. months or even years with Prilosec or any other type of ppi class acid reducer that's taken for a while. If you do take Prilosec, NEVER take it more than 14 days as suggested on label!
 

amannamedtruth

Active member
Veteran
Everybody could benefit from a little bit of lower back care yoga. Here's a few easy moves...

Take your time, and if it hurts, stop. You will be surprised how much better you feel after doing this or about 20 mns a day. 90 seconds each pose for a full stretch.
yogacards.jpg


The key is core strengthening. Instead of supporting all your weight on your lower back, ensure that your abdominal strength is on point, and use your core to support your weight. Your abs should always have a certain tightness when this is working well, and your posture will certainly improve.
 

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
Everybody could benefit from a little bit of lower back care yoga. Here's a few easy moves...

Take your time, and if it hurts, stop. You will be surprised how much better you feel after doing this or about 20 mns a day. 90 seconds each pose for a full stretch.
View Image

The key is core strengthening. Instead of supporting all your weight on your lower back, ensure that your abdominal strength is on point, and use your core to support your weight. Your abs should always have a certain tightness when this is working well, and your posture will certainly improve.
Thanks amannamedtruth. I had ordered a top-of-the-line Teeter hang ups that was still new in the box and sold it brand new unopened box. Reason was I just laid on my back for an hour or so each day and my lower back pain was gone within a week by the time my Teeter hang ups arrived. I figured gravity did just about the same thing laying flat on my back instead of like being grandpa on the Munsters hanging upside down.

My lower back pain was no picnic either. It would freeze up now and then and I'd just collapse on the floor or dirt or wherever I was...
 

Hank Hemp

Active member
Veteran
No oxy. for me.

No oxy. for me.

It was RLS (restless leg syndrome) driving me bats when I quit oxycodone and that lasted for about a week. After 4 days and your actually starting to see the clearing withdrawal wise. Actually I think Aleve (naproxen sodium) works better than 10 mg oxycodone. My oxycodone had no liver rotting tylenol in it. Aleve works for 12 hours and also can do wonders for joints. I took 4 a day for a week initially, they actually say 3 a day is the max dosage but it did wonders for me. :D

On another note Aleve is an NSAID and can be hard on your stomach especially if it's sensitive. I used to have serious stomach problems and took Prilosec for a year (yes docs advice) and couldn't get off that stuff because most people will relapse from taking it long term (6 months or more). Prilosec can seriously mess with your mind and body if you take it long term and I highly advise not to listen to anyone suggesting that! Zantac 150 (rantidine) is way way better and "stomach withdrawals" only last a few days vs. months or even years with Prilosec or any other type of ppi class acid reducer that's taken for a while. If you do take Prilosec, NEVER take it more than 14 days as suggested on label!

I get down to 20mg a day and can usually walk away without being to uncomfortable. You know? With oxycodone, it would take a lot longer IMHO. Over the counter just doesn't work for me. :ying:
 

Stoner4Life

Medicinal Advocate
ICMag Donor
Veteran


I've had some luck w/my sciatica lately, and when it does pop on me it's not the grueling pain I was suffering prior to & during Thanksgiving.......

 

The Hatter

Member
Veteran
When I was younger I used to laugh at the idea of Grandpa predicting a coming storm by his back pain but it definitely isn't funny anymore and yes if you have a blown out disk or something you know when a storm is coming by the agony is brings.

For those people taking NSAIDs for their pain heed my warning. You need to take acid reducing stomach meds with them every single day and even then you are risking serious and permanent damage to your GI track. I will spend the rest of my life periodically defecating blood in agony thanks to using them for a few years strait for my degenerative back injury. It is an oft hidden statistic but NSAIDs kill more people each year than opiate pain meds. They are a lot more dangerous than people seem to realize. Take it from one who has permanently damaged their intestines with them.

Opiates are far less of a threat to your long term health, but the problem they bring is tolerance, dependance and the potential for overdose if used improperly. Never take opiates every day unless you absolutely have to and know this. If you do take them daily, especially with time released ones, you have about 6 months before they stop doing anything at all for you and you are back where you started except you have a very serious physical dependance to them. If you stop taking them suddenly for any reason you will become violently ill. Depending on the dose and your health it may even require an emergency room visit.

I personally find cannabis very mediocre for pain relief but I have talked to people that it really works for. The main problem with cannabis seems to be it's mental side effects since all the people I know who control their pain with it use a very large amount to do so which leaves you quite impaired, more so than even with the opiates. The upside is that so long as you are not ingesting the cannabis via smoking it, then it isn't likely to do the sort of physical harm to you that the NSAIDs can or cause the horrific physical dependance that opiates do.

Best of luck to everyone who suffers with chronic pain. May you find something to control it that doesn't destroy your body and or mind. Be very wary of those little pills you find at the grocery store or the pharmacy. They kill thousands upon thousands of people each year.
 

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
For those people taking NSAIDs for their pain heed my warning. You need to take acid reducing stomach meds with them every single day and even then you are risking serious and permanent damage to your GI track. I will spend the rest of my life periodically defecating blood in agony thanks to using them for a few years strait for my degenerative back injury. It is an oft hidden statistic but NSAIDs kill more people each year than opiate pain meds. They are a lot more dangerous than people seem to realize. Take it from one who has permanently damaged their intestines with them.
And those ppis (proton pump inhibitors) stomach acid reducers which are the strongest like Prilosec (generic omeprazole) can be just as bad as the NSAIDs themselves. Both mentally and physically very stressful on the body as well long term. Even people tested with no stomach problems who took them for a few months had a rebound effect (excess stomach acid) when stopped. The body still makes a chemical that tries to make up for less acid in the stomach for at least a few months after stopping. All those extra "proton pumps" start making stomach acid within a week of stopping. Zantac (rantidine) has a rebound effect that only lasts a few days, not months.
 

dddaver

Active member
Veteran
It's a trade off. I've had to take Omeprazole since the early '90s. If I miss even one day my stomach feels like I swallowed rocks (bleeding?) and I can eat NOTHING without acid indigestion. I guess that's reflux. They did an endoscope but saw no ulcer. A Marine colonel did that. I have to believe what he said I guess. But I do wonder if he might have thought saying that I had an ulcer would have cost Uncle Sam bucks so he thought he was saving our wonderful gov't BIG bucks NOT saying the Sarge has an ulcer. Whatever.

I have to take 200mg of Ibuprophen every 4 hours now too. Because if I don't, my arthritic, bony ass, fucked-up bod and degenerative disk disease are totally unbearable. Then I can't even walk. My balance is royally screwed up now anyway though, so I can't walk much anyway. I was taking Aspirin. The doc said do Ibuprophen instead. Less harmful. Still bad. Just not as much.

Like I said, it's a trade-off. I know that shit's not good for me, but without it....

But now I can tell if it's raining without even looking out the window. So there IS a positive to all this shit ;-P and I always try to keep in mind it COULD be worse, though...but not by much I don't think. :tumbleweed:
 
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