pain meds

[broken306]

In March of '03 I was in a car accident. C1-C7 were broken. I've had several surgeries, rehab, physical therapy, and medication to no avail. WHAT DO I DO? I cant take it anymore. I feel like I'm not being taken seriously. I go to pain managment monthly and I am seeing a therapist weekly and an ortho Dr. Therapist says to find relief for pain and tips to deal with it by writing in a journal. Are they serious? Ortho Dr. says it was a very bad injury and everything that could be repaired has been done. Ive tried all the injections, facette joints, Ive had nerves burned ,epidurals,pain blockers. I am now taking 10/650 percocett 4 times daily,oxycontin 20mlgs3 times daily among other med for depression and insomnia.

[punkin1515]

Please beware of the Percocet as it carries health risks to women. It is know to raise our blood pressure and thats just what it did to me. There is a medication called Roxicodone. It comes in many strengths and is the same as the Percocet except there is no Tylenol. Tylenol is what raises the blood pressure.
Talk it over with your Doc. it is a much, much safer drug!! Best, Cara

[Tuckamore]

Hello Broken,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I can hear the frustration in your post and I am sorry that you have had such pain issues.

I agree that you should seek another consult with a PMP. More opinions, more eyes may be able to come up with a better solution to your pain managment. You should not have to suffer with uncontrolled pain. Be assertive as difficult as that is when we are in severe pain and be heard.

I would never tell you not to listen to your surgeon but I would suggest another surgical consult.

I think your therapist is telling you to record your feelings because for some ppl that is helpful. It allows you to vent and release some anger and anxiety. I wrote many journals that helped me through a very traumatic, near fatal MVA recovery. It may not be beneficial for everyone but I encourage you to give it a try. I could and did express what ever I wanted to say. The journals became like a friend.

Please keep in touch with us. You may post additional questions or just vent. We can empathize with the challenges you are facing. Best of luck in your search for effective pain managment. Take care of yourself. And don't forget that we are here to support you.

Peace,
Tuck

[RockyMD]

I empathize with you broken. I have had my drugs messed with so many times in the last few weeks I feel like a tennis ball. I have had one DR. give me Vicodin, then another Darvocet which did nothing in comparison to the Vicodin. I had to chase down the Darvocet DR. and state I am still in pain. Now he wants me on Soma. My sleep is awful and the pain lingers.
I managed to get an Appt. for DR. who is "supposed" to specialize in Pain Management but the secretary told me it was merely a "consultation"  and her soonest date was not until JANUARY 12!!

[concerned621]

I am so sorry for your pain. I had the same surgery  operated on twice 1/04 and 4/04 with a fusion being the 2nd one. I had years of pain in that area and still can experience pretty bad pain depending on what I do. I went on to have 5 more surgeries on my lumbar area.

Do not listen to the doctor that did the surgery. Go to another doctor. I went to one of the top trauma centers in the country in my area, as it turned out I had a lumbar surgery with the doctor from there. But I asked for his opinion on my cervical surgeries/fusion.  

Doctors are very hesitant on commenting on other doctors surgeries especially when they are in the same city.  The 2nd opinion stated the cervical surgeries were not good, he said it another way but basically it may require more surgery.  In addition after cervical surgery or any other spine surgery you can rupture above and below the site they operate on.  You can also develop arthritis above and below the surgical site.

My recommendation to you is get an appointment with a physiatrist.  He or she is the kind of doctor that looks at everything.  They will do scans of your spine to see exactly what is going on. It's another objective opinion that is separate from the surgeon.  Surgeons feel very strongly if they performed a good surgery they did their job, a good job at that and most of them even think their work is done.
When I went back to my neurosurgeon and said I am having severe neck pain, migraines and something didn't seem to be right with my surgery.  He wrote in my file, surgery went well, recovery should be very good.  
I decided to get another opinion at that point.  As I said I had a lumbar surgery from this 2nd opinion, it was an extensive fusion of most of my low back.  Expected recovery 6 months.  I had an excellent recovery, and it was completely different from the surgery from the first doctor.  So trust me getting a second opinion really does help.  It has to be a doctor outside of this other doctors practice, if you live near a city try to find a teaching or trauma hospital with very good neurosurgeons.  But also get an appointment with a Physiatrist.  

I took take oxycontin and percocet for breakthrough pain.   Does it take away any of your pain?  What do you take for sleep? I take trazadone.  50-100mg at bedtime.  Cymbalta is a great drug for depression and pain.  What do you take for depression? Are you sleeping at all? Do you get bad headaches? If so ask your doctor about Topamax. The first few weeks while ramping up there are side effects but for most they do go away, talk to your doctor about it.  It saved me.   If you still have you neck collar and if it is a soft one put it on during the day for short periods.  Not for long periods but it can help support your spine a bit.  If you had a hard collar don't put that one on.  

Be cautions when you are turning your head even to talk it can aggravate all the muscles in your neck, head, face.  Do gentle stretching. Very gentle.  Drink a lot of water.  Sugar and certain foods can make pain so bad.  If you want to discuss that or may be you are already working on that but if you have any questions let me know.   Please look in to a 2nd opinion, a physiatrist, try not to get in to stronger pain meds until you know exactly what is going on.  I think something is, we know our bodies.  
Take care.

[Mollyrae]

I have to agree with RunningMom in the respect that you might benefit from something stronger in the pain depertment. I use the Fentanyl Patch and it has been a truely wonderful pain medication. You will not get anywhere if you don't speak up about your pain. Have a chat with your Pain Management Clinic. They realize the nature of your injury.

Please be well,
Molly

[RunningMom]

I have the same exact medicine and strength as you and I have had only one surgery to relieve spinal cord compression.  I still have two herniated discs and also my spinal cord nerve is permanently damaged.  I'm sure your aware that the fentanayl is much stronger or  you would benifit from a intrathecal morphine pain pump.  

If I were you I would start interviewing new pain management clinics until you find someone who is going to treat you respectfully.  The pain management clinic I'm at takes pain very seriously.  We are able to call the doctor on his cell phone outside of business hours if need be.  Also, we can make our appointments earlier if our medicine dose does not work well for us.  There are pain management clinics who do treat patients well.

Good luck.