Pain Management Appt.

[Judy]

I am looking for opinions/options that anyone knows to alleviate my nerve pain in my upper left thigh/buttock area.
Current daily medications:

3600mg Neurontin
150mg tramadol
vicaden as needed

Have tried the following in additon to each for three months period at a time(of course one at a time)

cmybalta
lyrica

Nothing seems to work for a full 24 hour period. Painfree when sleeping, laying down and for the first 2-4 hours of waking then the pain comes and as the day progresses it gets worst. Any suggestions to discuss with the pain management doctor today? Please, at this point I am willing discuss anything. The most distrubing thing is I should not be complaining since I had my surgery I have received about a 85% relief. Am I asking for too much to be totalling pain free?

Judy

[Alastair]

Hi Judy,
just looking at your surgery which you had with doctor Bertagnolli 2004 -- -- -- you should be relatively pain-free and I find it significant that your pain goes away when you are lying down. ie your spine has no weight on it at all and it's stretching. Have you tried an inversion table?

It sounds to me as if you have a small nerve or muscular problem which might be resolved with PT or something of that nature but it has to be somebody who knows what they are doing with an ADR patient. Ask people about their expertise!
Best,
Alastair

[Judy]

Alstair I have been told it is a nerve pinched somewhere. I have tried to PT after surgery and I felt worst after going and did not seem to help at all. Unfortunately I don't know of any PT's familar enough with ADR. I tried two different places and was not happy with either.

Judy

[Mariaa]

Have you had a selective nerve root block at the level of the involved nerve?

[Judy]

Yes, last August and unfortunately it did not work. Dr. Yue thought it was pinched at L4/L5 (fusion site) but pain management doctor felt it was the peripheral nerve and did it only for diagnotic to see which it was and since it did not work he felt he was correct.

Judy

[Mariaa]

Sorry it didn't help. I seemed to have gotten a bit of relief for the S1 nerve root (like a month) that is encased in scar tissue, altho the most relief I got seemed to have come with time as most of the horrific symptoms I had with buttock and quad, calf burning was relieved before I even started Neurontin in '98 and later Methadone and ESIs in 2001.

Also in 2001 I had some very intensive electrostimulation, myofascial release work, and other things combined before starting ESIs and got good relief after about 1 year of therapy. It helped greatly with the piraformis type pain I had as well as the burning in my quads that happened with increased walking, stair climbing, and other activities.

The Physical Therapist during this time had nearly 30 years experience and his specialty was working with Failed Back patients. I always said he had "the touch"~

Have you tried going to someone that works with failed back patients (even tho you've had great relief) and tried modalities like electrostim, some type of massage or myofascial releases?

Personally as I've mentioned, time seemed to have helped the most, then other modalities to seemingly obliterate the type of pain I used to experience.

[Judy]

Went to the doctor yesterday and all he can recommend at this point is a spinal cord simulator. He claims I am the perfect candidate for this and feels that it will help so much I probably would not need any medication. I have heard so many things both good and bad and when I mentioned this to him and he says he thinks if I do the trial I will love it. He also said that they have really done a lot of improvements to this, the battery is so much smaller and the battery life is now 9 years.

Any thoughts? I remember Bill Baker from the board and he loved his.

Judy

[JFerg]

Please fill me in on the stimulator. My pain doc suggests the same route as it's one way to get off the meds. I feel a bit likes this is the next gimmick coming down the pike. It's medtronic. Keep me posted.

[Judy]

I am so confused and have mixed emotions as what to do. I have heard both good and bad and when I told the doctor this he said I would not even have recommended it to me unless I really thought it would help. Then when he said that there is a possibly to cut the medication down and even get off it completely then I started to think about it. I did make the appointment for next Wednesday to discuss this with his nurse, who has had one a few years. If then I decide to go ahead they do a trial for 5 days first. If I get 50% or more relief he then recommends for me to have this implanted, yet another surgery. I will listen to what she says and I think I will ask my husband to come also, you know that second opinion and his thoughts since I just don't know what to do.
I will let you know what I decide.

Judy

[Eddie_G]

Please, at this point I am willing discuss anything. The most distrubing thing is I should not be complaining since I had my surgery I have received about a 85% relief. Am I asking for too much to be totalling pain free?

What was your pain level before surgery and what is your pain level now? ?/10

Your facets are OK I presume?

I would have surgery if I was in ALOT of pain. I would be happy with a pain level of 4/10. Right now my pain is 8/10.

You'll be in good shape with your whatever you decide because the equipment they have now is amazing.
Good Luck!