Opioids for back spasms?

I'm glad the spasms are gone! I don't why they appear and disappear.

Thank you for a very enlightening and insightful explanation of addiction vs. physical dependency. I do not crave opioid euphoria; I take my generic Norco as directed by a physician who is a pain specialist, and I find it more helpful than anything else I've tried. When the pain feels more mechanical than nerve-related, I take generic Aleve. These meds work on different pain receptors, and I think it's a good combination--for me, anyway. I've taken hydrocodone for many years without increasing the dosage or frequency of the medication; I've had to temporarily take higher dosages for post-surgical pain and for the extreme pain of two fractures. I suffer chronic pain--sub-migraine daily headaches and ongoing low back pain; I'm currently also experiencing pain from a shoulder fracture sustained 3 months ago, which is healing with physical therapy and calcium supplements, without surgery. My physical medicine doctor has suggested spinal injections at two specific sites for the low back pain; I continue debating that because I fear the worst (and least frequent) side effects, such as *paralysis.* Someone mentioned that they had stomach upset from taking opioids; I take generic Zofran for the nausea, and it helps me greatly. I hope everyone has courageous, sympathetic, and truly *helpful* physicians!

Thank you for your excellent, informative post. I agree, keep doing what's best for you. Analyzing the risk-benefit analysis of the spiral injections is prudent. Paralysis is a real possible outcome, unfortunately.
Certain generic opioids make some people more nauseous than others. I'm glad you've figured out what's optimal treatment for you. 👍🏽

Take the oxycodone with food. It will help with nausea and pain and chances of you getting addicted are very slim. You can ask for something milder, too, say Tylenol #3.

Don't take any opioids with the Valium. Use one or the other.

Don't be afraid of getting relief, and I hope you find it.

I hope you find relief.

Just consider everything you’ve heard about addiction and how no one ever set out to learn they have addictive tendencies. Don't let some dude you don't know from Adam try to convince you that if (a) is not true you won’t become addicted. No one who knows what they are talking about would ever say that.

Let your physician guide you. Ask for a pain specialist referral if you think that might help. Ask about the generic version of Flexeril - a great muscle relaxer and there are two new brands of it now - generic name is cyclobenzaprine. I don’t tolerate synthetic narcotics so when i had lung surgery I went home with enough of that to get me through a few nights.

You can also get pain patches - even prescription strength.

There are options. Just tell your Doc you need attention to the issue. And good luck !

Yes, that was very true for me. The nausea. I have zero problems on Percocet and I am miserable throwing up on Demerol or morphine. Norco or Vicodin makes me itch and makes me edgy like I’m an addict. I take the Percocet low-dose for 25 years if I don’t have pain, I’m fine. I’ve never had any gastric problems with it and I’m very happy that I have some thing that relieves my pain since I’ve gone to the doctor for years and years and they can’t eliminate all the pain from, degenerative disc condition that I have. It seems to be in my bones themselves.

Good going! 🤗

Oh, that only lasted 2 days. The spasm came right back and I've been in my chair all week with the heating pad.

If you don’t want to get addicted you can make sure you don’t by only taking medication as prescribed. The number of people addicted following responsible prescribing of opioids is so low it’s a joke.
I don’t have the number in front me. You can get it on the internet.
The ever increasing number of older adults who are not properly prescribed pain medicine because of opioid silliness leads to self medicating with alcohol, which is dangerously escalating every year.
Doctors do not focus on the number of self prescribing nuts who eat handfuls of over the counter meds like Tylenol etc and they should.
Now that American Rheumatologists have been told Tylenol is no longer first line defense for arthritis pain, doctors need to wake up.
I am sick and tired of hearing these horrific pain stories from seniors as age 30 something doctors try anti depressants, horrific Gabapentin with its suicidal ideation issues, history of falls and confusion in the elderly) and let their patients drink themselves to death. EVERY DAY I see or hear about this. Maybe because I’m over 65.
It’s a national emergency and older people are paying for drug addicts who take illegal fentanyl and other street drugs.
Enough already. Treat older patients pain properly.

Bummer. I forgot and this thread has gotten long. Where on your back is the spasm? I have a chronic tightness in my right rhomboid, trap, and neck muscles. I recently found a very good masseuse and that helped immensely. In fact once those muscles were loosened, my entire back felt better.

So maybe massage? And finally, watch out on applying heat to a spasm. It will feel good when you use it, but will aggravate inflammation after. Best to use ice, or something like a TheraGun or TheraCane than heat.