Hi,

I am a 53 year old woman. I suffer from multiple disc herniations in my lumbar spine and one in my cervical spine. As well, I have tricompartmental arthritis in my right knee and fibromyalgia. I have difficulty with mobility and pain. I have taken Tylenol 3 and Percocet 5/325 (at least four tablets a day of either one or the other) for the past 3 years. This amount of medication does not offer me adequate relief. Recently, I saw a counsellor who suggested that I have to get my pain under control before I can move forward with my life. During our sessions, she sees that I can't sit for more than 5 minutes at a time. I'm not sure what to do. I know that Oxycontin and the other drugs mentioned are narcotic painkillers and of course I am concerned with physical dependence, but with my level of pain I have no choice but to be dependent on some form of pain medication. What do you suggest?