Any Doctors or Pharmacists out there?

Talk about off topic. Here you go.. I have a huge herniated disc (14 Millimeters) and it went out 2 weeks ago. Couldn't move. Couldn't even turn in bed. It was a 9.50 on the pain scale. Long story short, Doc gave me prednisone 10mg. Few days later it was much better. As I sit here today the pain meter registers a 1.50. very happy but still feeling it. Im off the steroids and need a strong anti-inflammatory drug. Apparently I cant use the steroids as a maintenance drug. At least the doc doesn't want me to. So he prescribed Meloxicam 15mg. Question is... Is Meloxicam as strong of an anti inflammatory as the steroids? Is meloxicam the same as taking 800mg of motrin or stronger? Or could you suggest something else? I also have Norco for pain. But really need the anti inflammatory.
Thank you

 

Must be bad back day,sorry to hear about your pain. Like to help you but my specialty is abnormal psychiatry. I never went to college but I feel well qualified cause I hung out all my life with wierd,crazy people. Seriously,hope you feel better,as a medical professional myself,yeah right,maybe your questions may be better answered by your doc who is treating you?

 

Are you kidding me? If VMB doesn't have an answer for me nobody will! LOL... Dealing with Kaiser Doctors isn't easy.

 

Why do you want to take something other than what the Dr. prescribed? Is it the cost or side effects? My stomach can't handle 800mg of ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil).

10mg of prednisone is a low dose. How long did you take it?

 

We've been out of Kaiser for 3+ years now. We miss it.

 

Packer the prednisone is by far a more powerful anti-inflammatory but it cannot be used long term. It disrupts your intrinsic steroid production and leads to other side effects long term some of which can be permanent. Meloxicam is an NSAID, (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) these are approved for long term maintenance of chronic inflammation. They have a side effect profile but no where near the seriousness of steroids. Burst prednsone (steroid) for up to a week followed by long term NSAID is the standard of care. Ibuprofen and naproxen are examples of NSAIDS..... usually add in some PT and you have the basic medical or conservative management of exacerbated functional low back pain.

 

Vegas Garden has it right. Meloxicam will be fine and at 15mg will be equal to Motrin 800mg 3x a day. May have slightly less stomach upset with meloxicam than with Motrin. If you don't want to try the meloxicam (brand name was Mobic) then you could take 2 Aleve twice daily. Use heat (thermacare heat wrap works well).

If your back flares while is Vegas, the advice I give my patients is to immediately go to bed with a bottle of the liquor of their choice and a hat. Take the hat and put it on one of the bedposts. Drink until you see 2 hats...

 

Sorry to hear your pain on both your back and on the insurance fronts. if that does not work then another med you could try, also a NSAID, is Arthrotec. This has a med included in it, misoprostol, so the long term use does not kill your stomach in the long term. If the Mobic is no good you may want to give Arthrotec a try, Hopefully you are able get relief with out any long term meds.

 

I have a back issue. The nerve next to the L4 id damaged and flairs up causing pain.
Went to a nurosurgean and he suggested pain management.
Every three to fourth months I get an steroid injection in my back near the inflamed nerve.
Just had one done this past friday and it feels great.
he also suggested hot/cold pack.. the bean bag type you put in the freezer of microwave.

 

No, I am doing exactly as the doctor has said. Just got off the steroids and now took my first meloxicam. I have 800mg of motrin as well. Not to use with it but it is something I have here from the doc as maint in the past. this meloxicam is new to me. No side affects ever from the 800 motrin. Just wanted to know if there was something comparable to the steroid as far as an anti inflammatory. Guess not. Sounds like meloxicam is. Or Celebrex maybe?

 

I couldn't wait to get off the steroids as well. No side effects except the tail I seem to be growing. LOL.. And yes, as I move more im afraid of the pain coming back. I have a 7 year old I have to take care of and im the soccer coach for his team! And I have to work! And golf! You all understand.. So hoping my back stays "IN" and this doesn't happen again. Thanks

 

An example of why this place rocks.

 

That's why I wanted a few extra prednisone. just in case my back goes out in VEGAS! If it goes out there I will be checking in for a month. Hope the Wynn likes me that much! LOL

 

Your my kind of doc ,alcohol is a wonderful med. has gotten me thru many a personal crisis.I had a bad backache one time in Vegas ,alcohol and hours in the hot tub cured me. I also remember a young lady from Ohio who thru visual therapy seeing her in the smallest bikini on record in the hot tub each morning pulled me thru my pain.

 

For me the only thing that got me thru this kind of pain was Quaaludes 35 years ago. The pain was still there I think but I didn't care! LOL.. The alcohol the bikini, not so much..

 

Pharmacist. Sorry. I'm just sorry. I'm just a bad person.

 

Sorry, I'm not a real doctor, but still a doctor.

I would recommend some medicinal marijuana. You are in a medical state.

If you don't want to go that route, maybe you can ask for oxycontin or vicodin for the pain. Something more powerful. You can always try applying a cold/hot pad to the area. Additionally, you could apply some ointment to improve circulation in the area, it may help.

I would try to take it easy for the next few weeks. You could always try a chiropractor or acupuncture, but they are also not real doctors as well.

 

Maybe its the stainless steel cask 2015 plonk I'm drinking, but I think we gave our 18 pound Dane-huahua Chippy Meloxicam for a back issue.

If it rocks for a Chippy, it rocks for you!