Pain Medication

[Gratefuled]

On 21 August 2015 at 9:32 AM, JonPalawan said:

What experience do people have regarding pain medication? I think it's over prescribed.

I am 70 year old US citizen living in Palawan. Every time I have any procedure performed, be it dentistry, a troubling shoulder, or whatever, the doctor wants to prescribe pain medication to take home with me, which I decline. I'm not stoic, rather, my thinking is that pain has a reason, namely, telling me to stop doing what I'm doing. Of course, I'm talking about mild to moderate pain.

My helper's 22 year old brother recently fell and struck is head hard. He was taken to hospital, as his speech was slow and other symptoms. He never complained of pain, yet his doctor prescribed large doses of Ketesse, 200mg for each of his first two days of confinement, 150mg for the next two days, and 50mg for the fifth day, a total of 750mg over five days, billed at P11,340. The maximum recommended dose is 75mg per day. He had no muscular-skeletal pain, menstrual pain, tooth ache, or recent surgery, the four indicators for this medication. And all this in full knowledge that he had kidney issues. A contraindicator is kidney dysfunction. The doctor even threatened that dialysis might be necessary. I'm not a doctor, but I can to internet searches, and I opine that this was a gross overdosing of Ketesse.

My experience with pain medication is very little. No bad experiences but I was glad to get the pain relievers when I did. I have a high tolerance for pain but sometimes there is a limit. 

The only time I did not use a pain reliever was when I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted. The dentist gave me some Vicodin to take home just in case. I never needed it but a female employee found out and offered to buy it from me. I refused. I kept it in case I had a migrain or anything later but I ended up throwing it away.

Doctors in the states want to protect themselves from law suits so many do over prescribe meds. Many also do unnecessary tests just to cover their az. 

I've not had a need for pain reliever her in the PI.

[Old55]

1 hour ago, ITGeek said:

Tramadol can cause seizures, it is for this reason I am unable to take it.  I suffer from neuropathy in my right leg and use lidocaine patches to treat the pain.

I've had 3 concussions in past 5 years in which I lost consciousness.  Unfortunately, I now have a permanent disability and as a result and now suffer severe anxiety and insomnia disorders.  After some back and forth between neurologists and psychiatrists, I've been placed on anti-anxiety and sleep meds, which allow me to be functional again.  

This leads me to the following question now that I just moved to Phils. and about to run out of my medications prescribed by doctors back in US.

What is easiest way for me to get my existing medications refilled here in Phils?  Do I just take my prescription bottles to pharmacy??

Just for reference, my meds are:

High Blood Pressure - Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/25mg (daily)
Anxiety - Klonopin 0.5 mg (2x daily),  Diazepam 5 mg (1-2 as needed)
Insomnia - Zolpidem 10mg (daily)

Not sure if these meds are even available here.

Thanks in advance!

High Blood Pressure - Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/25mg (daily)

I bought Lisinopril/HCTZ at Mercury Pharmacy Robinsons Osmena circle one year ago. I showed my bottle to the pharmacist she was able to provide it. I also bought Tramadol but they had to substitute it for a slightly different brand. 

[mogo51]

1 hour ago, Steve & Myrlita said:

Not sure of most but the high blood med I use here is Neobloc which is name brand for Metoprolol 50mg. I pay P370 for a box of 100 at Sincere Pharmacy here in Bacolod. I would strongly advise not getting the generic. It is either too low strength or maybe even fake. My BP averaged 138/94 since I came here in 2007. When I was in Riverside Hospital back in July 2014, my doctor was suspicious of this and put me on the Neobloc. Ever since then, my BP has been 110/70 to 120/80. And the price is only 1P difference. Shop wisely. BTW just take your meds to a major pharmacy here and they may be able to match them. Many meds here can be obtained w/o a script here. Hope this helps.

I have problems with Tramadol also, they make me sick.  I cannot take codene based tablets for the same reason.  I also take blood pressure  and cholesterol tablets, plus strong pain relievers (Lyrica).  I am fortunate here in Thailand that I can go to hospital and obtain replacements, not the same brand but same ingredients and they work. I have multiple disc ruptures and fusions in my back.

I have been to Philippines 5 times and taken generic medicines there and they worked, this is the first time I have heard a negative about them.  Is there meidical evidence to support this?

 

[Steve & Myrlita]

2 hours ago, mogo51 said:

I have been to Philippines 5 times and taken generic medicines there and they worked, this is the first time I have heard a negative about them.  Is there medical evidence to support this?

Nothing I could prove legally. All I have is my own experience that my BP was high for 7 yrs on the generic but normal for the 1st time since changing to the name brand.

[mogo51]

5 minutes ago, Steve & Myrlita said:

Nothing I could prove legally. All I have is my own experience that my BP was high for 7 yrs on the generic but normal for the 1st time since changing to the name brand.

That is very interesting, the proof is in the pudding as they say.  It appears that you may well be correct. Whether it is across the board is problematical.  I have been on Thai subs for my meds for a month and head back to Oz in 2 weeks for medical check up, blood test etc which will tell if they are working or not.

