Category Archives: Drugs

Chronic Back Pain May Be a Pamidronate Infusion Treatable Disease – And Why Did It take 10 Years to Replicate That?

For Chronic back pain – Pamidronate 90 mg diluted in 250 mls saline and given over 4 hours – initially and in 4 weeks resulted in 85% getting 100% relief at 6 months versus very little response in the placebo … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Drugs, IV therapy, pain mechanisms, Sask Pain Advice | 1 Comment

Lipoderm Superior to PLA Gels

I found PLO gels irritating but not Lipoderm. At a recent conference they bragged about their ability which can be seen at: http://www.pccarx.com/pcca-products/pcca-exclusives/bases/lipoderm Disclaimer – don`t get squat from anybody

Posted in Drugs, Topical Pain Treatments | Leave a comment

How Much Relief Does One Get From NSAIDs in Tennis Elbow

You can get abut 1/3rd reduction in pain on 2 weeks of Naproxen 500 mg bid.

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Adding Famotidine 26.6 mg tid to Ibuprofen 800 TID Cut GI Bleed 50%

Combo pill with ibuprofen 800 mg and 26.6 mg famotidine when given tid has 50% Stomach bleed reduction – marketed in US as Duexis. In Canada probably famotidine (pepcid) 20 mg tid with ibuprofen 800 tid would make a good … Continue reading

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Prevent Chemotherapy Neuropathy With L-Acetyl Carnitine (LAC) – Please Take

Peripheral Neuropathy can limit the extent of chemotherapy and hence have a direct effect on survival; L-Acetyl Carnitine at a dose of 3-5 gm/day can prevent that.

Posted in breast cancer, Drugs, neuropathic | 2 Comments

Severe Neuropathic Pain – Only 1/4 Respond to Standard Drug Protocols – What Else Is There?

Presentation at Canadian Pain Society Winnipeg 2013 found only 23.7%  of severe neuropathic pain victims responded to Canadian Pain Society drug protocols for neuropathic pain. It is time to look outside the box for treatment measures.

Posted in Drugs, Fibromyalgia, Injection, IV therapy, Manual Med, myofascial pain, neuropathic, Pain Dystrophy, piriformis | 9 Comments

Midazolam Effective For Back Pain – Safe as Kenalog Because Same Benzyl Alcohol Perservative – As Long as Ph Balanced and Benzyl Alcohol Diluted to 0.07%

Midazolam has been shown to have powerful effects similar to steroid epidurally, but there are concerns about its perservative. However, it is the same Benzyl alcohol preservative seen in Kenalog which is widely used in epidural injections. Recent animal vitreous … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Drugs, radiculitis | 1 Comment

Confirmed Again – Biphosphanates Work In Complex Regional Pain

Over and over again Biphosphonates have been shown to help CRPS except one study that only bothered to give one infusion. A new agent not yet available in Canada,  Neridronate, at 100 mg given FOUR times over 10 days was found to … Continue reading

Posted in complex regional pain, Drugs | 2 Comments

Fibromyalgia – Naltrexone Mediocre Results

Naltrexone is a  partial pain site blocker/stimulant used primarily to help alcoholics get off drinking. It was found in a controlled pilot study some years ago to help with pain in Fibromyalgia. It was well tolerated. Present controlled unfortunately shows … Continue reading

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With Prior History of Substance Abuse, What is Likelihood of Substance Abuse on Opioids For Chronic Pain?

Substance abuse issues in chronic pain sufferers is always a concern – and doubly so, if there is an abuse history.  Chance of abuse in high risk cases was 32%.

Posted in Drugs, psychology | Leave a comment

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Score – Using It for Steroid Dose

Had a complaint that Doctors leave patient’s in agony  with PMR without thought of their needed prednisone dose – here’s how to figure needed dose out by calculating their disease activity.

Posted in Drugs, Rheumatic | Leave a comment

Vitamin C Lowers Painkiller Needs After Surgery

I have published various article on how vitamin C reduced pains for shingles, wrist sugery, and preventing Complex Regional Pain. Now shown to reduce pain after surgery – cut opioid needs.

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MSM for Knee Arthritis Disappointing by Self

Use of MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) for knee arthritis barely reached significance and did not reach clinical usefulness by self – maybe better if combined with NSAID’s?

