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Nerve Pain-where does it affect you and how often

I was wondering-- how many of you deal with nerve pain, where does it affect you and how often? I start to feel yucky by about 9pm every night with the aching in my right chest and armpit area. I take 900 mg of gabapentin plus a tramadol to control the pain. Every morning I wake up with this awful aching and have to take another 100 mg of gabapentin and a tramadol.

If I dont' take something right away, the pain gets to be about a level 10. It literally hurts worse than labor and delivery. I didn't cry during the births of my kids but sometimes this pain puts me over the edge. I get jumpy eyes and my head feels like someone is taking 2 wires and touching them together causing this wierd jerky movement.

Is anyone else experiencing this stuff? I've had the pain for a year but I wonder if it has gotten worse in that time?

Prayers and Hugs
Kristi
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Avatar universal
Thank you for the responses. It sounds like many of you have similar pains with the legs. Mine is so weird and very hard to describe. If I were to try get to the pain I would have to take a drill and go deep into my shoulder/armpit area. It starts out aching and within moments it is so far out of control. No burning..

I compare it to birth because I don't remember feeling like I was going to lose my mind from pain during birth, but this pain is so different. My hands shake and I am panicky to get the gabapentin in, so I can get some relief.

It can come on anytime. I am going to call my Neuro to ask about timing the gabapentin better.

Thanks Everyone!
Kristi
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hi i have nerve pain in my legs it is worse at night tingling prickling, sometime like a small peircing lightning bolt or sometimes it feels like i am getting stung by a bee. i also have spasticity in my right leg. sometimes my arms tingle but not as much as the legs do the side of my face goes numb, also have been feeling like the top front of my head is numb at times.also tingling and nerve pain down back it is a weird sensation down my back not really uncomfortable but more of a movement sensation. also i have shivering feeling down legs. had a hard time my last exacerbation with itching i was extremely itchy but nothing on my skin hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
1260255 tn?1288654564
I had to go to the health pages and found one on nerve pain, because I didn't know what that really meant.

I have nerve pain in my lower legs, which can be either burning or stabbing, as well as in my back (near L4?) that is a burning pain. I have recently developed a nerve pain on the right side of my rib cage around the bra strap level (description maybe helpful to females for males, maybe not).

Fortunately, at this time, these pains do not last long in duration but can recur throughout the day, so that the pain does wear me down. Some can literally take my breath away and I have always had a high threshold of pain. I guess that I would rate the pain level on a par with post operative invasive surgery, with a broken bone one step below. I did not experience the pain of childbirth, as my son was born by C-Section under general anesthesia, but like my mother and sisters, we all experienced menstrual cramps that were severe enough to make us pass out from the pain.

How often? If nerve pain is pain that is not caused by a stimulus but nerve malfunction, I guess that I would have to say that I am in pain every day.

I can tell if I've been in a lot of pain during the day by my voice, which gets a hoarse sound to it.

I'm still in the early phases of dx with a new neuro (3rd appt this Friday), so no treatment options have been offered yet. Right now I just try to deal with it as NSAIDS loose their effectiveness over time and don't even touch the pain, never mind the side effects of regular use of them.

Audrey



Helpful - 0
911669 tn?1294099188
Hi Kristi,

I have pain every day....  My severe pain is mostly located in my head and neck, with TN pain, occipital neuralgia, ocular migraines.  The rest of my symptoms in my body are paresthesias.....

Hugs...

terri
Helpful - 0
1312898 tn?1314568133
Hi Kristy,  

I experience alot of nerve pain and haven't had a single day without pain for over a year.

I'm still studying Quix's paper about spasms and spasticity but here goes.

I wake in the morning with contractions of various muscles and pain in other places.  I will have areas that burn and squeeze me so bad that it's really scary.  I have to spend time stretching betore I get out of bed.  Then I usually lean over the bed for 10 minutes or more to stretch other areas and rest.  

Typically, the backs of my calves have a pulling slight burn and my toes do point down  like a ballerina on pointe.  I don't know what that means. This is not necessarily painful but makes it hard to do much.  It feels like my calf muscles are shrinking.

The severe pain I have is a searing burning squeeze in my hip area and back.  Sometimes my shoulders and arms.  This can range between a 3-9.  I reserve a 10 for something much worse.  I can always imagine something to worse than it is.  .  

