Any suggestions

[TysonRed]

Well Im a recovering opiate addict who has been clean from methadone for almost a year, so I really dont want to have to take any opiates unless its for a short period of time. Anyways I have nerve damage from a clot I had in an artery in my leg, recently I started to have severe pins and needles, the worst burning sensation Ive ever felt in my life. The first time this happened I took Lyrica and Norco and it really helped with the pain and allowed me to sleep a little bit. Now this time Im trying the Lyrica by itself and Im not getting near the relief I did last time. I just had an MRI last week and they found that I have disherniation(protrusion) of L5S1disc that they think could be the cause of my nerve pain. Im starting physcial therapy on tuesday so hopefully I that will help, although my doc made it sound like Im looking at back surgery in the near future, but he's not a neurologist or specialist, just my main doctor so Im hoping maybe he's wrong. Im only 29 and I dont want to have back surgery that doesnt even guarantee any success or lessening of the pain, I could actually come out worse than before, not to mention I would probably have to take some  sort of opiates and run the risk of addiciton, although I never had a problem with short acting opiates just methadone and oxycontin, but I dont want to take the risk unless I have no other choice. So any help, suggestions, advice or just a comment would be much appreciated. Im not very educated when it comes to nerve pain and from what Ive read it can be really hard pain to treat. Also Im getting pitting edema in my feet, its not from the lyrica because I just started it and my feet were swollen before then. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ggreg]

Physical therapy will usually help a lot for stuff like bulging disks.  If the disk pushes on a nerve in the area of the spine, it's going to hurt.  I might suggest you also really tighten up your stomach muscles, it helps support the lower back tremendously.  And I knew a person who had sciatica, from nerve pain radiating from low back down his leg, and he did yoga for a year or so, and it went away...which is a lot like doing physical therapy, so PT does help.
  
Since you've had a leg artery clot and you have swelling of the feet, it could be you need to increase circulation in your legs, too, and drinking extra water will help with that, as well.
  
On the Lyrica thing, I too get better results when I combine it with Tylenol Codeine #3, I take it a half-hour before Lyrica.  I've been on the same dose (with one increase) of the Tylenol for five years.  But the Lyrica, the dose has to be increased until you reach a plateau of comfort... for me it was 250mg daily, and most docs know it has to be upped in the first several months.  So, could be you just need more Lyrica, and actually that drug is doing you more good than with nothing at all.  Maybe try taking some a half-hour before bed, and you'll feel better long-term the next day.

Now, as for a guarantee of no pain without surgery, well, I can tell you I lived with back pain for 30 years from fracturing and twisting it in a car wreck, disks vaporized on impact, two months in the hospital and six months of rehab, and after being released from doc care, I had no medication and no surgery.  It's only as I've gotten older that I've needed help.  But, you see, I put up with discomfort a long, long time.  People have to learn to live with all sorts of pain.  It's just that, you and me, we had to do it when we were young (I was 20).  

You could try alternative pain control with biofeedback, or acupuncture, or even massage, to avoid pain killers.  And fresh air exercise where you break a sweat releases endorphins, best pain killers around.  And I sometimes will take an ordinary alka seltzer for inflammation, to avoid overdoing it with meds.  Glad you'll be starting with your physical therapy, it takes a while to show improvement, but I think you'll get better.  To this day, I still do a lot of exercises I learned in PT from all those years ago.

[ggreg]

Ooops.  Got it backwards on the medicine, I take the Lyrica 1/2 hour before the Codeine.  Sigh.  I just went and took mine and instantly realized I had made a mistake.  Anyhow, best wishes to you.

[Cheddar9279]

I recommend going to a chiropractor.  I had sciatica problems that were unbearable along with a slipped and herniated disc.  Riding in the car or even just sitting on the couch was so painful I couldnt bear it.  I am also a recovering opiat addict.  I started going to the chiro at first three times a week and then slowly decreasing the amount of times per week.  I noticed results within the first couple weeks and within a couple months i had no pain at all.  Im not saying it works for everyone because everyone has different injuries but its worth giving it a try.  I was pain free until I got pregnant and then I just started back to the chiro.  I dont even have to go any more and I dont have any problems.  Good Luck