I NEED HELP

[jbar3]

I'm hoping that maybe someone on this site might have some suggestions.  Here is my history, I fractured a vertebre in my neck playing football in high school.  It went undetected until around 4 years later when after having terrible headache and neckpain I was diagnosed with a herniated disc and an old fracture.  In 98 the disc ruptured and I had my first surgery (Disctectomy and fusion with plate).  I was good for a few years and then the pain started creeping back.  I started taking pain meds about 7 years ago for this pain. I was also diagnosed with digenerative disc disease around this time and told I would probably always have pain and need to take this medication.  I hated this idea but took the medicine as needed.  Around 3 years ago I started to just feel run down most of the time.  In the past I could push through the pain but now I could not. I was prescribed more meds and had some improvement but then hit bottom again.  I became a lathargic couch or bed potatoe!  I didn't even seem to have the energy to get out of bed some days.  I also started hurting all over around this time. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and depression even though I didn't agree with the diagnosis I took the Prescribed med and did what the my Docs said to do.  My neck pain steadily eleveted during this time and my activities went in spurts I would push through the pain one or two days and then pay for it for a week.  Eight months ago I had another disc rupture and was diagnosed wth two more bulging discs in my neck.  I had another disctectomy and fusion.  I hoped this surgery would reduce my pain enough that I would get my spark back but I haven't gotten my enrgy back although the surgery did reduce my nerve pain.  This brings us to my current state,  I still have a great deal of neck pain and pain in joints and various other parts.  But this isn't what bothers the most it is my lack of energy and lack of motivation.  I go weeks sometimes months without going out of the house( This is saying something since I have always loved the outdoors).   I have tried vitamins, minerals, natural cures, and countless other treatments and procedures.  I just recently went to another doc and had some more blood work done, it came back with neg Lyme disease, Low on vitamin D, and high ALT-75 & AST-43.  This doc said that my chronic pain has super- sensitized my body to pain and also caused this fibromyalgis-like pain.  He prescrided Nuerontin and vitamin D and I have a follow up in a month.

I don't hold much hope that this will help much since I have tried Nuerontin before.  So I have started trying to branch out to other resources, thats how I ended up here.  

I was talking to my cousin the other day after not seeing for some time and told him about my problems.  He told me that he used to be addicted to the same pain meds I am currently taking and said when he was using and for a while after he quit he felt the way I was desribing!  Although I know that the meds are not cousing my neck pain, could they be cousing my lack of energy, depression, and other pain?  If I quit taking these pin med would I possibly regain my energy and motivation?  Or does anyone have anyother suggestions? Also, this same cousin suggested I try an anabolic steroid to get my energy back and get back in shape.  I have never taken illegal drugs before and probably won't try this either unless I find out it is the cure.

I am now taking 20 mgs oxycodone er  3 times a day and 10/ 325 oxycodone twice a day or when needed.  Alo nuerontin 100 x2 once daily and flexiril 10 mgs 1 at night.

[Red931]

ALSO I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR COUSIN'S ADVICE AND TAKE ANABOLIC STEROIDS. THIS WILL ONLY DAMAGE YOUR LIVER FURTHER AND POSSIBLY YOUR JOINTS AS WELL.

[Red931]

Hello,

I was wondering if you have always been on your current medications or have they been changed recently?

Your ALT and AST enzymes indicate that your liver is working overtime. They are a bit high. I know this because it happened to me. I was put on Vicodin 7.5/750 for several months for my injuries and took the Vicodin as directed and it caused my enzymes to go up to where yours are now. The large amount of Tylenol was causing damage to my liver and really making me feel tired.

My PCP took me off the Vicodin soon as he became aware of the blood test results and put me on Oxycontin 20 mg. My PCP had not prescribed the Vicodin my Orthopedist did. This all took place in October 2008.

I have had two more surgeries since then and I am still on Oxycontin 20mg, once a day and I also take Percocet 5/325 once or twice a day as needed. This is a much lower dosage than what you are currently taking and I get run down so I can imagine how you feel. You are taking Oxy 20mg. three times daily plus Pecocet 10/325. This will make you tired no matter how tolerant you are to the medication I'm sure.

I just wanted to ask you about the medication and suggest you do everything you can to get those liver enzymes down.

I take Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, and Turmeric everyday to give me liver the extra boost it needs to cleanse all of the toxins from these medications and protect my liver. I have to tell you once I started taking these suppliments, my enzymes dropped well below the normal ranges and I felt much better. You may want to talk with your doctor about taking these suppliments. They can only help you.

I hope you feel better.

