Ok, appt went okay. Plan is to try yet another shot, and he is sending me to a neurosurgeon for a consult on if dealing with the protruding discs is worth the risk of surgery.

As for pain, I explained the GI doc taking me off all NSAIDs and that all I had to take was Tylenol, and was getting no relief at all. He asked aboiut my limitations for meds I could or couldn't take, and my response was basically "I have a history of addiction but I will take whatever the **** you will give me." So we agreed on Tramadol, for now. Smallest risk of causing me problems, while still possibly getting relief.

So, a question. He wrote it for 3 times daily. Should I take it all 3 times in the beginning to get ahead of the pain, and then see if I can manage with just 1 or 2 a day? It is still an opiate, so I don't want to take more than I need to...