is there a pain killer that can be taken in the for of an injection instead than a pill?

Question

i just had a wrist surgery were they put screws in my wrist and i really dont like taking in pills so i was wondering if theres an injection type so i dont have to worry about the pills

Answer 1

Sorry, friend, but I can all but guarantee that your doctor will not change you off of the pills. The reason for this is that not liking to take pills is usually just a psychological barrier...if you can swallow food you can swallow a pill.

Yes, there are numerous pain relievers that are available in the form of an injection, but as the other posters noted it is unlikely that a doctor will prescribe this to you. Most of these are too powerful to be given at home on a routine basis, and given that you would need to be trained to give it to yourself (or someone in your household) and the increased risk of an infection if there is any contamination...the liability risk is too great and most doctors will not condone it.

Also, pills trully are better for the type of pain that you are probably experiencing. The pills do take longer (about 30-60 minutes) to start working. But, they also last longer (usually about 4-6 hours). Once you get on a schedule, you can take the next pill before the last on worn off. Most injectable medications do not last that long (2-4 hours, maybe 6 with Toradol (ketoralac)). The more gradual onset of the pills and their longer duration will give you the pain relief that you need, and are less likely to be addicting.

The patches, such as Fentynl patches, are reserved for chronic pain. Fentynl is 100 times more potent than morphine and is very addicting. Your doctor wants your pain controlled, but he also does not want to create a drug addict.

If I were you, I would stick with the pills. If you really can swollow them, talk to your pharmacists and see if they can be crushed. We do that in the hospital with children who refuse to swallow the pills--we crush them up and mix them in apple sauce and such. Also, you cold consider bringing this up with your doctor and seeing if he can prescribe you a pediatric elixir. Morphine, Tylenol with codiene, and Loratab (Vicodin) all come in a liquid form that you can drink. They are usually reserved for kids...to get an adult dose you will have to drink more, and they will kick in sooner and not last as long as the pills will. Also, they taste like crap...but you can disguise the taste some with juice. Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, but in most cases, health insurance companies won't cover injectibles at home, with the exception of things like insulin.

Some good injectible analgesics: ketorolac (Toradol). It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and would probably work well for this sort of pain. It's like ibuprofen or naproxen, but better.

For more severe pain, you may need to look at the narcotics: morphine, Demerol, etc. These have some pretty serious side effects though. Like, if you take too much it depresses a lot of body processes (specifically, your breathing, which would be a very bad thing).

Besides the injectibles, a transdermal (patch) medication might work. Many people use a Fentanyl patch for pain, but again this is a narcotic (a very strong one, at that), and if you're using it, you probably shouldn't be left alone. You'd be way too stoned to do anything on your own.

If it were me, I'd start with the ketorolac and see how that works for you.

Answer 3

There are pain killers - visteril, stadol, and the like - that can be injected intramuscularly (in the butt) to deal with severe pain, but those drugs are closely controlled and it would require a doctor visit every time you needed a shot.

Local pain killers will not deal with the pain in your wrist.

As a result, the proper treatment is hydrocodone or the like via pills. (You may be able to talk your doctor into prescribing the liquid version, if swallowing is an issue.)

Answer 4

morpheine and demerol are two that i know but if you take those you will just have to sit there because you'll be way too high to go anywhere or talk to anyone.