leebrown61
03-13-2007, 02:09 PM
HI Everyone,
I have only posted here once about my chronic back and leg pain. Well, I finally gave in and made an appt. to see my family doc. He is really nice. I hate going to the doctor though but my back pain has gotten worse. I am also having pain in my right hip and my left leg aches and my foot gets numb. I figure this is due to the DJD and herniated disc. My family doc is the one who prescribes me pain meds. Hydromorphone 4 mg 1 twice a day and hydrocodone 1 twice a day. The meds use to help a lot more but not so much lately. I saw him about 4 months ago and told him that the meds were not providing as much relief and were wearing off soon. They help about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes after I take them and start wearing off 3 hours after that. I told him I was not sleeping well because of pain so he started me on 2.5 mg of valium 2 hours before bed. Helps some but I sitll wake up a lot. I don't know much about pain management and pain meds. i went to the spinal pain management clinic here. I tried shots and PT. Shots did not help at all and were uncomfortable. My doc does not think there is any point in getting more.
Reason I am writing is that I feel uncomfortable talking to my doctor. He is nice. It is my hangup not his. I don't want to complain. WHen he ask how I am doing. I always automatically reply "fine and how are you". I never tell him how I really feel or how much worse it is getting.
Any suggestions and do you think the medicine that I am taking is a lot. I think it is so I am also scared that he may want to increase them.
I have tried neurotin and stuff and cannnot take ibuprophen.
I have moderate to severe DJD l4,l5,s1, a hernation, bulges, and a tear. I had a failed lumbar microdiscectomy in 2000 and the pain has been with me since that time.
Thanks
Lee
I have only posted here once about my chronic back and leg pain. Well, I finally gave in and made an appt. to see my family doc. He is really nice. I hate going to the doctor though but my back pain has gotten worse. I am also having pain in my right hip and my left leg aches and my foot gets numb. I figure this is due to the DJD and herniated disc. My family doc is the one who prescribes me pain meds. Hydromorphone 4 mg 1 twice a day and hydrocodone 1 twice a day. The meds use to help a lot more but not so much lately. I saw him about 4 months ago and told him that the meds were not providing as much relief and were wearing off soon. They help about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes after I take them and start wearing off 3 hours after that. I told him I was not sleeping well because of pain so he started me on 2.5 mg of valium 2 hours before bed. Helps some but I sitll wake up a lot. I don't know much about pain management and pain meds. i went to the spinal pain management clinic here. I tried shots and PT. Shots did not help at all and were uncomfortable. My doc does not think there is any point in getting more.
Reason I am writing is that I feel uncomfortable talking to my doctor. He is nice. It is my hangup not his. I don't want to complain. WHen he ask how I am doing. I always automatically reply "fine and how are you". I never tell him how I really feel or how much worse it is getting.
Any suggestions and do you think the medicine that I am taking is a lot. I think it is so I am also scared that he may want to increase them.
I have tried neurotin and stuff and cannnot take ibuprophen.
I have moderate to severe DJD l4,l5,s1, a hernation, bulges, and a tear. I had a failed lumbar microdiscectomy in 2000 and the pain has been with me since that time.
Thanks
Lee
Sponsor
morgyporgy
03-13-2007, 02:44 PM
i cannot comment on the hydromorphone. not sure what that is. lol but as far as talking to your doctor...you need to be honest and up-front with him. you seem to have a good rapport. sometimes the fear we have prevents us from getting adequate pain relief. remember he cannot read your mind and the only way he knows how you are feeling and if the meds are working is if you tell them.
one thing i have always done is keep a pain journal whenever i feel a difference in my pain levels. i log my waking up, noon, mid- afternoon, evening, and night pain on the 1-10 level. i also let them know what helps and what hurts. hot bath or shower, standing or sitting too long, driving, etc. this way you have it written down and they can make a copy and put it in your file. they actually appreciate this and they have to read it rather than just half-listening to you. LOL please be honest with your dr. he is the one you need to communicate with. you would expect that from him. don't be afraid because if he responds in a negative way you need to know this. these are the times when we weed out the good and the bad drs. good luck and god bless, katy
one thing i have always done is keep a pain journal whenever i feel a difference in my pain levels. i log my waking up, noon, mid- afternoon, evening, and night pain on the 1-10 level. i also let them know what helps and what hurts. hot bath or shower, standing or sitting too long, driving, etc. this way you have it written down and they can make a copy and put it in your file. they actually appreciate this and they have to read it rather than just half-listening to you. LOL please be honest with your dr. he is the one you need to communicate with. you would expect that from him. don't be afraid because if he responds in a negative way you need to know this. these are the times when we weed out the good and the bad drs. good luck and god bless, katy
ibake&pray
03-13-2007, 03:02 PM
Lee,
Chuckle...Just a thought, but if you aren't comfortable telling your doctor that you have known for a long time what is wrong with you, what makes you think that you would be any more willing to open up to a total stranger...?
