Chronic Pain Solutions? Spineys

[biffnoble]

Chronic Pain is a disease!

Solutions:

From what I gather there are many solutions to CP.

Focus: MEDICATIONS.
It would be useful to identify the best pain meds in each category: taken as needed, serum level-maint.-daily-intake, opiate, non-opiate, and so on.

It would be great to hear how others do with their chosen solutions.

Identify your: Condition, pain source.
Level of Pain:

Affects of pain med.
*) Comfort level
*) Function level
*) Mental clarity level
*) Physical affects, downsides
*) Driving competence

Other metrics.

Thanks.
=================
Level of Pain: Lowest (w/meds): 3. Chronic: 4-7. Acute: 10.

Condition: Multi-level cervical spine disease.
Pain Source: Neck upper trunk.

Meds: no maint. drugs.
* Vicodin: Too hard on GI to get pain benefit.
* Soma: Some help, not enough.
* Oxy: Minimal help.
* Codiene: good but reduced capacity.
* AD's: No benefit.
* Amyltryptline (other similar drugs): No benefit.
* Neurontin: Some benefit
* OTC: Ibuprophen, acetimeniphen, useful, not enough.

Etc.

[ans]

By oxy, do you mean oxycodone or oxycontin?

What are the stronger drugs in the hierarchy?

(Man I hate Vicodin, the headache/inability to think).