Codeine & Hydrocodone are the same way for me. Don't kill the pain... they just sortof let me step back from it, look at it... roll it around like a little ball of fire in the back of my mind... but it does NOT go away.
one Tramadol, one Acetaminophen and 800-ish mg Ibuprofen tho... that's a pretty good pain cocktail for when I'm really miserable but need to function. Drops the scream aboot 40-60dB, give the ibus a chance to beat the inflammation down. The Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen have a synergistic effect, and the Tramadol is a good muffler to let them do their job.
Bad part is extended use on the Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen combo really beats up your liver, so occasional use only.
mnem