First Time Posting...Lots of Questions

[addysmom]

Hello.  This is my first time posting in the pain management forum...and I have a lot of questions.  

I am a 23 year old female...who has been suffering from chronic back pain for the past year or so.  In 2003 I was involved in a car accident which herniated two discs in my lumbar region.  I tried physical therapy, chiropractics and acupuncture...all with no relief.  After giving birth to my daughter in July of 2007, the pain became so severe that there were MANY days that I couldn't do ANYTHING.  I finally received a referral from my primary care doctor...and began seeing a neurosurgeon.  After an MRI revealed stenosis, and a severe herniation of the L5/S1 region with fragmentation...my doctor recommended epidural steroid injections.  I had the first and ONLY injection in August...and had NO relief.  The situation got to the point where I actually began to lose bladder function and function of my left arm, hand and leg.  

I was taking 2 Lortab 5's and a Flexeril every 4 hours with no relief...so my doctor switched me to Lortab 7.5 and SOMA.  I scheduled surgery and on October 23rd I had my microdiscectomy done.  I was then switched to Xodol 10 because by this time I was getting no relief from the Lortab.  2 Weeks post surgery I was switched to Percocet 7.5.  I developed a post surgical staph infection which was only discovered due to re-injury of the disc.  I ended up having ANOTHER surgery in which they repaired the re-herniation, cleaned out more fragments, and cleaned out the infection.  I spent a week in the hospital on a Morpine drip along with SOMA and 2 Percocet 7.5 every 6 hours AND a 25 mg Fentanyl patch.  I still wasn't getting total pain relief.  However, when I left the hospital...I was released to take 2 7.5 Percocet and SOMA...with a 50 mg Fentanyl patch.

Here is my question.  I have been out of the hospital 2 weeks...and I am not getting pain relief from all these meds.  I have now been on SOME form of pain medication since March of 08, narcotic pain relief since July of 08.  

Where should I go from here...I have noticed that I generally do well with a pain medication for 2-3 weeks...and by then I have built up a tolerance to it.  My doctor is fully aware of this situation...and more than willing to help me out...but is there something in specific I can ask for?

I am really tired of constantly being in pain...and would like some form of relief that 1...does not make me groggy (since I am a stay at home mom) 2...allows me to start living my life again!

The doctor at this point is saying that while the surgery was successful for my sciatica...he isn't sure that I am going to get BACK pain relief.  

Does ANYONE have any suggestions??

[addysmom]

Thank you guys for all your advice!  I really appreciate it...and will be talking to my doctor on Thursday.

Did those of you who had TENS units get total relief...or were you still having to use pain killers for break through pain?

I am still trying to figure out why I can't find a medication that works for longer than 2-3 weeks.  

JBSSQUARED - I understand where you are coming from...people don't understand chronic pain and as a result they tend to think that you are being "overly dramatic" about the level of pain you are in.  Its a frustrating situation.  People have been asking left and right how my pain management is now...and I hesitate to answer them.  How do you explain that you are STILL in pain...when for 90% of the population...these meds would have been enough to knock out a horse?

I am really thankful for finding this forum.  Its been a support when I felt all alone.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Addysmom,

I am so sorry for what you have gone through. We all know about pain on this forum and though we may not have pain in the exact same location, we all have significant pain. It is difficult when we have small children that do not understand what we are experiencing. My son was just 12 when I had a horrific MVA I almost didn't live through and my CP began. He even had problems accepting Mom's drastic change in lifestyle. No longer did I have the ability to practice baseball with him and do all the other things I shared in his very active life. I faced the guilt you are facing also.

Everyone has offered you some great suggestions. I wanted to reiterate what has been said about the support and friendship that you will find here. I too have found it very helpful to discuss my pain and share my experiences, what works for me and what hasn't with others. And I have learned from other members also. It's a two-way street here.

Your just recovering from two difficult surgery I would concentrate on healing and regaining as much function and tolerance as you can at this point. I also suggest you give a TENS Unit a try, though it did not help me it has helped other members. A PM Clinic is a great place to begin. It will depend on the state you live in as to how a PM Clinic will interplay in your pain life. I do not know OK's regulations. In my state a PM Clinic is only a treatment center. They make recommendations and offer treatments.  They do not continually follow and treat patients. In other states only a PMP may order long term pain meds and follow CP patients. And a Pain Psychologist appointment is also a great suggestions as CP requires treatment as a whole. It is a disease.  

I wish you the very best. We are all here for you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. I will look forward to your next post. Take care, Tuck

[jbssquared]

I wont restate my problems but surfice to say they are similar to yours and extreme pain is the center of it all.  I take Oxycontin  40Mg three time ad day and Norco for blow over and it works very well other than making me sleepy.  Since I joined this forum I have made a discovery that has changed a lot in my life.  Without realizing it, I had been talking a lot about my pain and problems to friends and family and got a lot of the "it's all in your head and just suck it up" stuff.  When I discovered this forum, I found a place where others understood me and where I learned so much that it gives me real hope for the future.  I quit talking about my problems to others and restrict that now to this forum.  I think everyone else in my life thinks I have taken their advice and sucked it up.  If they only knew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.  I was the one who was creating the opportunity for the problems they created for me.  Well I owe a big positive change in my life to the great careing wonderful people on this forum and what their sharing and caring has done in a very short perion of time to make life easier for me.  I will always pray for all of them every night.
R/
Jim

[HawktheSlayer]

