Chronic Neck Pain Ruling My Life

[wonderdov2001]

Below are the results of MRI’s I have had since May. 2004 and MY Story.  

Please don’t pass me up, I am begging for your help.

MRIs Done:

05/2004 Normal

10/2005
Showed Prominent fat pad of the soft tissues, Mild Spondylosis and 2mm disc bulges at the c3-4, c5-6, c6-7 (posterior)-no evidence of spinal stenosis or encroachments

08/07/2007
There is straightening of the normal cervical lordosis without significant listthesis.  Vertebral body heights are maintained. There is eveidence of disc degeneration from c3 through c7. At c2-c3, no central canal or foraminal stenosis. At c3-c4, no cord compression or forminal stenosis. At c5-c6, mild diffuse disc bulge effaces the anterior CSF space but does not compress the cord.  Right uncovertabral process hypertrophy causes mild right formaminal stenosis.  No left foraminal narrowing. At c6-c7, centraldisc osteophyte complex effaces the anterior CSF space but does not compress the cord.  Bilateral uncovertebral process hypertrophy causes only minimal foraminal narrowing. At C7-T1, no cord compression or forminal stenosis.
Impression: Minimal disc degeneration without cord compression

WE ARE BEING TOLD THESE ARE NORMAL RESULTS FOR A MAN OF 25 YEARS OLD. THEY ARE NOW SENDING ME TO A RHEUMATOLOGIST TO BE EVALUATED FOR ARTHRITIS RELATED DISORDERS.  WE DO NOT FEEL THAT THESE TESTS ARE NORMAL AND THEY DO NOT SAY THEY ARE NORMAL BY THE RADIOLOGIST ACCOUNTS...

WHAT DO THESE TESTS REALLY MEAN? What should I REALLY be doing to get answers?

25yr old male in Severe DAILY Pain for 5+ years at back of neck, daily severe headaches, moderate pain in shoulders and moderate to severe pain in shoulder blades, redness/purple discoloration of ears and side of neck below ears towards end of day(worse on right side).  

Can only go to work and come home and lay down as the pain is so severe by the end of the day.

Has missed a lot of work in the last 6 months due to pain/headaches.  

Recently detoxed self off lortab 5/500 4xdy and duragesic 50mcg every 48hours.  Desperate need of answers as to what this pain is from and possible resolutions/opinions to resolve it.  

Concern is what appears to be major changes that have taken place in such a short period of time per the 3 MRI’s done during that period.  Should my discs be degenerating at this level when I am only 25 years old?

Has been to neourologists, spine specialists, had EMG that was negative.

I look so forward to hearing your opinion and so need to get better so I can enjoy my wife, our 2 year old daughter.  My poor wife has been through (well, you know) with me being sick all the time (5 years!) and it makes for a pretty boring life for her...I am in too much pain most of the time to think of doing anything, I can barely function at work, let alone at home.

I do not drink alcohol nor do any drugs other than what is prescribed.  

I am from a great family and have very supportive parents who are very worried and trying to help us get answers.

Yes, I detoxed myself with the help of my family...something is very wrong and being kept doped up has now caused my employer to lay me off until I get this resolved...without hard drugs like duragesic 50mcg and sometimes 75mcg every 48hours. (was on this dangerous med for 8 months with lortab 4 times daily, it became so debilitating that my parents had to bring my meds to me to make sure that I didn’t OD on them as I could not keep track of anything.)  I am a Wire Tech and it is just too dangerous for my employer to allow me to work in my condition, they say…and, well, I see their point completely.  They said I was not alert enough and they were afraid something was going to happen.  How embarrassing for me, but they know what I have been going through and so I truly think they do understand.  They are willing to hold my job but I have to find answers.  

I just want to get better and they keep saying there is nothing wrong when I can FEEL and SEE (my ears turn red/purple by end of the day) that something is wrong...the MRI's show problems in the area I am feeling the pain...PLEASE BE ABLE TO HELP ME.  

On top of it all, I have no insurance – they refuse to insure me - and all these things have to be done with upfront payment...I need a better answer so I can do the things that are going to get the answers we need to fix it and stop wasting money on things that won’t.  I have tried to get 2 different private insurances in the last year and after the premiums of 3 months they denied anything that involved my neck/shoulder pain.

I am a good husband, I love my family, I love working and wish I could play basketball again…that is what my dad and I always did until this started 5 years ago.  It seems to only get worse with time – I get scared about that, how long before I won’t be able to take care of my family?  How can that happen?  They need me!

I have had doctors say I just don’t want to work but that is NOT true, I am NOT a slacker...I am in PAIN!  The MRI’s do show something is wrong.  

I am begging for your opinion and if you need copies of my records I can email them to you.


CURRENT MEDICATIONS:
Dicloflenac 1 twice daily
Phenergan PRN every 6 hours
Cymbalta 60mg once daily
Multi-Vitamin 1daily
B-6 1daily
Magnesium 250mg 1daily
Potassium 99mg 1daily
Magnesium and Potassium 250mg ea tabs 1daily
L-Tyrosine 1000mg daily (this one will be stopped in a few weeks...it is part of the withdrawal therapy)

Thank you for taking the time to help me.

[PEV]

i don't know what to tell you about the insurance-- i lived abroad 1 year in a socialized medicine country -- it was better for everyone -- try texas tech institute of pain mgt -- it sounds like some type of radio frequency intervention could be the pain stopper -- i do not know enough here -- if the spine is actually degenerating then stopping it with 1 intervention may not work so perhaps any form of surgery will not be adequate if your spine is a moving target -- they probably have to figure out why the discs are degenerating first then a pain mgt strategy -- at times acupuncture has reduced even stopped my pain -- i understand the frustration of shelling out so much money & still having no one who can help -- sometimes even believe  

[emily.brown]

It is time to look for a spine specialist.  Sounds to me that yes you could be experiencing early onset arthritis or rheumitoid arthritis.  A blood test can determine if it's rhuemitoid.  Degenerative disc disease can start at 25.  I was 30 when I started having problems.  When you have your next blood test ask them to run your Vit D level.  A low D level can effect arthritis. If you smoke stop now that will only make your matters worse as smoking prevents oxygen from keeping your bones strong.
As far as getting insured, you will most likey have a problem with personal insurance.  If your wife is employed and offered group coverage TAKE it no matter what the cost.  with your pre-exsisting conditions you are not going to find personal insurance.
I have had 3 spine surgeries and all after I searched far and wide for the best physician.  Good Luck