Edited March 17, 2016 by mogo51

[mogo51]

4 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

My experience with pain medication is very little. No bad experiences but I was glad to get the pain relievers when I did. I have a high tolerance for pain but sometimes there is a limit. 

The only time I did not use a pain reliever was when I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted. The dentist gave me some Vicodin to take home just in case. I never needed it but a female employee found out and offered to buy it from me. I refused. I kept it in case I had a migrain or anything later but I ended up throwing it away.

Doctors in the states want to protect themselves from law suits so many do over prescribe meds. Many also do unnecessary tests just to cover their az. 

I've not had a need for pain reliever her in the PI.

that is a blessing that you have not needed meds, I only wish I was the same.  Over subscribing is also rampant in Oz.

[mogo51]

5 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

My experience with pain medication is very little. No bad experiences but I was glad to get the pain relievers when I did. I have a high tolerance for pain but sometimes there is a limit. 

The only time I did not use a pain reliever was when I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted. The dentist gave me some Vicodin to take home just in case. I never needed it but a female employee found out and offered to buy it from me. I refused. I kept it in case I had a migrain or anything later but I ended up throwing it away.

Doctors in the states want to protect themselves from law suits so many do over prescribe meds. Many also do unnecessary tests just to cover their az. 

I've not had a need for pain reliever her in the PI.

that is a blessing that you have not needed meds, I only wish I was the same.  Over subscribing is also rampant in Oz.

[mogo51]

6 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

My experience with pain medication is very little. No bad experiences but I was glad to get the pain relievers when I did. I have a high tolerance for pain but sometimes there is a limit. 

The only time I did not use a pain reliever was when I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted. The dentist gave me some Vicodin to take home just in case. I never needed it but a female employee found out and offered to buy it from me. I refused. I kept it in case I had a migrain or anything later but I ended up throwing it away.

Doctors in the states want to protect themselves from law suits so many do over prescribe meds. Many also do unnecessary tests just to cover their az. 

I've not had a need for pain reliever her in the PI.

that is a blessing that you have not needed meds, I only wish I was the same.  Over subscribing is also rampant in Oz.

I rried to start a new reply, but can't get it to happen.  I think Chris49 has been very informative on this topic, I know hehas vast experience and has me thinking about my situation. I take Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and 1 pain (Lyrica) and 1 muscle relaxant (Celebres).  the first 2 I can access here at very reasonable prices,Lyrica is impossible, 4000bht for 1 box and that lasts me 12 days.  Ceebrex is 1500bht a box and lasts same.  Luckily as I said in an earlier post, I went to public hospital and got substitues that seem to work for the same price I( pay in Oz, with pensioner discount.  

I was told last week from a friend in Oz that his doctor took him off Celebrex saying it damages stomach? So am looking for an alternative there.  I should also say that many other members have added very useful information on what is an important subject for us old f..ts.

 

 

[robert k]

28 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

that is a blessing that you have not needed meds, I only wish I was the same.  Over subscribing is also rampant in Oz.

I rried to start a new reply, but can't get it to happen.  I think Chris49 has been very informative on this topic, I know hehas vast experience and has me thinking about my situation. I take Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and 1 pain (Lyrica) and 1 muscle relaxant (Celebres).  the first 2 I can access here at very reasonable prices,Lyrica is impossible, 4000bht for 1 box and that lasts me 12 days.  Ceebrex is 1500bht a box and lasts same.  Luckily as I said in an earlier post, I went to public hospital and got substitues that seem to work for the same price I( pay in Oz, with pensioner discount.  

I was told last week from a friend in Oz that his doctor took him off Celebrex saying it damages stomach? So am looking for an alternative there.  I should also say that many other members have added very useful information on what is an important subject for us old f..ts.

 

 

I believe Celebrex was banned in the US about 5 years ago. I remember someone lamenting that it worked better for him than anything else, the doctor had been switching his meds for a year and when they finally found something that worked, the FDA pulls it from the shelves. No wonder so many people self medicate.

My body chemistry is so acid not much of anything works for me anyway. The hospital had a problem prepping me to remove my burst appendix. Finally the anesthesiologist said wheel him in, I'll put him under on the table. He did a good job till about the halfway point. Aspirin or Naproxin sodium seem to work about as well as anything prescription for me.

[mogo51]

30 minutes ago, robert k said:

I believe Celebrex was banned in the US about 5 years ago. I remember someone lamenting that it worked better for him than anything else, the doctor had been switching his meds for a year and when they finally found something that worked, the FDA pulls it from the shelves. No wonder so many people self medicate.

My body chemistry is so acid not much of anything works for me anyway. The hospital had a problem prepping me to remove my burst appendix. Finally the anesthesiologist said wheel him in, I'll put him under on the table. He did a good job till about the halfway point. Aspirin or Naproxin sodium seem to work about as well as anything prescription for me.

Thanks for the information..  When I went to  hospital in Pattaya they gave me Naproxin instead of Celebrex.

It seems to work the same but after years on pain killers, not a lot fixes the pain it only masks it for awhile.

Why did they pull Celebrex.do you know?