This helps with pain!

[Sharon]

Just wanted to share this with you all.
Dextromethorphan is an OTC medication (often found in combo cold meds) that much research is being done on.
It's an NMDA antagonist is being investigated for everything from fibromyalgia, IBS and depression to inflammation in MS and RA.
Most importantly, it actually works for my SJS pain, and at low dosages.
I'm currently taking 10 mg every 4 hours, but no more than 30 mg a day (since I find it becomes sedating after that).
This very low dosage causes a significant difference in my pain levels and really helps my GI issues.
I hope to build tolerance so I can take it at higher dosages to reap its anti-inflammatory benefits.
Hope it may help some of you fellow sufferers out there.

Here are just a few of the articles out there:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679715/
https://hubpages.com/health/How-to-Use-Dextromethorphan-for-Chronic-Pain
http://aac.asm.org/content/55/3/967.full
http://fedupwithfatigue.com/dextromethorphan-for-fibromyalgia/

[irish]

I don't know if you have run this drug by your doctor yet. This drug is OTC but is can cause some serious side effects and can have interactions with medications. It is a drug that was given quite freely when I first started out in nursing and over the years they took it out of a lot of medications.

Can cause problems with blood pressure meds and antidepressants. It can cause hallucinations at times and interference with breathing. I hope that you are able to sort this out. Good luck. Irish

[Carebear]

I agree with Irish's caution regarding this drug.  A good friend of mine was taking this for Fibromyalgia, and yes we each react differently, but it did him very serious physical harm. We almost lost him.

[Sharon]

Irish and Carebear- Thanks for your caring responses.
I spoke to my rheumy about it since I can't tolerate any of the strong painkillers
he prescribed (like Tramadex). He said that 30mg is a negligible dosage and that if it helps then I can take it indefinitely.
He also said that compared to Tramadex and the NSAIDS I had previously tried it has a much better safety profile.
The side effects you mentioned only happens with mega-dosing which is dangerous with any medication.
Carebear- How many mg was your friend taking??

[irish]

Thanks for the response. I am glad that you talked with your doctor. Irish

[wendyoh]

Sharon--I am glad that works for you and its nice to have something accessible o-t-c. in low doses should be safe but one does need to cautious as some teens have abused it and died as it can slow down respiration etc
I tried that for pain, at times other than when have a cold and for some reason hate how i feel on it. my dr. thought it might be an alternative to propoxyphene that got taken off the market in 2011 (it was only thing I could tolerate for pain, its very easy on the cytochrome p-450 system so easy to detox it and I am lightweight with meds) but DXM is not at all, imho similiar. I feel spacey and down on even baby doses of DSM so no go for me unfortunately.

[Sharon]

Hi Wendy, I know what you mean about feeling spacey.
I had to build the DXM up in my system a bit at first.
I began with only 10mg a day, then slowly raised.
I can only take 10mg at a time waiting ta least 4 hours before next dose and still no more than 30mg a day
since I too am a lightweight. The dosage I'm at I get no unwanted sie effects.
Unlike every other med I've tried.

[wendyoh]

Sharon, I would be thrilled if I were you! its seriously great to find something that helps

[Tharrell]

Sharon, which brand are you using? I tried to look it up, but it's all so confusing with the choices!

[Sharon]

Wendy- Yes, it is amazing to control the terrible pain!

Tharrell- You can use any brand, but all the ones on the market are combos and therefore contain other ingredients as well that I'm personally sensitive to. I use a compounding pharmacy for Dextromethorphan hbr 10mg and have it made pure without anything added.

[wendyoh]

when I tried dxm i was able to find it isolated at drug stores.....I think there are still lozenges with just dxm in them at a chain drug store (not sure if ok to say name of place?)
you just have to look hard to find it without other stuff like anti-histamines etc like sharon mentioned, but they are out there, in cough syrup sometimes by itself too

[Tharrell]

Thank you Wendyoh and Sharon! I'll be on the hunt!

[Sharon]

Good luck Tharrell, let me know if it helps you!