Any suggestions on meds for bone pain due to mets/radiation.

[jmarie]

I am starting to have some bone pain in my right shoulder that they just did the cyberknife in. This goes from the top of my shoulder, and shoots down my arm to just above my elbow. If I lift anything over about 15lbs it feels like my arm is just going to snap. I was told this was to be expected a week or two after tx but my current pain meds are not helping with it. I am currently on Fentanyl 25mcg, Lortab 10 and Dilaudid 2mg for breakthrough pain. For usual bone pain I would take ibuprophen, it doesn't seem to be doing much. Is there a better pain med for bone pain? Or should I ask for them to up my fentynal patch for a while? I am trying to keep the morphine as low as possible so I am not too loopy.

[Sleetster]

I have no idea how this would work on bone pain from radiation, but Claritin works well for bone pain caused by Neulasta. The bone pain is from two very different causes, so who knows if it would even come close to working? I figure it's at least worth a try.

David

[jmarie]

Claritin for bone pain? That's interesting, how does that work and how did you figure that out?

[SkiFletch]

If it's histamine induced inflamation, Claritin could indeed help. So would benadryl, but that would mean nap time. Jess, have you tried any other NSAID's? Naproxen or Aspirin?

[CRguy]

Claritin has been used for pain in the marrow from Neulasta injections, which I am not sure is a factor in what Jess is dealing with, but you could ask your docs ????

THE "go to" NSAID IMO is Toradol...BUT your docs won't just deal it out, without a fight..usually. It is very potent and your kidneys have to be in good shape, and only by injection....BUT the only one which worked for me when I needed the big guns.

Jess you already have a number of opioids on board with the Lortabs, Dilaudid and Fentanyl. Adding a stronger NSAID is a good balanced approach, and upping the Fentanyl could also give you enough comfort...please discuss all these options.

Other meds which might be considered are some of the lesser pain killers, but those which work on different pathways : gabapentin, Tramadol, pregabalin, amantidine, methadone....BUT your docs will have to balance any of these with what you are on, and what you may be getting put on with any treatments. There are some which cannot be used together.

Just some ideas to kick around, while stayin' strong !
Cheers
CRguy

[KimT]

I second the toradol. Best pain med ever. Works better than narcotics for me. It does come in an oral form but usually an injectable loading dose is given first, then followed by oral meds. You can also increase your narcotics. Really the sky is the limit when it comes to narcotics. As long as you are not having breathing issues it's ok to keep increasing it. I know you have breathing issues but the issues caused by too much narcotics is excessive sleepiness and then suppression of breathing. You probably have built some tolerance to narcotics since you have been on them for awhile.