Posted in arthritis, Drugs, Knee | Leave a comment

Lithium Reduces Spinal Cord Damage Pain by 35% in 6 Weeks

Case reports have found lithium carbonate an effective in chronic pain but these results have been ignored because of lack of a reliable study, Now a a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was done and showed benefit in Chronic  Spinal … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, central & spinal, Drugs, neuropathic, radiculitis | Leave a comment

Chronic Back Pain Help – Forgotten B12 Injections and What Else Good For…

Double blind, randomised, placebo – controlled trial of daily 1000U IM/day B12 for 14 days found significant benefit for people with chronic Low Back Pain. Cochrane review thought it was not high quality but sounded good to me; and for … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Deficits, Drugs | 7 Comments

Depression is a Form of Pain and Ketamine May be a Cure if One Can Make It Last

Recent studies has demonstrated short infusions of ketamine can quickly and perhaps completely remove depression for up to 1 week (who says there is no happy pill?). Infusions for neuropathic pain can give significant improvements for time periods as well. … Continue reading

Posted in complex regional pain, Depression, Drugs, neuropathic | 3 Comments

Statin (Cholesterol lower drug) Muscle Pains – Some Due to Low Vitamin D.

Prior case examples have hilighted how low vitamin D might cause leg pains etc. with statin drugs. Now a group analysis has confirmed it and shown supplementation helps.

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Scary Aspect of Osteoporosis Meds – Hip Atypical Subtrochanteric Fractures

Recent analysis had put hip fracture rates with bisphosphonate osteoporosis meds at 1/1000 per year. This is way too common – I have a suggested treatment.

Posted in breast pain, Drugs, Hip Pains | Leave a comment

Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis – Can Do Better Than Arthritis Pills

Hand Osteoarthritis with progressive deformities, pain and  erosions on xray is not your typical osteoarthritis. It is coined “inflammatory osteoarthritis” and can lead to  increased disability.  Drugs like IM methylprednisolone, Hydroxychloroquine, Infliximab, and  Anakinra all help.

Posted in arthritis, Drugs | 1 Comment

Synthetic Cannabinoids And Fibromyalgia – Pain Aid and Now Sleeps

Two Canadian studies have been done on  Nabilone – One at University of Manitoba showing it improves pain, and a recent one from McGill showing it helps sleep.

Posted in Drugs, Fibromyalgia | Leave a comment

Biochemical and Hormonal Abnormalites Suggest Possible Treatments for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia posters at the IASP congress in Montreal highlighted abnormalities in DHEA and tryptophan. Treatments of these conditions could help. Testosterone could be a concern as well.

Posted in chronic fatigue, Drugs, Fibromyalgia | Leave a comment

Pain Worsening From Opioids Rare

Pain Hyperalgesia is a condition where “allegedly” you become more sensitive to pain once on opioids. This is used by opioid-haters that tell of doom to those on opioids. A Stanford associated study couldn’t find any and another failed to … Continue reading

Posted in Drugs, pain mechanisms, psychology | Leave a comment

No Hope Severe Neuropathic/CRPS Pain?- 4-5 Day IV Lidocaine to Rescue

One study found a 5 day courses of IV lidocaine useful in both Complex Regional Pain and Peripheral nerve injury neuropathic pain.  Other used 1 hour sessions of increasing dose daily for 4 days. Each got good results. When all … Continue reading

Posted in complex regional pain, Drugs, IV therapy, neuropathic | 1 Comment

Chronic Opioid Consumption Not the Answer in Chronic Pain and Politics Gets in the Way

Previously, Dennis Turk has contended that only 1/2 of chronic pain sufferers will tolerate of find opioids effective.  See: http://painmuse.org/ref/turk.pdf Now a Norwegian study suggests even in “planned” opioid users, only 23% will be taking opioids 3 years later.  Meanwhile, doctors in Orthopaedic Medicine, … Continue reading

Posted in Drugs, Insurer issues, Regina Pain News | Leave a comment

IV Ketamine – Pain Rescue For Refractory Pain Flareups

Not a Pain Meeting Goes By Without someone extolling the virtues of IV Ketamine in refractory patients. Its use has been thwarted by preceived side effects. Now it appears these fears have been over-rated.  Here are some protocols I have … Continue reading

Posted in Drugs, IV therapy | 1 Comment