She has spinal degeneration and sciatica for which Tylenol 3 times a day doesn't provide enough relief. Her doctor had her go for PT, but she won't bother to do the daily exercises on her own. The doctor wants to do a trial of Tramadol, half a dose at bedtime. My sister (67) was prescribed Tramadol recently and had a very severe reaction with vomiting, diarrhea and incapacitation for 12 hours--she's reluctant for Mom to try this med, as her kidney function is not great, she's incontinent and uses a walker. The other option is acupuncture, massage and other alternative treatments.
We have tried lots of other - low dose meds. Have you tried Nucynta? It is in the same family as tramodol but has less side effects. It comes in a 50mg Extended release pill. Mom takes it before bedtime and is able to sleep better. She can wake and get up and use the toilet and go right back to sleep. No dizzy issues.
Have you tried Lidoderm patches? They have been helpful for leg pains resulting from back pains. We have had problems with getting Part D to cover. Also might suggest voltarin gel. This puts anti inflammatory meds right in the area experiencing pain (knees and feet in mom which also have arthritis).
Another suggestion is Mirapex - actually a Parkinson drug (she does not have Parkinson's). Mom takes very low doses but it has reduced the burning and shooting pains down her legs she used to complain about. We also have discovered that Excedrin Tension (does not have aspirin but has caffeine) gives her some relief without side effects.
It is tough to get them moving when the movement hurts. I hope you find the right mix for your mom.
My Dad won't do his exercises, either. He finds them too boring :(
Mom and I cannot tolerate some of the fillers that are used to make the pill large enough to handle and fillers used to bind the pill together. Some common fillers are lactose (milk sugar), microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, sugars, whey and yeast. Lactose and whey can cause stomach upset if you can't drink regular milk or eat wheat.
It's always trial and error when it comes to new prescriptions for me... if I find one brand I can tolerate, I always make sure I have the pharmacy use the same manufacturer every time I refill.
My Dad was given Tramadol yesterday by his primary physician for arthritis pain. When I saw this posting I needed to remember to ask him how he did with the pill without suggesting any side effects. He said the pill was great for his pain but it made him feel tired. I reminded him that is what his doctor said the pill might do. I suggested he try a half a tablet.