pain management

[walt59]

I have been in pain management for 3yrs.I have DDD of cervical and lumbar spine with pinched nerves and annular tears causing headaches,neck,arm,mid-back,low back,leg pain and also severe restless leg syndrome.Pain averages 5 on 1-10 scale.I have been taking ultram 2x and lortab 3x daily for 2 yrs.Doctor continues to ask me if I would start fentanyl therapy,which I have tried and only helps for 2 days and not 3 days which the dosage is set at.I have declined the fentanyl treatment and now DR. wants me to see surgeon for my cervical stenosis.My neck is only a part of my problems.I first started pain management for leg pain which still continues.What is your opinion about fentanyl,and also surgery on neck when their are multi-level problems causing same symptoms?

[Ghilly]

It probably wouldn't hurt to have the cervical stenosis surgically corrected because at least it would help the actual physical cause of SOME of your pain.  You'll more than likely still need to be in PM afterward for your other problems, but whatever medication they put you on may work better if it doesn't have as many things to work ON.  

As far as the fentanyl patch goes, I have heard conflicting reports about them.  My PM doc isn't crazy about them for the reason that there seems to be a lot of problems associated with them in the last year or so, with a lot of them being recalled due to faulty manufacturing that leads to the medication leaking out of them and being absorbed by the body too quickly.  Also, Fentanyl is quite a strong medication, if you are going to be in PM for any length of time, why not try something that's stronger than the Ultram and hydrocodone, but not yet as strong as the Fentanyl?   Oxycodone might work well.  You can get it in tablet form without tylenol in it like the Vicodin has, and this makes it safer for your liver.  

Ultram is a waste, in my opinion, because it doesn't help severe pain and it is as addictive as any narcotic on the market, besides the fact that it can cause far more problems than narcotics can.  Discuss your options with your PM physician, and mention to him about the oxycodone.  You don't have to take the oxycontin, that's the time release version of oxycodone.  It comes in a pure form in a 5mg pill that might work well for you, and it also comes in 15mg pills, but if you are getting any relief at all from the Ultram and Vicodin, I think the 5mg pill would probably work for you since it is stronger than either of the other two meds.

Ghilly

[toolmaker]

I have been going to pm for a little over a year now and have been using the duragesic patches for the last 4 months.The patches are a godsend and i can maintain a 4-5 pain scale.You do not mention a sleep aid or a muscle relaxer as part of your meds. I  consider them both  mandatory for this curse.

[toolmaker]

I have been going to pm for a little over a year now and have been using the duragesic patches for the last 4 months.The patches are a godsend and i can maintain a 4-5 pain scale.You do not mention a sleep aid or a muscle relaxer as part of your meds. I  consider them both  mandatory for this curse.