@jenatsky I don't know why I would stop taking one opioid and start another. I'm not addicted to mscontin, so I don't need a medication to stop taking it, which is the most common reason for taking buprenorphine. I see that it's also prescribed for acute and chronic pain.

I'm going to be seeing a surgeon about a DRG trial, which could be more effective than the spinal cord stimulator I have now.

@lorirenee1 How great that you found something to treat your neuropathy symptoms. I've added it to my list of things to discuss with the doctor, along with buprenorphine. These days, the arthritis pain in my hands is almost as bad as the neuropathy pain, mainly because I'm doing a lot of sanding and working on my tractor. Today I painted the engine Ford Red, with a special high heat paint. It was a real chore to work with the paint. Tomorrow I'm going to finish wiping down the back of it and start priming the tractor and front loader. I just keep going a day at a time.

Kevin adjusted the SCS Thursday, and it made a big difference. My pain level went down from 7-9 to 3-5, but it goes up in the evening when I put my feet up in the recliner or go to bed. I'm grateful for the team of doctors and other medical professionals who care for me.

Jim

@jenatsky I've been seeing a pain specialist for more than 5 years, and he's had me try a really long list of medications. Some did nothing, some worked for a while but couldn't keep up with my increasing pain level, and others had unacceptable side effects. He won't have anything to do with opioids and gives me the same spiel about "opioids are not painkillers". I've discussed with him going to the pain clinic at OHSU this spring, somewhat depending on the Covid19 numbers in the Portland area. I'm also considering finding a new pain specialist. So, for now, I'm just going to continue with current meds until a few other things happen.

Thank you for telling me about buprenorphine.

Jim