Yes Virginia, there is pain in MS

The fall issue of MS Perspectives just arrived at my home yesterday.  This is another free mag susbsidized by Teva Neuroscience (copaxone) but also talks about the other dmd manufacturers in a fair way so its not slanted to one DMD.

Anyway, The big story in this issue (theme) is MS pain.  The title of the story is "MS & Pain: No, It's Not just in your Head!"

Also in the final story about being a better patient, there is a section on when you should fire your MS clinician and look for a new one!  Amazing to see in print from an official perspective that there really are bad neuros out there!  


Wow! two vindicating pieces of evidence in one magazine.

If you want the story to read or reprint it  and wave in your doctor's face as evidence, it can be read at www.msperspectives.com.  It is the issue with the two women in the yoga pose on the cover.

Adding to our bag of tricks,
Lulu

PS - this is another magazine your can subscribe for free- it gets delivered to my home in a plain paper wrapper kind of like smuggling por nographic material to me! :-)

[saveone]

The mailperson will be saying some one is having fun tonight

Thanks for the laugh,

terry

[saveone]

I just went to the site and read magazine.  I loved it.  Things we have been debating about with our doctors or among ourselves were there.  I also subscribed.  

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

terry

[Heather3418]

I also get this magazine and do like it.  My Neuro tells me that ALL of my leg pain is from the lesion in my spine.  If you ask me, I think that's an educated guess.  I don't think doctor's really know.  With 12 lesions in the brain, a mis-firing from there, I believe; can also cause pain in various places in my body.

The article talks about narcotics being less effective in helping the pain from spasms.  This may be true, but I have taken every anti-spasmodic drug on the market with less success in pain relief, than the stronger drugs.  I don't have any problems with the narcotics, but can tell people that after being on them for many years now, they WILL lower your resistance to other drugs.  I can attest to this after recent hand surgery, where none of the drugs they gave me to relieve pain during surgery or tranquilzing drugs for relaxation, were almost totally ineffective, because of all my years on narcotic pain relievers. It really messes up the pain receptors.  The downfall of narcotic pain relievers.

Heather

[Lulu54]

I guess you are figuring out my addiction is free things.... this is the second free mag I have recommended this week but the only one that comes in its own discreet mailing wrapper.  

Heather you make a great point about narcotics lowering your resistence ot other drugs.  I had not thought of that side problem.

What did you all think of the article about firing an incompetent MS clinician?  I knew you would love that one too.

Be well,
Lu

[Fluffysmom]

Thanks, I think I'll subscribe, too, undiagnosed as I am.

The pain thing was very interesting to me, because neuro #2 said that she didn't think I should have so much radicular pain based on  the evidence on my lumbar MRI.  She didn't suggest that it could be from a spinal lesion and perhaps I should have a 3T MRI to see if those patchy areas on my thoracic spine were actually something.

She mentioned somatization in my chart notes.

I fired her.

Loved the short article on firing an incompetent MS clinician; my current neuro has quite a few points against her, but I'm trying to hold things together and coordinate my specialists myself.  My neuro-ophtha should be a big help.

After my last knee surgery, I think the surgeon on call thought I had built up a tolerance to narcotic pain relief, as I called in agony.  I told them that my pain pump was not working, and there was a lot of fluid as well as blood in my bandage after I pushed the button on the marcaine pump.  They were kind, gave me some ideas on how to make it through the night, etc.  

It turned out that my pain pump HAD pulled out, so that the numbing medication was going into my bandage instead of my knee.

I limit my Vicodin, because I don't want to build a tolerance, or have worse constipation.  We really can discuss everything here, can't we?

Thanks, Lulu!

Kathy

[Lulu54]

Bump for Kathy - Here's the address again for the article on MS pain - I hope this helps to answer some of your questions.

Lulu