Hi sorry to hear that you are in pain. Your list is almost the same as mine 3 failed surgeries and after all that I went to a Pain Managment Dr and he told me about the Tens unit. I got it and it did help some so the next step was the SCS (Spinal Cord Stimulator) First there is a trial then the real deal. I had the trial unit and it was a whole new world for me again. I still knew that it hurt but the SCS unit kinda spams the brain with messages so the pain messages dont make it through as often. I have had the SCS unit for about 6 months now and I think due to still working full time and doing some heavy lifting and turning that I messed up the leads to the unit. I had about 50-60% pain reduction. And if your pain is anything like mine that is a whole lot of pain reduction. I would ask about the Tens unit and see if it helps, if it does then you can look at the next steps. I was also like you to find a place like this was so great. Even my wife said that i changed a little after finding this great place where I can talk to others with mabey not the same problem but we are all in pain here and we reach out to others to ask question or to just make us feel normal in a way. I hope that you and your Dr can find something to help you feel better so that you can have a better life with the ones you love.

R/
Adam

[addysmom]

Thank you SO much for your suggestions.  

It is hard...especially when I can't lift my little girl.  We try to explain the situation to her...but how much can you really explain to a 17 month old.  

The pain pyschologist is something I have never heard of...but am MORE than willing to look into.  It is amazing to me the amount of depression that goes along with chronic pain.  Especially compounded by the guilt of not being the mother I always wanted to be (you nailed that on the head) AND the day to day stress that this has put on our family.

My husband is EXTREMELY supportive.  He is going back to work today after 3 weeks off (which hasn't been easy financially)  He has been a great support system and an extreme help to me.  He works AND goes to school full time...so this has been really stressful for him...but he has stuck by me...and it has actually been something positive for our marriage.

I am really interested in the TENS unit...and I will bring this up to my doctor during my next appointment.  I really want to find a regimen that will control my pain day to day...(I expect days where things are bad)  I am frustrated at how quickly I build up a tolerance to pain medication...because sometimes I feel like friends and some family think that I am just saying its not working anymore so that I can get a stronger drug, etc.    

Thanks alot of your input.  I am so glad I found this community on here....its good to know that other people understand what you are going through.  

[sandee1818]

Hi and welcome to the pain management community, we are very glad to help in any way we can!
You need to get a referral to a pain management clinic for several reasons. A good PM doctor has more options to offer you and is more qualified to handle chronic pain. To get the relief you need will take some time, finding what drug will work best for you. Everyone is different and medications will work differently on each person. I too started out on lortab and after awhile it offered no relief what so ever so I was then changed to oxycontin which is an extended release version of oxycodone. It worked very well for me and I also take a break thru medication which is roxicodone and I find it works very well for me. Perhaps you may want to ask your Dr about trying this. Though as I said everyone reacts different to medications. I also want to point out that it does not make me drowsy like some of the other meds I was tried on. I too have two little girls ages 5 and 6 and also a 20 year old son.
Pain medications are only a small part of dealing with chronic pain. have you seen a pain psychologist? You may say I don't need to but I assure you it helps tremendously. You have tried the injections I see and I wanted to say that these injections will work sometimes great and others none at all, perhaps you might want to try another one as if it does help it will be worth it. There is also bio feedback and a tens unit that you may want to ask your Dr about.
Living with pain day in day out is really tough and when you have small children it is even harder because you guilt yourself to death because you can't be the perfect mom you have always wanted to be when you had children. But don't put too much effort into feeling guilty because it stress's you out and that only makes your pain worse.
How is your husband doing in all this? Is he supportive and does he try and help you? Does he understand or try to understand what your going thru, this helps alot to have support from your spouse and loved ones and it may be hard for them to understand what your going thru so give them time to adjust if they are not helping out right now.
I wish you the best of luck and hope you find a regimen that will work better for you but in the meantime we are all here to support you in every way we can.

[addysmom]

I also have a small herniation above the L5/S1 but the doctor said it isn't bad....they said I have to wait until 6 weeks post surgery to do an MRI.  I have already had 2 surgeries (I re-herniated the same disc that was fixed and then they discovered that during my surgery to clear out the infection)

I have another follow up next week and I will talk about the tens unit.

Thanks!  I am home all day with my 17 month old...so constant lifting has been in my days for a while...but I am going to be getting a job after the first of the year...and I want to try and get this pain under control so I CAN work.

[nuggetone]

Your situation sounds so much like mine.  I had lower lumber discectomy in Feb and by Aug I was hurting again.  I also had herniation at L5 S1  I also had bulging disc above that and DDD.  However they did some blood work and all my levels are low so they put me on prenatal vitamins.  Magnesium is in the vitamins and this helps your back.  I have had more relief.  I also take potassium. (prescribed)    I had another Mri  LAST wk and go bk to Dr. dec 3 to see what is going on.  I take Somas which help alot.  I take 2 in evening after work and 2 near bedtime.  I also take valium at bedtime.  I was waking up alot hurting in hip after surgery.  Maybe you have another herniated disc or spurs which I also have now.  Surgery doesnt always work he first time.  As the Dr. informed me of this.  The sciatica problem is gone due to them taking out the fragments lying on the nerve.  But something else is going on.  I have to work and some days it is hard to make it through the day.  Therefore I understand where you are coming from.  Has he done another MRI?  If not suggest that.  Physical Therapy doesnt help me but I did get a tens unit from them to have at home.  Try one of those.  Ask your Dr. to write script for it.  You may have to go to PT to get it.  But just go a couple of times and quit.  Much Luck