THen there is that cattle prod like Alex says,  I describe mine as an icepick heated in the fire and inserted in various places.  Lately, in the calves where I have not yet gone numb.

I take 30-40 mg. of flexeril, 900 mg of Gaba 3X a day, Tramadol X and every OTC pain killer.  I take Klonipin in small doses to help with the flexeril.

These things help but never extinquish the pain.

Red


Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
Aching pain, huh?  I assume that you've talked to the neuro about it and decided it was nerve pain, but when I experience 'aching' pain, it's always a spastic muscle that's being a problem.  I had this at the beginning of the week with my shoulder - every time I moved my right arm, my shoulder would scream with pain.

Fortunately I don't have much in the way of nerve pain.  I get pinprick pains and cold patches in my face and feet.  I had a burning spot yesterday!  First time - I can understand why it would be dreadful for it to stick around.
Helpful - 0
1386048 tn?1281012333
hmmm...i am undx, but get intermittant pain in my back, mostly between my shoulder blades but the location in my back does vary.  as for timing, it is often at night, but i find it very hard to track...it is gone just as often as it is here.
as for intensity, not all that bad.  there has been only one or two times that a couple xtra strength tylenol did not take the edge off enough to get to sleep.
i've had lots of back pain in my life and suspect this to be neurological because of it's random appearance/locations.
good luck with your symptoms!!  i hope you can find some control.
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
I guess I had MS for so many years with out knowing it I have gotten used to the pain. Until recently I never even thought to bring it up with my Doctors. I have constant shooting pain down both arms and in my hands, face pain on the left almost daily. When it is cold out the pain has left me lying on the bathroom floor puking my guts up. With heat the nerves in my left leg hurt badly. Then there is constant spasticity in my legs and arms.

Then I get what I call the cattle prod sensation but that never lasts long so although it is intense I can stand it.

Oxycodin helps but I do not like the fact that I like it so much so I stopped it.

Lyric helps with my hands but not spasticity and it is expensive with all my other medications.

I am trying the generic of Tripeltal but I am just starting and the jury is out. So far I have all the pain and the side effects.

I use yoga and self hypnosis for the pain. I also find that sitting around makes my pain worse for two reasons one is I think about it and two my muscles all lock up. I do not do a lot of exercise just a little everyday.

Take care,
Alex
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Starry,

Tramadol + Lyrica has helped lessen my pain for about 2 years, maybe the combination would help you.  

But now my pain burns through even the max. dose.  I'll start another question about it.

Helpful - 0
1253197 tn?1331209110
Hi Kristi

I think that many of us probably experience ongoing nerve pain in different shapes, places and forms on a day to day basis. My nerve pain comes from the places where I have had relapses...and new developing symptoms

Left leg and arm
Left side of face
Back of head
Right hand and arm

My nerve pain is exacerbated by stress, anxiety, and overdoing it and comes and goes at different times but ususally when my gabapnetin starts wearing off.

I am curious about how you are taking your gabapentin as you mentioned that you take 900mg so are you taking this in 3 doses throughout the day morning, afternoon and night? You said that you have to take another 100mg of gabapentin in the morning and my understanding is that this is such a small dose that it probably would not make much difference if your nerve pain is that bad. I would also suggest that you talk to your neuro or your doctor as it sounds as if your pain is not under control and there is no need to suffer and certainly not to the extent of childbirth pain every day.

Take care and don't wait any longer..go and see someone asap.

Love Sarah xxxx
Helpful - 0
1396846 tn?1332459510
kristi,

I deal with nerve pain, more in my left leg and foot. I do have occasional burning in my left arm. It seems to get worse at night, but I think that is due to the fact that I am relaxing and notice it more. Noting worse than the burning sensations. I can deal with the pain (most of the time) it is the feeling like I am on fire that gets me.

I have never really compared it to childbirth though. lol I never cried during childbirth either but I have cried from the pain and burning. I just take my lyrica 3 times a day faithfully and that tends to keep it at bay, sometimes it doesn't seem to work but I still take it anyway, which reminds me I need to take it now.

Hope you feel better.
Paula
Helpful - 0
1168317 tn?1330262837
hi paula
imnot dx yet but they say prob ms
i deal with nerve pain no pattern just comes on and off can last for days or hours.
aching burning feeling so not nice . my gp gave me amitriptyline for it but gona change due to the side effects for me.
but might help for you??
regards bairdy
Helpful - 0
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