constant pain w/ no relief

[mindysu3]

I have had pain for the last 8 1/2 years. I have been in 4 accidents during that time.  I have also had 3 MRI's done, 1 Emg and several xrays all with normal results.I have tried many different pain meds, but all of them make me dizzy and give me nausea. I have been to a pain specialist, rheumtologist, physiatrist, phyisical therapist and chiropractor.  I am also taking 60mg cymbalta, 300mg wellbutrin, alprazalom, neurontin, and some times a muscle relaxer, but usually I take the anxiety medication.  I have pain mostly on the right side in my neck, shoulder, arm and hand. It feels like it is burning at the base of my neck, alot of pressure between my spine and my r shoulder blade, and then down my r arm and hand.  I wake up every night with my right hand numb, feeling does come back after a minute but this happens no matter how I sleep. I try to sleep on me left side with my right arm around a pillow but this numbness still happens.  It is very hard to do anything without making the pain worse.  It's bad in the morning, aliitle better in the afternoon and the horrible at night.  My right arm is weaker than my left which makes it very difficult to be right handed.  My right hand is usually a liitle colder than the otherside.  Over the years my pain has gradually gotten worse and I tell the doctors that these medications are not helping and they tell me there is nothing else to try take ibuprofen (which is not supposed to be taken with cymbalta), I feel they treat me like some drug abuser and the only thing I want is for this pain to be manageable so i can function.  I love to sew but that gives me sharp pains in the  middle of my spine.  I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and I know that they are not getting what they deserve because I feel so miserable. Please help I just don't know what to do any more except sleep and hope that when I wake up the pain will be better.

[kittyluv1]

Fentanyl patches are meant to deliver a steady form of pain medication through skin absorption and are primarily used when oral meds have not proven to provide significant pain relief.  It needs to be used exactly as prescribed by the doctor to be effective.
If side effects such as nausea, lightheadedness and problems with concentration occur, it might be that the medication is too strong or you have a special intolerance to the method of drug delivery.
Removing the patch was a good idea and you should not put another one on until you have the ability to discuss the situation with your doctor.

[mindysu3]

I have not heard back from my doctor yet and I was just wondering if the pain patch is too much for someone who wasn't taking any oral pain medication first. I have never taken any oral pain medication for longer than 2 days and the last time i took anything was over a month ago. I took the 12mcg/hour patch of yesterday morning because I felt very faint and started vomitting while taking a shower.  I had to go to work but felt very tired and faint at work.  Since I arrived home from work yesterday I have slept the majority of the time.

[kittyluv1]

I am sorry to hear of your prolonged pain.  I imagine it must be very distressing to continue in this manner.  Unfortunately, if your radiology tests have come back "normal", the doctors do not have any clinical findings that can correlate to the amount and extent of your pain.  Pain is a very subjective matter and is different for each individual.  This is not meant to deny that your pain is real -- if it interferes with your ability to perform your prior level of activity, it is very real.
Fentanyl patches are designed to release medication over a  period of time and hopefully provide better pain relief than increased amounts of oral medication.  Nausea is not an unusual side effect, but you need to determine whether this nausea you are experiencing is more than a usual adjustment to taking a significant medication.
This is a new pain specialist for you and he may be aware of your medical history by reading your charts/files, but he needs to know your personal reactions and you need to communicate clearly to him all of your symptoms so that he may treat you to the best of his ability.  Hopefully in a short time you will both arrive at a solution that gives you better comfort without intolerable side effects.
The new MRI might not show any interval changes since the last one, but it does provide information to the doctor so he can adjust his medical management accordingly.
Best wishes ----

[mindysu3]

Well I am now seeing another pain specialist.  First he had me try hydrocodone 5/325 still made me sick and he would not try anything else until i saw him again. well because of the way the last doctors treated me I waited two weeks to call and then he was on vacation.  I was supposed to have my 4th MRI done for him but I also put that off until today.  I guess I'm afraid of hearing everthing is normal and then I end up trying to deal with the pain myself.Maybe this time will be different, only time will tell I guess.  He did put me on a fentanyl patch 25mcg/hour.  Well I woke up for the first time in many years with no pain but then everything i ate or drank made me pale dizzy and then I vomitted.  I called the doc and he told me to keep it on for the next two day and see how it goes. The second day wasn't too bad but then the pain came back before the patch was supposed to be changed.  I was afraid to try that dose again so he gave me the 12mcg/hour and now I have nausea again and the pain is still there.  Should I call the doctor again or just deal with it. Is it normal to have a difficult time finding something to work for your pain or is there something wrong with me because thats the way the doctors have made me feel(that this is not normal).  The other thing he wanted to try before i asked about the patch was oxycodone 10mg every 12 hours.  Any suggestions should i give this patch time or should I ask to try something else. Thank you for all your comments everything helps. I guess its nice to know there are others like me out there. Many years ago i tried oxycodone 5mg and I have asked for this because it is the onl thing that has helped but I tell these doctors it helped and they keep giving me everything but that.  Any ideas on what I should do please let me know?
And thank you again

[MontanaGurl]

I WOULD SUGGEST ASKING YOUR DOCTOR TO REFER YOU TO A PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC.  SOMETIMES NARCOTIC PAIN MEDS ARE THE ONLY THING TO HELP YOU FUNCTION.  DOCTORS USUALLY TELL PATIENTS THAT THEY DONT LIKE GIVING OUT PAIN MEDS OF THE NARCOTIC FORM BECAUSE THEY DONT TREAT THE CAUSE ONLY COVER IT UP.  WELL, SOMETIMES COVERING IT UP WHEN THEY DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS TO TREAT THE CAUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE IS SOMETIMES GREAT!!!   THEY ALSO CANT SYMPATHIZE OR EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUAL PAIN IS. THEY THINK THEY CAN AND WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO TAKE MOTRIN THAT MAKES ME SO MAD,HOW THE HECK IS MOTRIN GONNA HELP, AS IF YOU HAVN'T ALREADY TRIED AN OTC PAIN MED.  IF IT WORKED YOU WOULDNT WASTE YOUR TIME THIER TIME AND YOUR MONEY TO GO TO THE CLINIC IN THE 1ST PLACE AND HAVE ALL KINDS OF TESTS TAKEN.     SORRY I HAD TO VENT A LITTLE, BEEN DOWN THE MOTRIN ROAD TO MANY TIMES TO COUNT.  BUT, ANYWHO - ASK OR DEMAND TO GO TO A PAIN DOCTOR AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE YOU MAY FINALLY GET SOME OF THE RELIEF THAT YOU DESERVE.    I WISH YOU ONLY THE BEST...............FREEZING IN MONTANA

[Ajack134]

Hello Mindy, I am sorry that you are in so much pain. If you do not mind me asking--what type of accidents were you in? Also,were you in pain before these accidents occured?

[selmaS]

Hi...I suggest u review ur MRI's and the reports...mayb go for a second opinion.

If u r not getting newhere with ur current dr and meds do not help it may be worth having another look at ur file.

Post updates so we will know how u progress.

"selma"