Pain Killers for Lower Back Pain.

[NCC1701A]

I am experiencing for the first time in my life lower back pain. Waves of pain spasms making hard to sit, walk or lie down. 

 

What is the best pain killer for this that is strong and available without a prescription. I am in Bangkok. 

 

Thanks. 

[covidiot]

sorry, i don't know.

i have always remedied lower back pain with daily walks. 

and stretches. 

[bkk6060]

PM sent.

[HighPriority]

8 minutes ago, covidiot said:

sorry, i don't know.

i have always remedied lower back pain with daily walks. 

and stretches. 

Ditto, gentle movement and some chiropractic works best for me, I don’t know much about pain killers, sorry NCC.

[faraday]

 

Arcoxia is very good, you could also try Ultracet which is Tramadol with paracetamol.

 

Both are OTC.

 

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/10617/pil#gref

 

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-21825/ultracet-oral/details

 

As mentioned though, gentle exercise will help.

 

If the pain persists, then an x-ray would be a good idea.

 

 

[Thailand]

Professional massage and learn to sleep on your back.

 

ibrufen for real pain but only if really necessary.

[Jingthing]

Ibuprofen Gel 

Better than the pill because you can localize it.

Heat and or cool packs.

Buy lumbar support pillows for sleeping and sitting.

Will usually heal within 3 months.

Otherwise its chronic..

Rest yes but not too much.

Walking etc. Is associated with healing this.

Edited May 17, 2021 by Jingthing

[Logosone]

Demerol worked for me.

[phetphet]

Might be best to see an ortho first to see if you have a slipped disc, sciatica, or just a muscle spasm. 

 

i had everything from ibuprofen, Amytriptilene to opiates for a slipped  or herniated disc.

 

If you can get it here Solpadeine which is available OTC in the UK might work.

 

Maybe a little mild massage or manipulation as well.

Edited May 17, 2021 by phetphet

[ripstanley]

Go to a doctor and have Xrays or scans to find where the problem is.

[Havefunme]

I prefer stretching over meds

[LosLobo]

Evidently paracetamol has no effect on lower back pain.

 

Interesting article about this, other medicines and general treatment of lower back pain.

 

Is paracetamol effective for low back pain? - NPS MedicineWise

Edited May 17, 2021 by LosLobo

[covidiot]

1 hour ago, HighPriority said:

and some chiropractic works

my chiro was being smeared in the local papers.

he said because he's taking business away from pharma. 

sorry OP, off topic. feel free to delete / ignore my posts. 

hope your back gets better soon!

[Moonlover]

I had extremely bad back pain over 20 years ago. All attempts by doctors failed to find any cause nor could they offer any cure. And massage made it worse!

 

I eventually discovered a book by a Dr. Leon Root who prescribed exercise and it worked. I have never forgotten the routine I learned and practice it occasionally to maintain back health. There are plenty of websites with exercise plans available. Here's that is not dissimilar to the one I use.

 

https://gogoodguru.com/sore-back-workout/

[Sheryl]

Your choices are either Tramadol (with or without paracetemol) or an NSAID (ibuprofen and the like.)

 

 But note that tramadal can be constipating and NSAIDs can be very irritating to the stomach (always take with food). The COX-2 inhibitor NSAIDs like Arcoxia are a little easier on the stomach but should nto be used by people with any heart problem nor for too long (increased incidence of cardiac problems)

 

As others have said, stretches are very helpful for this.

 

Would help to have more description of the pain. Is it at the sides of the lower back or right in the middle? And does leaning forward make it worse?

 

If it is due to muscle spasms -- which your description suggests might be the case - , a heating pad may help (some people say apply ice but in my experience that will make muscle spasms worse. )

 

Whatever you do minimize time spent sitting in a chair. Stand,  or recline instead, reduces the weight on your lower back.

[lanng khao]

You might be overdoing it, just try one lady at a time see how that goes..

[Lacessit]

Medications are treating the symptom, not the cause. You may actually do more damage with meds if the underlying cause is not addressed.

As another poster has noted, perhaps your past is catching up with you.

 

[moogradod]

Did you put on some weight ? Maybe slowly unnoticed so far ? What can also be that some nerves get some pressure. At least this is what my doctors in Switzerland thought first, at the end of the spine. But it was the weight. For relief indeed a massage from a very knowlegeable person may help. They demonstrated the technique to me. Looks like they only massage very softly the upper layers of the skin but it hurts tremendously in the beginning. In the end it really helped. But needs a professional at a hospital. A spa would most probably add some pleasure but this is a medical thing and needs appropriate knowledge how the nerves in the fascia and layers of the skin behave.

Edited May 17, 2021 by moogradod

[rhodie]

Try Celebrex. I have used lots, but eventually they stopped being effective. Tried acupuncture 6 months ago out of desperation and it worked for me. Did 5 sessions over 2 weeks and it was life changing. YMMV, but worth a try.

[VocalNeal]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I am experiencing for the first time in my life lower back pain. Waves of pain spasms making hard to sit, walk or lie down. 

 

I hope your toes are not numb also. If so I know what that might be.

[Liverpool Lou]

I use Arcoxia (90 or 120mg) and a muscle relaxant, Myonal.

[RichardColeman]

The little yellow ones the 7/11 pharmacist sells for period pains.

[Patong2021]

So many dangerous comments and bad advice. I too have had pulled muscle in lower back with spasm. Not fun and  can take 1-3 weeks to go away. Every few years I get and it started with sports injury many years ago. 

