Car accident pain

Hi there...Welcome to HW...We are sorry that you have pain issues but happy that you found us here...It's a great group of people who can empathize with what it's like to have chronic pain.

It's not as common for Acetaminophen to cause an ulcer as that is usually cause by Ibuprofen...so I would just make sure with your Gastroenterologist that there aren't other things that are possibly causing it like your diet, stress, or hpylori. Acetaminophen is usually associated with liver issues.

Obviously I am not a Dr. as none of us here are medical professionals...Just sharing my thoughts based on my own knowledge of medications I have taken.

If I can ask a few questions...

What type of Dr. are you seeing tomorrow?

And did they do a X-ray and/or MRI at the time of the accident or anytime recently in the last 6 months to see if there is anything going on in there that needs surgical intervention?

The best Dr. for neck issues is either a Board Certified Neurosurgeon or BC Orthopedic surgeon. They will likely want to do a X-ray and MRI to see what is going on.

It is up to a Dr. to decide on what type of medication to use based on what types of injuries/pain issues you are having. There are other medications to try before opiates are needed.

If there is inflammation...then Ibuprofen or even an injection or oral steroids can be helpful.

If it is muscular then a muscle relaxer is best for the spasms. Those are either Flexeril, Robaxin, Skelaxin, Baclofen, or Zanaflex.

Or if there happens to be nerve related pain issues...there are specific nerve pain medications like Lyrica, Cymbalta, or Neurontin.

And then there are other things like physical therapy, aqua therapy, stretching with bands, massage...regular or ultrasound, acupuncture, TENS unit, ice, heat, etc.

Once a Dr. like I mentioned diagnoses you...they will decide if you are surgical or non surgical and then proceed from there. If you end up trying all the treatments they recommend and it still doesn't help...then you may get referred to an actual Pain Management Dr.

If the need arises that you need pain meds..They will start very low with something like Tramadol....and then it would move up over time to Vicodin, Percocet, etc..

And unless you have addiction issues in your history....there is nothing to be concerned about with taking any type of pain medication as you just need to follow the directions on the prescription bottle. Just like you would any type of medication like heart meds for example. A medication does not cause addiction.

Now, if for some reason you have had issues in the past...then you need to be honest with your Dr. and they can work with you and prescribe certain pain meds that work differently in the brain for those with addiction issues. You can also involve a family member/spouse that could hold the medication for you.

So...first things first....make sure you are seeing the right type of Dr. to get a proper diagnosis..

Again...welcome to the boards and hope you stay around and share your journey with us.