LOWER AND UPPER BACK PAIN, HEADACHES. AT THE END OF MY ROPE AND GIVING UP

[backiskillingme]

I posted my first post a couple of days ago and haven't had a response.  I don't mean to be impatient, but I am absolutely at the end of my rope and am close to giving up.  We've had a couple days of bad storms and all I did was take pain pills, muscle relaxers (no relief), stay in bed on the heating pads and cried.  I know that the weather had an affect on my pain, but I just can't do this anymore.  I'm ready to give up.  I can't work without getting into severe pain, I can't do housework, I can't even bend over to tie my shoes for Christ's sake.  I know I can't stand to go through what I went through during the storms again.

My pain clinic doc has discussed Oxycontin with me, but continues to give me Tylox.  Don't get me wrong, I'm really not thrilled about the idea, but at this point, I'm willing to do anything.  I only take the Tylox when I need it, and there are days that I can get by with just Tylenol, but even then, I have to be careful and not hit my max dose of Tylenol.  I try to leave enough room in case I need to take a Tylox around bedtime.  I can't take any NSAID's of any kind and they're not thrilled about putting me on steroids because I'm on Plavix and Asprin.  I've even tried meditating when the pain is excrutiating, but when I hurt that bad, my mind is screaming and I can't concentrate.  

I'm attaching a shorter version of what I posted.  If anyone has ANYTHING to advise or recommend, please let me know.  PLEASE, someone give me some advice.

"I had a back injury 2/08--upper and lower back pain.  I was diagnosed with microfractures of the lumbar facets, lumbar sponlylosis, SI joint dysfunction with trapezius and rhomboid myofascial component.  I am on Plavix and Asprin and am unable to come off of them (on these meds, one cardiac stent out of 3 occluded within a year), so facet injections are not an option for me.  As I was getting better and ready to return to full duty, I was in a car accident and it put me back to square one.  I am on Soma 3X a day, Neurontin 300mg 2X a day and Tylox 1 every 4 hours for pain.  I have a TENS unit and a back brace which seem to help at times, but when the pain is at it's peak, nothing seems to help.  My heating pad has become my best friend.  I can't use ice, I've tried and it seems to really aggrivate the pain.  I also use Biofreeze and it helps for short periods of time.

I am trying to be realistic.  I don't ever expect to be pain free, but I do want it to be tolerable.  If I don't do anything, it's tolerable and on some days, even great.  If I work, it's not.  By the time I get situated in my car and drive home, I'm almost in tears.  

I have sl. narrowing of the C4-5 and C5-6 disc spaces; anterior spurring from C3-4 through C6-7, superior tilting of C6 spinous process; degenerative changes of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine; mild -mod disc desiccation L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1; mild to mod hypertropy of L4, L5, S1 facet joints.  I have had SI injections, and they helped, although most of my pain, I don't think is SI related.  I have upper back pain--neck, traps, along scapula with headaches.  I also have lower back pain that comes across my hips down the top of my thighs and goes to my inner knees.

I am just at my wits end.  Are there any other options for me?  Do you have any suggestions?  I don't like the fact that I have to take pain pills, but right now, that seems like the only option I have.  Is there anything else I can do to ease my symptoms?

Thank you in advance. "

[backiskillingme]

Thanks guys!  

I went to the pain management doc today and  nothing has changed.  Got another presciption for Tylox.  

Anti-inflammatories (steroids and NSAIDS) are totally out of the question for me since I'm on Plavix and Asprin.  The only OTC medication I can take is Tylenol...no Aleve, no Ibuprofen, no Celebrex, no Toradol.........nothing.  That pretty much *****.

I've had my SI joints injected twice, they won't do them again.  At least not this soon.  The first one was done under fluro and WOW, did it make a difference.  The second one, well, just didn't do a thing.

I'm making an appointment with a chiropractor tomorrow.  What more could I loose?

I think my upper back and neck pain and headaches might be related to my cervical spurs, but who knows.  At this point, I really don't care what it's caused from, I just want the symptoms tolerable!

Thanks again.

[mamaboulet]

The pain across your hips and thighs sounds like the SI disorder. I've got that, and the pain always wraps around my hip and down my front inner thigh. Very painful to the touch too. I'm currently being sent to PT, starting Friday, to see if strengthening the muscles will relieve the pain and sliding around.
Your upper back sounds suspiciously like something I had a few years ago, that made me miserable for years. I even had constant back spasms next to my shoulder blade. I had a PT exam. No help. I had 2 chiropractors. No help. The second one told me my shoulder was frozen and he couldn't get it loose.
Then I went to another chiropractor. He listened to me, poked around a bit, and then said, hmmm, it is your first rib. He did some simple chiro maneuver on the front of my upper rib cage and OMG, the pain went away for the first time in years. I couldn't believe it. All that pain and spasming for years, and he just made it vanish. I don't know if that is your problem, but it is worth checking.

[karen717]

When I first went for back pain about 17 yrs ago, I was told I would have to get worse before anything could be done. I did progressively get worse. I started with all the treatments I mentioned above about 12 yrs. ago. My last surgery was in May 2007.
As for the fibro, I was diagnosed about 9 yrs ago. I have tried countless treatments for the fibro. Everything seems to work for a while, and then I'd have to change to something else. Think about some kind of treatment. If you can't relieve your back pain, maybe you can relieve some of your fibro pain. Getting rid of some of the pain will help. When I first went for my back, I was able to stop doing the job I was doing that aggrevated my pain. I switched jobs and it helped. I know this is not always possible. With buldging discs, resting the back and anti-inflammatory meds can allow the disc swelling to go down. If you don't rest it, it will stay the same or get worse. After the swelling is under control, anti-inflammatory meds on a regular basis should keep it under control for a while until you really aggrivate it again. Consider talking to your dr. about anti-inflammatory meds. I took Relafen for about 15 yrs.  If you want to talk, you can send me a message.
Karen

[backiskillingme]

Thank you for responding. I haven't had surgery mainly because they said there's nothing "mechanicaly" worth doing surgery on and I would have to get worse before they could do any surgery!  There was mention of possibly a couple of slightly bulging discs, but no enough to cause the pain I'm in.  I'm in pain every day and in moderate to severe pain after work and of course, when it rains hard.  If I have to get "worse", I don't think I could deal with it.  I just can't imagine hurting more than I do right now.

I also have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but have never sought out treatment for it.  I just deal with it.  My FM is nothing compared to my back and neck problems.

I really thought I was a tough person and could handle pain.  I even went through roughly 40 hours of hard labor--naturally, before I had a C-section.  No meds for me during labor!  But this?  It has me on my knees--every day. I am so very, very, very tired of dealing with this.

[karen717]

I am sorry you are in so much pain. I can relate. I have degenerative disc disease and have had major problems w/ L4 and L5. Surgery in the past. I also have fibromyalgia. I AM in tears every day when I drive home at the end of the work day. I don't have any insight into anything else for you to try. I, too, am on muscle relaxers and pain meds all the time. It is no fun. But, like you, I don't know any alternatives. Good luck and maybe someone has answers for you. I am thinking about you.