[nick30]

montanagurl and tuck have given you some great advice. I have found that in the last few months i have been feeling better due mostly to getting gentle excercise(usually walking on the beach), diet, and increases in vitamin D(from the sun, the best place to get it).
perhaps your cousin was meaning human growth hormone, I think anabolic steroids just bulk you up. either way, i wouldn't put that in my body unless there was a medical need.
you could always try, under dr's supervision, to reduce your medication to see if that helps. and there are other medications that produce less lethargy and eupohria than oxycodone that might be worth trying.
best of luck, keep us informed of your wellbeing,

Nick

[MontanaGurl]

I am sorry that you are having this type of problems.  I have had Rhuematoid Arthritis for about 6 years now and in October of last year was in a really bad motorcycle accident where I broke my back, pelvis, all my ribs, collarbone and shoulderblade are among alot of other breaks, tears and punctures that I had cause of the accident.  I like you take narcotic pain meds.  I find myself taking an extra pill here and there of my breakthrough meds and needless to say, 1 or 2 months a year I run short on my breakthrough pain meds.  I also take the neurontin for neuropathic pain issues.  I take a dose alot higher than yourself but, have found it to help, not to the point of being cured but, I can tell that it does help me with certain problems.  I hear the frustration in your words, about your problems with lack of motivation and energy and your old spark just isn't there anymore.  

My spark dwindles in the background somewhere also :-)  But, with depression comes the lack of energy.  I have been talking to a therapist for my issues in life, the major one being pain control, and how it has taken over my life and of course I have the "why me" day's.  Maybe, and this is just a suggestion.  On top of using the pain meds, if you are physically able to do activities with your injuries, could you supplement your pain meds with some physical activity?  I know that saying it and doing it are 2 different things.  And when people would tell me to do physical things I would tell them, are you kidding me, it is easy for you to say, you don't hurt and you can move around I can't even get up to shower and go to the bathroom.  But, I really think that physical activity would help a little bit.  If nothing else try to get your mind off of things.  Are you able to drive or do you have access to a vehicle or someone to take you for a drive?  I am still semi-confined to a wheelchair, so when I go somewhere it is like moving a house, I have to take my little friend (wheelchair) with me and my little bag of goodies (munchies, cell phone etc.)  But, I have found that just even getting out of my house and going for a short ride even to the post office to check mail or to the grocery store helps me get my mind off of things.

And I just spill my guts to my therapist and he told me to start keeping a journal of my issues during the day.  Well, when I first started writing in it, it was about as thick as a magazine.  but i found that after awhile it did help a bit.  I guess what I am getting at is that I just keep trying anything and everything until I find the right "niche" or the right mixture of stuff to help.  I am not gonna lie to you, I still have really bad bad days and nights but, I just keep plugging along waiting for it to be my turn to  have it easy for once in my life.  So, here are some suggestions, things that I have tried and still try ........
-talk to therapist
-talk to my regular doc and tell him what is going on
-tell my pain doc what is going on
-tell my family or whoever will listen to me
-go for rides, even short ones just down the street, if that is all I can muster at the moment
-get on my computer and look stuff up and post on this site
-read books
-treat yourself and buy yourself something that you really want
-play on the Wii game
-take my meds even if I think they don't help me at the moment, they may just kick in!!
-if you can get out of town for the day/night/weekend and spend the night
-go to the show
-lately I have wheeled myself into the driveway (with the nicer weather) and just breath the fresh air
-hot showers, just as hot as I can stand it
-baby myself, even though I am 36, I demand love and attention and get babied by my family

If there is anything I can help you with or tell you or if you have any questions or just want a B.S.ing partner - we can talk about the wheather - I am here, as well as other's on this site.  Keep posting, let us know what is going on.  Don't give up and be good to yourself above all other's.  You are worth it, and you can and will get through this, take care of yourself............................until next time....................montanagurl

[Tuckamore]

Hi Jbar,

Welcome to the Pain Management Clinic. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Chronic Pain (CP) is never fun and with it comes many of the symptoms that you describe.

Addiction vs dependency has been the subject of many a thread on this forum. It is my opinion and that of many good physicians that drug addiction differs from the drug dependency. I do not say it as well as others do. Ppl with true chronic pain that take their narcotics as prescribed are dependant on narcotics to ease their pain. Addicts are addicted to the high that narcotics provide them.

There are some very good pain therapist out there. I know that they have been very beneficial for many CP patients that experience depression. Don't be embarrassed as most of us experience depression in some form in varying degrees. Even a good general therapist can be helpful. I encourage you to discuss this with your PCP or PMP and ask for a referral.
Narcotics may make you tired or sleepy. CP often brings depression and narcotics can play a roll in that also. The fact that your ALD & AST are elevated can add greatly to your generalized pain and discomfort. I recently had extremely low Vit D levels due to malabsorption syndrome. When my Vit D was low I experienced Fibro type pain until my levels were raised to normal. It is hard to understand that a simple vitamin can make such a significant difference in your pain levels. So don't dismiss that fact.

Anabolic steroids in my opinion will cause you more trouble than any good they may provide you. And I find it difficult to beleive that they will provide you the relief your cousin claims. You may discuss this with your PCP and if he believes a course of steroidal therapy will help you improve. If so he may very well prescribe it.
  
You are not alone. We are here to support you in anyway we can. Our members are caring and informative. I encourage you to become an active member of our community. This site has been a life saver for me and many other CP sufferers. I will look forward to your updates. I'll be out of state through Easter but our community is open and active. Best of luck to you and please take care, Tuck