Re: OT - Chronic Pain Management Experience?

"hopitus" <hopitus@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:10155d59-2a54-4eb0-beef-168c181e0f31@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Oct 9, 10:21 am, "MaryL" <stanco...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
"CatNipped" <CatNip...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:6l4icfFamf7pU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



It's been a month since my spinal surgery and, unfortunately, the pain
has
not gone away - which pretty much means there was irreversible nerve
damage done (and I won't get into all those doctors I went to for 2
years
who said nothing could be done, which prolonged the time the nerve was
pinched, which ended up causing the permanent damage). I've dealt with
constant pain in the past, having Fibromyalgia, but this is a whole
'nother level of pain from that.

I'm going to a chronic pain management clinic next Tuesday, but I'm not
really hopeful that much can be done - especially since I'm not willing
to
take the most popularly prescribed medications like Neurontin or Lyrica
(which mess with your brain chemistry, have horrific side effects, and
horrific withdrawal symptoms).

I'd like to have some data on pain management when I talk to the
doctor,
but haven't been able to find anything helpful on the 'net. Has anyone
here dealt with chronic pain management? If so, which
drugs/procedures/diets/other have had the most effectiveness?

I would appreciate any and all advice and experiences.

Hugs,

CatNipped

I took my mother to a pain management specialist. She had previously
been
given medications such as Neurontin. The side effects were horrible, as
you
said. She had severe headaches and excruciating back pain. She was
about
85 years old at the time I "discovered" the pain management specialist
and
was not in physical condition for further surgery. This doctor was
remarkable. He was the only doctor out of all that I had taken her to
who
seemed to understand the full extent of her pain. Others did not want to
prescribe anything that would make her "drowsy," but she was in
unbelievable
pain. This doctor prescribed a patch that administered the medication at
a
continual, measured dosage. The patch had to be changed every three
days.
That was so much better than pills or injections, where the medication
wears
off and pain returns before it was time for the next dose. Ironically,
the
patch worked wonders and did not cause any drowsiness at all.
Unfortunately, Mother was bedridden by that time. However, her back
eventually healed sufficiently so that the patch could be discontinued.

MaryL

That appears to me to be quite an efficient solution - the "patch",
whatever was
in it.
Question for 'Nipped: prior to your surgery, I don't remember if you
posted whether
you actually had pre-op *MRI* and *spiral CT* of affected spine
area(s). To my
limited knowledge (radiology) these two exams would have pinpointed
*exactly*
what was going on around these vertebrae to your surgeon re bone
condition,
nerve compression/pressure, and etc. They may still be of value at
this time.

Yes, I did have the MRI. They saw that the disc between C6 and C7 had
ruptured. There was also some bone overgrowth (stenosis) from when the
vertebrae were fractured and healed. Both the bone overgrowth and the
ruptured disc were pressing on the nerve on the right side.

Hugs,

CatNipped


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT - Chronic Pain Management Experience?
    ... who said nothing could be done, which prolonged the time the nerve was ... 'nother level of pain from that. ... He was the only doctor out of all that I had taken her to who ... The patch had to be changed every three days. ...
    (rec.pets.cats.anecdotes)
  • Re: I was UNBELIEVABLY STUPID!!
    ... after the first day - by the second day my pain is through the roof. ... It's when the Sandoz/Janssen ones were in severe shortage, and all I could get was the Mylan, that I had my doctor substitute another med. ... Maybe you need to witch patch brands, get the doc to specify only the Sandoz/Janssen ones, which are manufactured by Alza Corporation. ... Pretty stupid, but not as stupid as I feel, doing this. ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: Duragesic Update
    ... only location for the patch is your trunk, ... hope you don't take offense or mess with your head, but your doctor sounds ... > really like the pain relief I got from fentanyl. ... >>That Lyrica sounds a lot like Neurontin, not exactly, but similar, since ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: I was UNBELIEVABLY STUPID!!
    ... *never* been very effective after the first day - by the second day my pain ... I'm sure my doctor wouldn't approve of me using it that way, ... Pretty stupid, but not as stupid as I feel, doing this. ... fentanyl left in the patch (even at 72 hours there's still milligrams, ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: Nerve Damage - After Lumbar Laminectomy in August
    ... Nerve pain is very unique. ... nerve damage has them all and very intense. ... I've not heard of anyone's surgical nerve damage getting better. ... It's time for you to start looking for a pain management doctor. ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)