Let it never be said I am not partial to partaking in a little over the counter mood/pain/etc improvement. I am always partial to something to relieve pain and make me feel generally better about my day. I'm not hugely into recreational/illicit drugs, I'll have them if they're about, but I wont chase them if not. I feel like, however, that I take far too many over the counter meds, and my poor little body really isn't holding up as well as it used to.
I have tried a lot of things in my lifetime to deal with my back pain, which I have had since I was in my teens. Exercise/rest, chiropractic, Strong drugs, weak drugs, stretching... I have a scoliosis that causes almost constant daily pain. The only thing I have found that actually works is complete rest at home. No driving, no working, nothing strenuous at all. These are the times when I don't need anything to get me through the day. The pain mostly goes, and I feel great.
I try from time to time to go "cold turkey" like, dead straight off everything, and not take any painkillers. I get to a point where the pain affects my functioning. Takes about 3-4 days. It's not severe, but nagging and eventually I give up and do a run for some more codeine. I know it's addictive, but eventually I get so frustrated and grumpy about the pain that I just go "f*ck it!" and take something. I did have the theory I'd rather be pain free for the now, and live a shorter life in the future, but the speed at which the drugs are catching up to me is starting to scare me. I took Nurofen Plus for too many years, and shredded my stomach lining, so now if I have them I get massive pains, or really sick. I switched to Panadeine, but I know the paracetemol is bad for your liver...
I have sought medical advice, and I go to an osteopath regularly, but it only fixes me for a short while, then I am super sore again. every time I have x-rays for whatever reason, the xray notes always comment on the curve in my spine, but the dr's never really worry. I don't try for painkillers from them, as I present with classic medication seeking behaviour, and am lucky to get anything when something major goes wrong with my back/neck/migraine etc. The dr's just don't seem to care though. Just refer me to get chiropractic again, which is only a short term fix. I feel like I am certainly shortening my lifespan, putting a strain on my body, and it's bloody expensive buying codeine all the time... My sleep gets all fucked up and I take sleeping tablets here and there to sleep. I'm definitely a bit of a medication junkie.
I just feel like I am at an impass. Either tolerate constant pain, and get off the painkillers, or keep it up and at least function in comfort and happiness, knowing that it's catching up with me, and fast...
Just needed to vent... (I'm out of codeine last few days so I'm sore, headachy and cranky)



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Oh, Charlotte, I stumbled across your post last night, and can TOTALY relate! I have had scoliosis since my teens also (genetic from my dad), and was put in a 'milwakee brace' all throughout my teen years until I was 18.)

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