What can I do?

[Bridget73]

I had a work injury in June2007 since that date I have experienced the burning aching and severe pain in neck/shoulder and headaches that are consider migraines now. After several MRI's I was told that I have 2 herniated discs in my neck and chronic dystonia of the left shoulder. I have had treatments of tens unit ,pt and botox injections,nerve block done and epidural steriod shots in neck and so on .Have also tried to be treated with pain meds, antiinflammatory's ,muscle relaxers, antidepressants, headache blockers, antiphyscotic drugs? Oh and Lidoderm patches well the pain is still there and lots of headaches later which is a daily occurance what do I do? I had a brain MRI also done which says I have empty sella syndrome I was told comes from the headaches I have been experiencing? I am aggravated with no help just more dx's and symptoms my lastest is speech studdereing and loss of balance facial paresthsia? Can you help with answers or suggestions?

[ggreg]

Forgive me if I repeat myself here, but I'm interested in your situation since I can identify with what has happened to you, and I want to make sure you hear me.

Be sure to get a new neurologist to look at your records and scans.  HE can prescribe this Lyrica I mentioned, and also may give you opiates, both of which you need (and really you don't need any other drugs).  Also, hydrotherapy is a good idea, even warm baths is better than nothing, and almost the same thing is a hot tub perhaps.  The walking with a soft neck collar on, for some reason mild exercise of other parts of the body and the aerobic benefits help with spinal injuries.

If six months pass, and you are still all goofed up and cannot bear it after working with the new neurologist, you may want to consider neck surgery.  But my biggest concern, again, is your recent symptoms...you do not want to let that go, and the new neurologist can even order another set of scans and a new reading, looking for what is causing those.  That sella syndrome shows you had one heck of an impact for it to affect the structures in your brain, and in fact, if your pituitary gland malfunctions as a result of that, you'll need hormone therapy to help offset any damage to it.

By the way, a high percentage of people who apply for disability do not get it the first time.  You must appeal, this is not unusual.  THAT is when you have really got to pin down what's going on that makes you disabled, and "disabled" by Social Security is limited to certain problems, so you've got to make sure you fit under one of their disabling conditions, and lists are available on their website.  I am glad you have an attorney, he can help you, because it's very hard to handle all the paperwork and such when you feel awful.

Sorry I went on so long, I'll try to leave you be.  But best wishes, and keep at it.  I am a poster child for someone who lost everything, my house, ability to work, etc., and through sheer perserverance and good doctors to help me, I am at least comfortable and don't have to worry about trying to work, only to fail, over and over again.

[Bridget73]

Thanks and yes I was geting Workmens compensation but now fighting with them but do have an Atorney, also filed Yesterday for disability since I have not worked since the accident. Pain Treatment centers tell me they have tried what they can do and dont try to make it better they sem to give up? Which ,ales me fel the same but thank you for  responding to my post!

[ggreg]

As to your empty sella sydrome, this government website may be helpful to you:

www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/emptysella/emptysella.htm

As for your neck injury, you've had almost all the treatments there are, but you should go to a Pain Treatment Center, if you aren't already, where that's all they do is work on controlling pain.  I think you should also have all your records and scans sent to a different neurologist, and also possibly an orthopedist, for second opinions, especially as relates to your brain MRI and your recent symptoms with speech, balance, and your facial problems...those suggest a glitch in the way your brain is working, and if you already have sella syndrome, it's possible other things are going on in your head that aren't quite right neurologically.

In the meantime, a few things came to mind that may help your neck situation:
1.  Nerve medications, like Lyrica (cousin to Neurontin) is VERY good for spine injury.
2.  Opiate-derivatives are additionally a must for you, and you should consider morphine.
3.  Hydrotherapy, which you can also get from taking a very warm bath every night.
4.  Wearing a soft neck collar and start taking easy walks, increasing distance gradually.
5.  Surgery is an option, results vary, you can discuss this with your treating physician.

You should also consider filing for Social Security Disability.  This is a long and complex process, and it is good to be prepared.  Be sure to have a doctor in your corner, as well as detailed documentation of everything that you are suffering from, and a prognosis for improvement would be very helpful.  Sometimes these neck injuries can either improve or become bearable, which would only contribute to your disability and not necessarily make you disabled.  BUT this brain situation, with the sella syndrome, as well as what a second physician says about your new symptoms, is more likely to get you disability, with your neck problems just a contributing factor.  In addition, if you have not been able to work for a certain period of time because of all this, this is given significant weight in getting benefits.

I have to assume you're already getting workman's compensation and are on leave as a result of your accident.  If either of those two things are not in place for you, you must at least get those benefits.  It's not your fault this happened.  It is an accident.  I'm just thinking in terms of you possibly being without funds and without a job, and for how long, because events like this can literally ruin your life if you don't attend immediately to getting help that is out there, just for people like you.

I hope some of this helps.  Perhaps you've already explored all these avenues, and maybe you think none of this is any help, and gosh are you in a fix and you want out.  Well, I'm here to tell you that a car crash turned my life upside down, and I had to go to hell and back to finally get everything straight:  satisfactory treatment, disability, and I have accepted that I cannot only work anymore, but I also had to accept limitations in what I can do as regards just regular activity.  I have to say that the two most important things that improved my situation is the right pain relief and money from the government.

By the way, I see a psychiatrist and a psychologist regularly, and I could not have faced what happened to me without them.  They are the only people who truly understood me as a person and have kept me from doing away with myself.  Pain is a terrible thing, and it's not that I want to just stop the world and get off; it's that life is not worth living when your body injuries become unmanageable.