Asking My PCP About Pain Management

When speaking to a new Dr I always make sure to be H.O.T. - HONEST, OPEN, AND TRANSPARENT! 😉 🙋🏽‍♀️ I, myself, will have 6yrs clean this coming August; & you know what a challenge it can be for a recovered drug addict with multiple conditions that cause chronic pain to be treated properly. 🤦🏽‍♀️😩 However, I state out loud, something to the effect of, "The fact that I had an addiction (years ago) doesn't cancel out the fact that I am CURRENTLY in very real, very severe, debilitating pain. I'm not drug seeking. As a matter of fact, I would prefer to only use narcotics as a last resort. 💯 I know that due to my condition(s) being chronic, at some point I'd end up taking them, but that's not where we have to start. 🙏🏽" @Rustyshackleford brings up some great points. Nortriptyline, & Cymbalta are great, non-narcotic medications. I do take narcotics at this point because my flare-ups are just cruel, & I'm currently in much pain due to a failed spine surgery. However, if I do not take my LYRICA, CYMBALTA, TOPAMAX, MELOXICAM, or TIZANIDINE , oh I FEEL EVERY LITTLE FAULTY SYNAPSE! Side note: Most Drs will try you on Gabapentin (or other, lesser medications) first. But, after those are a "fail", most insurance will approve you even for 'unapproved' medications; but only after you fail out of the approved ones. 🙏🏽💪🏽✊🏽💯🫡 #HAVEABLESSEDDAY🙏🏽🙌🏽🫶🏽

No advice on talking to your PCP, but take nortriptyline for fibro and it's taken away SO MUCH of my daily pain. It's not strictly a pain med, it's actually an antidepressant, but used in low doses for pain. Cymbalta is another antidepressant used for pain, but I didn't have much luck with it. There are definitely meds you can go on for pain that aren't narcs