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Suggest An Alternative OTC Medication In Place Of Aleve To Treat Severe Back Pain
Question: I have severe, continual back pain - lower lumbar as the result of fusion - and I normally take a 5 mg rapid release oxycodone with 2 Aleve in the morning to see me through the day. I have a carpal tunnel surgery coming up in a week and one half, and the surgeon wants me to suspend taking NSAIDS until after the surgery, naturally. Do you have any suggestion for an over-the-counter long lasting substitute for the Alleve for the next week or so?
Brief Answer:
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Have you tried acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain? Often, when a person can't tolerate or for other reasons can't take an NSAID, acetaminophen is used. You may need 500 mg or 650 mg of the acetaminophen. If you have liver problems, don't exceed 1000 mg per day.
Some people also get relief from acupuncture which can be helpful for musculoskeletal pain. It may take 3 treatments to help. If you go this route, try to find a practitioner who was actually trained in China as I think their training is more thorough than when Americans go through short training programs for it here. Also, take Tylenol until you have had a few treatments as it usually doesn't work immediately.
I hope this helps and that your pain is under control until you can restart your NSAID.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Have you tried acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain? Often, when a person can't tolerate or for other reasons can't take an NSAID, acetaminophen is used. You may need 500 mg or 650 mg of the acetaminophen. If you have liver problems, don't exceed 1000 mg per day.
Some people also get relief from acupuncture which can be helpful for musculoskeletal pain. It may take 3 treatments to help. If you go this route, try to find a practitioner who was actually trained in China as I think their training is more thorough than when Americans go through short training programs for it here. Also, take Tylenol until you have had a few treatments as it usually doesn't work immediately.
I hope this helps and that your pain is under control until you can restart your NSAID.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
My question specifically asked for a recommendation for a longer duration pain medication than Acetominophen. I'm aware of Acetominophen, but would need to take extra strength tablets at least every four hours to begin to combat the pain, and that is going to be an awfully lot of Acetominophen for my liver to process for the next week or so. I do have oral Tramadol tablets available, but have been warned not to take them with the oxycodone due to sleepiness and possible breathing complications. I was hoping for some compromise between the Tramadol and Tylenol.
Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
You asked for an over the counter long lasting pain medication that isn't in the NSAID family and there really isn't one that meets criteria for being over the counter and long lasting other than naproxen, which you can't take because of the risk of bleeding complications.
If you have been using an opiate for some time, a low dose of Tramadol may be the best alternative. There has probably been some downregulation of opiate receptors which would make taking the Tramadol less risky. Another option would be more opiate such as the addition of a Duragesic patch.
But a compromise between Tramadol and Tylenol, outside of NSAIDs doesn't exist yet, unfortunately.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Thoughts on this.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
You asked for an over the counter long lasting pain medication that isn't in the NSAID family and there really isn't one that meets criteria for being over the counter and long lasting other than naproxen, which you can't take because of the risk of bleeding complications.
If you have been using an opiate for some time, a low dose of Tramadol may be the best alternative. There has probably been some downregulation of opiate receptors which would make taking the Tramadol less risky. Another option would be more opiate such as the addition of a Duragesic patch.
But a compromise between Tramadol and Tylenol, outside of NSAIDs doesn't exist yet, unfortunately.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your informative answers.
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Brief Answer:
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
There are other classes of pain medications, but again, they aren't over the counter. If your pain starts to get out of control, you may want to talk with the doctor who manages your low back pain about some of these alternatives, such as muscle relaxants (Flexeril/carbamazapine or others) or some of the anti-seizure medicines that are commonly used for pain (gabapentin, pregabalin). Topical anesthetics (such as capsaicin) in addition may help somewhat.
If you decide you need the tramadol, do talk with your doctor before taking it with the oxycodone. It is usually safe in someone who has taken oxycodone for awhile, but I don't want you to have an overdose reaction.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
There are other classes of pain medications, but again, they aren't over the counter. If your pain starts to get out of control, you may want to talk with the doctor who manages your low back pain about some of these alternatives, such as muscle relaxants (Flexeril/carbamazapine or others) or some of the anti-seizure medicines that are commonly used for pain (gabapentin, pregabalin). Topical anesthetics (such as capsaicin) in addition may help somewhat.
If you decide you need the tramadol, do talk with your doctor before taking it with the oxycodone. It is usually safe in someone who has taken oxycodone for awhile, but I don't want you to have an overdose reaction.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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