Dilaudin vs Vicodin

I have been taking pain medication for many years. I suppose I have taken them all once or twice. Right now I take Dilaudin/Hydromorphone, 8mg every six hours. Of course the pain gets so bad sometimes that I take a little more than prescribed. I take Kadian too which is a time release morphine, 100mg twice a day. It just doesn't work. The only relief I get is just doing nothing at all. The pain comes with any movement like walking, bending, etc. I want to ask all of you if Vicodin is stronger than what I am taking? It's one medication I haven't tried. If not, do any of you know of something stronger I can ask my doctor for or something I can do with the pills I have to make them act stronger, like chewing, etc.? And what does "banging" mean? Thanks for your help.

vicodin will be weaker than morphine and dilaudid... hm, it seems ur prescribed some pretty hefty pain meds, its suprising that they aren't working to dull the pain... maybe fentanyl would work better, but i honestly have no clue... hope u find a way to make the pain more bearable..




btw, banging means IV injection

I'm not a doctor but I think, part of the problem is that you have most likely built up a tolerance to these medications. Trippin' Billies is correct, vicodin is weaker then what you are currently taking. Some people have used medical marijuana to help with pain management. Maybe also looking into some alternative type treatments, acupuncture or something, some people say they work, but I don't know for sure. Hope you find something that works for you.

Thank you for your letters. I really appreciate it. I wish that marijuana was legal and you could just go down to the drug store and buy some. Wouldn't that be great!! I used to smoke a long time ago:beatnik2: but since I moved I don't know anyone here that I can get it from. Oh well, I have no choice to just hang in there and try to cope. How about chewing the tablets. Will that help, you think?? Thanks again.

:daisy:

well, chewing them would release all of the morphine at once, meaning that it'd be aalot stonger, but it woulnd't last nearly as long... maybe ask ur doc for some immediate release ms contin for breakthrough pain? that could possibly help out a little...

where is ur pain located if u don't mind me askin,,, sharp? dull? etc

Thanks for writing. The pain is a bitch. It's can be a stab kind of pain or just like a cramp or a pulled muscle. It's my lower back. I have discs rubbing against each other and they won't operate since there are too many discs involved. They said they would if it were only a couple but they said it's five discs. Hurts like hell sometimes. I asked my doctor once that since I am taking this pain med why am I still in such pain. The answer was, just think how the pain would be without the meds. I've had the epidurals several times and they don't work. I don't know....... How's it going to be years from now? It's very frustrating and it gets old pretty fast. I wish I knew more about pain meds. That's the reason I started on this web site to find out the differences. I can't seem to get an answer any where else. I like your little smoker. Where did you get it and how do you add one of those?


:daisy:

You are on doses that would quite possibly kill someone without a high opiate tolerance. IV would certainly help with the pain, but a needle habit isn't something I would wish on anyone, and Dr's tend to cut off narcotics when they see needle marks. You might try fentanyl patches. If you can't get those prescribed all I can think of is poppy pods and maybe plugging. Wish I had more to offer, I was underprescribed pain medicine following a car accident, so I know how frustrating it can be. My pain probably didn't compare to yours, based on what you're prescribed. I hate to even mention this, but when/if your back gets fixed you will be faced with some pretty brutal withdrawls even from your current level of meds.

Fentanyl...oh boy Any opiate is going to be less effective with continued use. Hydro is a lot less potent than what you're taking now. I agree with flyingsquirrel, when and if you stop, you are going to be in a world of hurt for a few.

i would suggest consuming some grass in a lung friendly way such as vaporizing or eating =)

OxyContin would work great for you. Although you would have to cut out the other opiates you are using because they depress your breathing and combining them all might be risky.

Ask your doctor about OxyContin, it will release a steady amount of medicine thorughout the day, which it seems like you need. If not that, my next try would be a fentanyl patch.