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Husband Recovering From Gunshot Wounds, Need Opioid AlternativesPosted By Jade (Baltimore, Maryland) on 05/31/2018
Backstory.... My significant other was caught in crossfire a little over a year ago. He was shot in both legs. Below the knee on one of his legs is completely replaced with metal, there is no bone in the leg.
The pain in his leg, he describes is an intense burning sensation. He also experiences a lot of "referred pain." A large amount of swelling including his foot is present as well. It looks like a column. The combination of these two is somewhat debilitating to him.
Normally he would be taking Gabapentin and Percocet. We both have agreed that these have somewhat handicapped him mentally. The side effects of Percocet are not favorable. From moodiness to nodding in public.
Currently he is taking a break from both medicines. Normally his leg would be giving him extreme issues, however at this time he is not working so there is not too much pain and swelling going on due to lack of movement and strenuous activity.
So I am looking for something that can be used to aid with both of these issues we are dealing with. I am interested in something in pill form mostly, as I believe that would be easier to keep in routine. However I am open to all ways.
Thank you in advance!!!
Replied by Art (California ) on 06/01/2018
Here are a few ideas you can ask his doctor about to see if they would be applicable for your husband's particular case.
Some people have found that topical magnesium oil can be helpful for nerve pain. Using it in a spray bottle can make application easy. Never apply on broken skin or wound as it will sting intensely! The mag oil can also help to relax the muscles and is also absorbed through the skin for body wide availability.
Another non-invasive idea is using ice packs to reduce the swelling, significantly lower inflammation and help with nerve pain. The "soft ice packs" are the most comfortable to use and always keep a towel between the ice pack and skin to prevent damaging the skin or tissue.
Another consideration is the idea of having the Percocet compounded into a topical lotion or ointment to limit systemic uptake while allowing relatively high tissue concentrations locally to the area of pain. Of course his doctor would have to approve and then write a script to a compounding pharmacy for this. This could potentially lessen the negative effects associated with the oral use. Here is a brief article on the subject.
http://atlasdrugandnutrition.com/compounding-topical-pain-medication/
Good luck and let us know how it works out!
Art
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