SCI Nurse---MethylPrednisolone for pain?

[Eileen]

Last week I was put on Medron, which is methylprednisolone for six days in a dose that starts high and then titrates down as the week wears on. The first thing I noticed was extreme insomnia. Laying there watching the minutes turn on the digital clock and NO sleep for three days. By about day three I thought that I was actually getting some relief in my shoulders and arms and that this just might be working. By day four the dose level/24 hours had dropped considerably, and the pain started to return, although not back to baseline yet. I finished the last pill yesterday, and my shoulder's/hands are killing me again. I was also given Morpheine Contin to take after the steroids were finished. Two long acting 30 mg tabs 2/day, and short acting 15mg tabs as a prn. All this is making me a bit worried as I don't want to get hooked on anything, but I also seem to have hit a wall in terms of how much pain I can deal with. So, my question is should the steroids have had a longer acting affect? It doesn't seem like to great a cost/benefit ratio to have relief for only about 48 hours. How hyper to I need to be about taking the morphine contin? Thank you.

[firesmurf]

i cannot say too much about the MS,but i DO have alot of experience with that medrol dosepack thing.the relief you described is about the way i get it too from this stuff.the day i start,i get nothing but day two and three are usually pretty good(this is for my RSD knee)then it starts to get ugly again as i taper off.i can usually get about two real good days then it hits the fan again.don't know if its worth the effort unless i want to go somewhere and have the lowest pain possible,i would take it and have the two good days fall on the day of the event i wanted to attend,you know what i mean?other than that,i really have found no real lasting benefits from it.sorry things didn't get better for you.Marcia

[JonnyC]

I've had many experiences with the Morphine Sulphate Continus (MST).

If you suffer from pretty bad pain you should give them a try....trust me, there isn't a great deal out there better (in tablet form anyways)

If your worried about 'getting hooked', take them for a fortnight and then have 2 -3 days off them. If you feel with-drawn then you'll know wether or not you want to continue.

If you don't, may I recommend you try something a little 'weaker' like tramadol or dihydrocodiene?

All the best.

[Eileen]

Hi Marcia and Jonny,
Thank you so much for your responses. I am glad (well, sort of) to know that I am not some sort of weirdo for whom the Medrol only worked for a couple of days. It is good feedback, as now I can tell my GP that it is not just me who experienced such short acting relief. I agree with you Marcia that it isn't really worth the effort unless there is something very special I need to attend. Jonny, thanks for the med tip, and I like the idea of trying it and then coming off of it after a couple of weeks to test the "hooked" factor. Of course, if it offers enough relief I may not even care. I had been taking ultram, but it pretty much lost its effectiveness for me a couple of months ago (after taking it for a few years). Thanks again.

[JonnyC]

......if it offers enough relief I may not even care. I had been taking ultram, but it pretty much lost its effectiveness for me a couple of months ago (after taking it for a few years). Thanks again.

Your right there.....Does it really matter about being dependent on a med?
Chances are most of us will be on them most our lifes anyway.
And the Ultram (Tramadol) does lose its effectivness after a while, thats when you need the stronger ones such as Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Methadone, Morphine etc.

Nice to meet you too.
All the best.