Hi everybody! I'm new to this board...
I hurt my back last March. I actually hurt my back at work but never pursued any workers comp or anything like that. I have kept working.. I'm actually a server at a restaurant.. and have reinjured my back repeatedly.
I have since struggled with a major Vicodin addiction... my marriage almost ended because of it. I had quit taking the meds, but my back has since gotten worse, and I am now back to the point where I am terrified of my doc not refilling the meds.
I am now scheduled for an injection in my SI joint with I.V. sedation in 5 days. I spoke to a friend of mine who has had back issues for about ten years and she told me it is going to be extremely painful for about 4 days afterward. I was confident about the injections and hopeful that it could provide pain relief and I could get off the Vicodin at least for a while. Now I am terrified of the pain just being worse. Any advice at all? I have been crying off and on all day long because I am just so scared I will never get better and will never get over this, and will never get off these pills. :(

Any help at all would be really, really appreciated. Thank you.

Mystic, Hi and welcome to the boards.. you found the right place to ask questions and get answers from many of us who have "been there done that", so to speak.

I have had SEVERAL SI injections and never got any sedation at all. It's a very quickly done injection. The sedation is not a bad thing.. as there is no way to numb this point of injection like they can a bit with an back epidural injection.

You need to know that they will be injecting a lot of fluid into an inflammed space, so it takes some time to absorb in, thus causing some discomfort and pain. I've had some of the injections that when they were done.. I said wow.. that feels great!! and walked out of the office feeling fabulous.

Remember the injections are a bandaid not a cureall. But if they help you control your pain.. by all means.. continue with them.

Any pains you derive from the injections vary by person and by each time they are done to be honest.

Most pain sufferers don't get addicted to pain meds, they become dependent upon them. If you are abusing the medication.. then addiction might be the proper term. If you are in pain.. you need help to get you through this.. and you need to talk to your family and doctor about proper management of this. Since you had problems with the vicodin before.. it's probably prudent to make this a family affair for your treatment. It will probably help with things.

Don't be scared.. the injection is over in a jiffy and if they are willing to sedate you to do this.. a real piece of cake for you! Just follow your doctors orders following the injection and you will be fine.

Good luck to to you. Take care and post back and let us know how it goes okay? Tammy:wave:

Each person reacts differently to these types of injections. There's on average about a 50% chance of success. Sometimes it may take multiple (but not more than 3) injections before you feel any relief. The injections are only a temporary stop gap until either you have surgery or seek our a Pain Management Specialist who can appropriately treat you.

I'm not sure exactly what your problem with Vicodin was, but generally less than 3% of those in true chronic pain become addicted to medication. Dependant? Yes our bodies adjust to the levels of medications in the same way that somone who takes anti-depressants or other various medications, if you stop suddenly you will go through withdrawals.

I really suggest you stop by the pain management board. There is a vast amount of information regarding Pain Management and it's protocols as well as many who have gone through the injection process.

It isn't uncommon for someone who doesn't suffer from chronic pain to not understand what it is like nor understand the need for appropriate medication for a quality of life. Many individuals just simply assume if you are taking pain medication on a dialy basis surely you must be an addict. Society as a whole can not simply grasp the concept that this is not true and studies have been done to prove it.

Additionally there are other medications that can help with back pain or pain in general as well as other modalities such as therapy. A good Pain Management Specialist will often involve you in these types of things and help give you to tools to learn how to cope with the pain outside of medication alone.

Good luck with the injection

Barbie

Thanks for all the advice.. I appreciate it. I actually am seeing a pain specialist now, he's the one that ordered the injections. I had my first MRI the day before my appointment so he was unable to get the results yet and decide what else may help me. I was in so much pain in his office that I was actually in tears (especially when he was poking me) and he just wants to find a way to ease the pain until we can find a way to get rid of the pain for god (hopefully). I am encouraged simply because this is the first dr I have ever seen that doesn't trivialize my pain. I recently saw an orthopedic specialist that took a quick look at my xray and said "people live with this all the time, you'll be ok". He then sent me to PT (which I have already done... three times and he knew this) and refused to give me ANY meds for anything and told me to take Ibuprofen. If Ibuprofen was enough to take care of the pain, I wouldn't be seeing a dr for it anyway. I was so upset when I left his office I called my husband and just cried. Needless to say, I never went back, and my PCP refused to give me a referral for another specialist (I have an HMO, need referrals for EVERYTHING) so I moved on and LOVE my new PCP, and I am encouraged by the pain specialist.

For the first time since I have injured myself, I actually feel as though I am getting somewhere. Now I found this message board, and could cry I am so happy. (yeah, I cry a lot). I have been so emotional these last few months, and so incredibly depressed, and it is really wonderful to know I am not alone in this. And, it's nice to know that maybe I am not a drug addict after all. That was the most depressing thing... I have two kids and felt like I was a terrible mother. I just want a normal life again.

Hi All,:D
Good luck with your injection, I always have the tendoncies(sp) to get nervous for no reason, I expect it to be worse than it turns out to be. It should really be much easier since they are doing the IV.

I have not had even one totally pain free day since 1998
I have been on ES vicodin, along with the other pain meds, since my first fusion back in Oct. of 03. My dr. had told me to NOT try to go off any of my meds with out his supervision. He said I am definatly dependant, but not addicted. He said what was said in the other posts, I do not ever exceed the prescribed dosage. If I did that would be addicted. But he said I would most likely suffer some withdrawl symptoms if not weened off the meds properly. I do know the neurontin can cause seizures if not weened off of them.

I do so understand your concern about the addiction, I have bounced :bouncing: back and forth in my head with that for years now. The bottom line is your not taking anything for recreation, it's because you NEED it to live a somewhat normal life. Depending on some pain meds to be able to drive to the grocery store or pick the kids up from school is a far cry from an addict.

I do feel that my concern about becoming one is the safety net for me to not cross that line. Most addicts don't realize they are addicts, I know from experience. My oldest son was an heroin addict for over a year before he sought help. He ended up loosing every thing he owned, house, car and almost his life. Thankfully he saw he had a problem when he caused an accident and people in the other car had to go via ambulance to the hosp. He couldn't stand that he hurt someone else, so he put himself in a treatment center. He is now married almost a yr. in the marines for 3 yrs now. He is in Iraq now.

I don't know how your life was, but if you followed the prescribed dose, and someone else was bothered by that, that doesn't mean you are an addict. You might want to check out the addiction sight on here, they may help you clarify some things also.

I'm sorry for being so long, but you did hit a big nerve with me on this one. I do hope you can manage your pain and find the relief you need soon.

Good Luck & God Bless

Carol:wave:

well, honestly, with the vicodin, i was taking 20 pills a day, vicodin hp, which is 10/660, I had found a dr that would prescribe anything I wanted. So I think I probably had crossed the line with that, but I did stop taking them, i detoxed, and stopped going to that doctor. I now only go to legitimate doctors, and i follow the prescription directions now, and the worst I do now is take an extra one at night if the pain is exceptionally bad and keeping me awake all night. I do still have to function.

Thank you for the well wishes everybody. I know all any of us want is to be pain free. I pray daily that someday I'll be able to run, dance, jump... do all the things I used to. I want to be able to keep up with my kids again. Well.. at least be close to it... I was NEVER able to totally keep up with them in the first place!!!:p