I think that you suffer from the syptom that most of us had at one time. Drs. are special people and should be treated as such. My Mom and Dad do the same thing that you do. I told my dad that the dr. can't read minds and if he doesn't tell them what works and what doesn't he CAN'T HELP YOU. Just becuse they spent years in med school doesn't mean that they can diagnose without your help. It's a partnership that you are in with him. You providing him information helps him with the dianosis.
Don't feel like you are letting the dr. down by telling him when things are getting worse. that helps him treat you.
OK, am climbing down off of my mother soap box. Sorry, every so often I have the need to "help" others-whether they need it or not.
Give him a chance to try different meds. It took me 6 months with my surgeon and another 6 months with my pain dr. to get settled on a set of meds that work..and even now we need to make a change.
good luck.....take a deep breath and try it...
Jill
Chuckle...Just a thought, but if you aren't comfortable telling your doctor that you have known for a long time what is wrong with you, what makes you think that you would be any more willing to open up to a total stranger...?
I think that you suffer from the syptom that most of us had at one time. Drs. are special people and should be treated as such. My Mom and Dad do the same thing that you do. I told my dad that the dr. can't read minds and if he doesn't tell them what works and what doesn't he CAN'T HELP YOU. Just becuse they spent years in med school doesn't mean that they can diagnose without your help. It's a partnership that you are in with him. You providing him information helps him with the dianosis.
Don't feel like you are letting the dr. down by telling him when things are getting worse. that helps him treat you.
OK, am climbing down off of my mother soap box. Sorry, every so often I have the need to "help" others-whether they need it or not.
Give him a chance to try different meds. It took me 6 months with my surgeon and another 6 months with my pain dr. to get settled on a set of meds that work..and even now we need to make a change.
good luck.....take a deep breath and try it...
Jill
TraveltoSL
03-13-2007, 06:28 PM
Hi there,
Sorry that you have to come to the boards due to pain, but glad you are here and asking questions that might help you....
Instead of everyone having to read my long-winded story again....LOL....if you go and click on the threads from the poster named "youngone"...they were about help seeing a PM Dr.....you will find my personal suggestions and they are other really good threads about good stories and bad one's from lots of other people's thoughts as well....
I don't mean to "put you off" by not writing everything but it's the same question that sooo many people have going for the first time....
If you have other specific questios after reading those threads....feel free to ask....
May I ask when you have last had an MRI???
Which Dr. are you seeing now? Your spinal pain management Dr. or your general Dr.?
I woud think that the spinal pain Dr. is going to understand the most about your pain levels and failed surgery...
Are they planning to do surgery again? The reason I ask is I have just had my 3rd cervical re-fusion since the first two failed....but they did them fairly quickly since the vertebrae had collapsed back on eachtoher without the fusion....It seems odd that they would just say, "oh well, your surgery failed but we aren't going in to fix it and just leave it"....
Anyway, if we could get a few more details to help you out even better, that would be great...
I am certainly a proponent of seeing a Pain Mgmt. Dr. over a "general or family Dr." whenever possible since they have the latest treatments and their main job is specifically to hellp us with this...This is NOT to say that i know there are many out there that don't have access to one.....But you say that is who you saw...or are seeing???
As you'll see in my other posts, I believe in a total body management of pain....Mental/Physical with many modalities and not just opiates....
Again, glad...and sad...that you are here...like all of us:(:( but welcome to the board:)
Blessings,
Ingrid
Sorry that you have to come to the boards due to pain, but glad you are here and asking questions that might help you....
Instead of everyone having to read my long-winded story again....LOL....if you go and click on the threads from the poster named "youngone"...they were about help seeing a PM Dr.....you will find my personal suggestions and they are other really good threads about good stories and bad one's from lots of other people's thoughts as well....
I don't mean to "put you off" by not writing everything but it's the same question that sooo many people have going for the first time....
If you have other specific questios after reading those threads....feel free to ask....
May I ask when you have last had an MRI???
Which Dr. are you seeing now? Your spinal pain management Dr. or your general Dr.?
I woud think that the spinal pain Dr. is going to understand the most about your pain levels and failed surgery...
Are they planning to do surgery again? The reason I ask is I have just had my 3rd cervical re-fusion since the first two failed....but they did them fairly quickly since the vertebrae had collapsed back on eachtoher without the fusion....It seems odd that they would just say, "oh well, your surgery failed but we aren't going in to fix it and just leave it"....
Anyway, if we could get a few more details to help you out even better, that would be great...
I am certainly a proponent of seeing a Pain Mgmt. Dr. over a "general or family Dr." whenever possible since they have the latest treatments and their main job is specifically to hellp us with this...This is NOT to say that i know there are many out there that don't have access to one.....But you say that is who you saw...or are seeing???
As you'll see in my other posts, I believe in a total body management of pain....Mental/Physical with many modalities and not just opiates....
Again, glad...and sad...that you are here...like all of us:(:( but welcome to the board:)
Blessings,
Ingrid