-Yes, easy exercise can help, as long as it does not put strain on injured area.

-Physical intervention by hard massage or worse, by chiropractor is not recommended and can make more damage. chiropractor is not a  medical doctor and bases activity on manipulation of spine.  If a lower back issue, the problem is either with muscles or something else. There is a reason why professional sports teams have health care  team of physician,  physiotherapists and nurses, and not chiropractors.

- Warm bath and support stretch can reduce pain. If serious muscle and support tissue injury, the physiotherapist is the health professional best trained to show how to manage and to prevent future injury.

-Lower back pain can be symptom of lung cancer, gall stones, kidney damage and many other illnesses. If pain is intense and does not go away after a few days and there is continuous fever, medical attention is required.

- Strong pain killers without supervision can create more damage because you will not be aware of the warning pain if you coverup pain. The goal should be to regain mobility, to manage pain, not to conceal it.

 

What do  doctors recommend? In my case a few tablets a day that contained methocarbamol and paracetamol (acetaminophen). Methocarbamol is a mild pain blocker that has been around 50+years and has few side effects.  If someone has heart problems then definitely no strong NSAIDS like Celebrex or ibuprophen. Why not? Because they are not recommended for people with heart disease, blood pressure issues or kidney problem. Arcoxia is Cox-2 inhibitor and the drug is restricted in many countries because of damage that can occur.  If you want to take these drugs , then speak with doctor first who knows your medical history.  Just because you can get some drugs in Thailand over the counter does not make them safe or without serious risk.

 

If pain persists or worsens and you have fever or nausea, you must seek medical care.

 

[justmeagain]

Firstly, an X-Ray would show exactly what the problem is and take it from there.

 

I had chronic pain for years and reluctantly sought out a Chiropractor (who will do X-Rays).

 

Rarely do I have pain now-so it definitely worked. But as with anything 'one size doesn't fit all'.

 

Osteopaths offer similar treatment to a Chiropractor.

 

Good luck...

 

 

.

[justmeagain]

26 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

So many dangerous comments and bad advice. I too have had pulled muscle in lower back with spasm. Not fun and  can take 1-3 weeks to go away. Every few years I get and it started with sports injury many years ago. 

-Yes, easy exercise can help, as long as it does not put strain on injured area.

-Physical intervention by hard massage or worse, by chiropractor is not recommended and can make more damage. chiropractor is not a  medical doctor and bases activity on manipulation of spine.  If a lower back issue, the problem is either with muscles or something else. There is a reason why professional sports teams have health care  team of physician,  physiotherapists and nurses, and not chiropractors.

- Warm bath and support stretch can reduce pain. If serious muscle and support tissue injury, the physiotherapist is the health professional best trained to show how to manage and to prevent future injury.

-Lower back pain can be symptom of lung cancer, gall stones, kidney damage and many other illnesses. If pain is intense and does not go away after a few days and there is continuous fever, medical attention is required.

- Strong pain killers without supervision can create more damage because you will not be aware of the warning pain if you coverup pain. The goal should be to regain mobility, to manage pain, not to conceal it.

 

What do  doctors recommend? In my case a few tablets a day that contained methocarbamol and paracetamol (acetaminophen). Methocarbamol is a mild pain blocker that has been around 50+years and has few side effects.  If someone has heart problems then definitely no strong NSAIDS like Celebrex or ibuprophen. Why not? Because they are not recommended for people with heart disease, blood pressure issues or kidney problem. Arcoxia is Cox-2 inhibitor and the drug is restricted in many countries because of damage that can occur.  If you want to take these drugs , then speak with doctor first who knows your medical history.  Just because you can get some drugs in Thailand over the counter does not make them safe or without serious risk.

 

If pain persists or worsens and you have fever or nausea, you must seek medical care.

 

 

Interesting, everyone's advice here is 'dangerous'? and your advice...is not? Seriously.

[Fab5BKK]

NCC1701A: 

Lots of comments 'n advice, good 'n bad!

 

My 2 cents, if pain is for more than few days, go to a Spine dept. @ a respected hospital (BNH, ...) and  get real advice based on true facts from real experts.

 

As an interim measure some Ibuprofen could help, but has to used carefully, very carefully

[Jingthing]

Acetaminophen doesn't work on back pain.

 

Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant. 

Edited May 17, 2021 by Jingthing

[simple1]

10 hours ago, ripstanley said:

Go to a doctor and have Xrays or scans to find where the problem is.

Prior to any medication need to get scan of lower back for interpretation by specialist to try and identify cause. Different pain killers for differing causes. e.g. if pain is caused by spinal stenosis  (which I have) would require specialised medication for nerve pain, not opiates and so on,, a number of which have side effects requiring research. I have stopped taking pain killers unless instances of crippling elevation of pain for which I go to hospital. There are a number of exercise routines which cam assist, but for me over six years have relatively minimal outcomes. If severe spinal stenosis key hole surgery is now available in Oz only via Private Medicare, obviously only to be done by highly experienced surgeon. A person I know in Oz recently had the procedure with an excellent outcome. 

Edited May 17, 2021 by simple1

[Rampant Rabbit]

I can't  remember her name? really needs  to be taken twice a day.

[northsouthdevide]

Go to a farmacy and ask for tablets to relax muscle.

Make sure that they don't contain paracetamol.

You can also take ibuprofen, then if you don't feel any benefit in 3 or 4 days, visit a doctor.