Dealing with Pain Medication Shortages

Yep! I would also have doctors offices just be a mess and not refill my meds in time. I have a medical marijuana script for my pain and it is the best medication I have. Nice thing is you just renew once a year! Works better than even narcotics for my pain. If you have any questions about it I’d be happy to answer!!

Try applying several different methods to treat your pain. Narcotics, topical patches or creams (diclofenac is available over the counter now or lidocaine), over the counter ibuprofen or naproxen, heat or ice. You got use many things to help make the meds last.

I’ve been there in the past; I am now on a long lasting pain med belbuca and Percocet for the break through pain. When we started this I was on MS Contin and Percocet. I am closely followed by my local pain clinic where they do medication checks every visit (they count everything I have left to make sure I’m not overusing it).

Yes… biggest source of stress! I literally have to use medication to work, drive, take care of myself, go to appointments etc… otherwise the pain and brain fog are so bad I’m in bed on my heating pad all day. I had a doctor cut my prescription in half when I started going back to school. It got so bad I had to drop out. I cycle down and off so I’m never taking more than 2 on bad days. I end up cutting out social activities and with family so I have enough to function. I can confidently say I’m not addicted but my whole life revolves around my pain meds and how many i have left. I’ve researched other thing to help… PEA works best for me in addition. It keeps pain med tolerance low and makes the meds work better. It’s similar chemical makeup to aderal so it also helps my mood. The most effective and least expensive one I’ve found is the AM/PM comfort max from life extension. I literally have a window of how long I’m functional when I take my meds so I try to get everything I need to do done in that time so I can make the most of it. I also try my absolutely best to not take them at home unless I really need to do something and use infrared heating pad and ice to numb it out. Feeling helpless without medication is the worst and doctors thinking I’m drug seeking when I’m just trying to take care of myself and get by feels so degrading and hopeless. I’m sorry y’all are going through it too. It’s beyond stressful…

absolutely. i’ve been fighting for YEARS to even get a rx because doctors don’t understand that over the counter meds just don’t cut it. on the days that nothing helps the pain, i’ll sometimes just fully indulge- scream, cry and complain as much i need to. it oddly eases the pain a bit sometimes. just something that helps me💛