Hi all -
i am new to this forum, but unfortunately
not new to back pain.
For the last couple of years I have been
seeing a pain management specialist
(orthopedic).
I have problem from top to bottom...
Literally.
I have arthritis in various locations
throughout my spine. A lot of it cervical
and thoracic. I have a few bulging disks,
and a herniated one at l5. I am scheduled
in a few weeks for a discogram to analyze
this latter further. I have been through
the gamut of nerve blocks, sreoidal
injections, radiofrequncy neurotomies.
Each has helped the immediate problems.
However as my doctor said, it's like
peeling rotted laters from an onion...
You strip off one layer, often only to
expose another layer of problem that you
were unaware of due to the previous pain
over-riding it.
Throughout this, I developed a good deal
of neuropathic pain in my back. I had
this chronic dull burning sensation in all
my muscles as if I had spent the previous
day digging post holes (though of course I
had not).
The doctor tried me first on cymbalta.
This was developed as an anti-depressant,
but discovered to be benificial in
stopping neuropathic pain in some people.
For me, it took the edge off a bit, but
didn't really do the job.
Then along came the new product, lyrica.
I switched to this, and the improvement is
simply amazing. This is not to say it
would be miraculous for everybody. But
based upon my experience with it, it is
well worth asking your doctor about it.
I am certainly still in pain and
discomfort. But I no longer have the same
chronic burning overall achiness.
I just wanted to pass this along in hopes
that it might help others out there.
Being that this is a new medication, many
doctors might be unaware of it, or not be
familiar enough with it to think of
prescribing it.
Unfortunately I am still living on a
regimen of msucle relaxants, pain
relievers, and pain killers as needed.
Thankfully I have a very high tolerance
for pain... Sort of a mixed blessing.
Well... More to follow. I will most
likely post again once i've had my
discogram to share my experiences.
Meanwhile, I would like to hear of other's
experiences with this procedure. I think
at this point, it's one of the few things
I haven't gone through yet. If others are
seeking information on any of the other
procedures I mentioned, I would be happy
to share.
|
brandy681
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 6
Posted: 11-06-07 19:34pm
I am on both Lyrica and Cymbalta...I
belive I am on the maximum doce of Lyrica
also! I suffer from extremely horrific
chronic pains. The Lyrica has took an
amazing 30 % of my pains away. I am still
in pain and I still take other pain
medications, no choice and I still cry in
so much pain once in a while but I can
live everyday now and go grocery shopping
with barely any pain now. I am also on
vitamins for joints, back etc and nothing
helped. Not even the pain medications or
presciption anti-inflamiroty so Lyrica
really is a miracle drug that doesn't have
any horrible side effect and is not
adddictive and can me takin even for more
minor pains for young adults also.
Something that works soooo good and
doesn't have many side effects, none for
me deserves 5 stars!
|
LUMINALOVE
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 11 Location: , AZ
Posted: 11-07-07 23:16pm
I am 37 I have had lower back (
discectomy/laminectomy L5-6) surgery in
1999 and in 2001 after the birth of my
last child my upper back and neck really
started to bother me exspecially where
your skull meets the spine in that crevace
I had a mri and was told that the disc in
C5-6 was damaged I also had a nerve block
on the right top of my head to stop the
pain when I bent over I would get a sharp
pain on the top right side of my head and
it fixed that but now when I get a
headache in the back I have pain that
goes from the back up over my head on the
left and in my left eye socket . I was
diagnosed with degenerative disc disease
even before my lower back surgery . they
advised me to get neck surgery where the
disc would be taken out and a cadavers
disc put in then held in place by screws
ect..I am really scared to do this and
they said that it would not garantee the
headaches and pain would stop I have tried
various anti depressants for the pain and
topomax when I get these headaches I have
a hard time functioning it hurts soooo bad
and last a long time I take morphine 30mg
daily and have been on it for 2 yrs and it
doesnt even begin to help my headaches
does anyone have any advice I have never
tried Lyrica ?
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