Quote from windysan:

Chef,

I have a buddy with some screwed-up discs. He's been taking vics for a couple of years. He stays on the same dose but he doesn't get much relief anymore. Is meth widely used by docs for pain management? He is looking at other options and he doesn't want to go under the knife. He's sick of the vicodin cuz it ain't helping him. The doc told him that oxy was the next step but my friend doesn't want to do oxy. You got any tips?

thanks,
w

Windy, I am going through the same thing myself right now, and there aren't alot of options. In my case, L4 and L5 are about 40% eroded, S1 is about 50% gone, with stenosis and ligament damage. This is the single most difficult aspect of getting off of narcotics: dealing with legitimate pain. I have been seen by two neurologists, an orthopedic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and my regular doctor, and the general concensus is non-narcotic medication, such as Bextra or Mobic, or steriod spinal injections, which only work about half the time, and can cause more pain than they relieve. I am starting another round of physical therapy next week by a group that specializes in lower spinal disorders. We'll see what happens.