mooselake47
08-06-2007, 03:58 PM
Hello,
I have 11 compressed discs & degenerative disc disease. I am on Gabbapentin, Voltaren, Dilaudid & Lorazepam to deal with the pain & try to sleep at night. I have been seen by the supposedly best neurosurgeon in Northern Sask. & until my discs herniate, there is nothing they can do. I am 47 & my wife says I have an awesome physique but my pain is 24 hrs. a day with very little relief even from all the meds. above. If I do not take them, I can not get out of bed each day--but when I do take them I am in another world, drugged (so to speak). I am not sure what else can be done to help deal with this pain that is constant day in & day out. If anyone has this same problem, please respond & what did you have done or are doing for your pain. I have to continue working in order to provide for my wife & survive. I am a very physical man & have always been in the work environment that calls for it. I still work in the uranium mines, driving equipment & still physical work involved. As long as I take my meds. I can function daily but I have to overtake them in order to keep going on the job. It does not effect me to the point of being in danger or endangering anyone else I work with--I will point that out. I do not like taking so many meds. as it messes up my system, eating, washroom wise, eating & other things. Maybe someone out there can let me know what else I should do or any other medical attention that may be out there I can seek. Neurologist I have seen, MRI done along with xrays.
mooselake47
I have 11 compressed discs & degenerative disc disease. I am on Gabbapentin, Voltaren, Dilaudid & Lorazepam to deal with the pain & try to sleep at night. I have been seen by the supposedly best neurosurgeon in Northern Sask. & until my discs herniate, there is nothing they can do. I am 47 & my wife says I have an awesome physique but my pain is 24 hrs. a day with very little relief even from all the meds. above. If I do not take them, I can not get out of bed each day--but when I do take them I am in another world, drugged (so to speak). I am not sure what else can be done to help deal with this pain that is constant day in & day out. If anyone has this same problem, please respond & what did you have done or are doing for your pain. I have to continue working in order to provide for my wife & survive. I am a very physical man & have always been in the work environment that calls for it. I still work in the uranium mines, driving equipment & still physical work involved. As long as I take my meds. I can function daily but I have to overtake them in order to keep going on the job. It does not effect me to the point of being in danger or endangering anyone else I work with--I will point that out. I do not like taking so many meds. as it messes up my system, eating, washroom wise, eating & other things. Maybe someone out there can let me know what else I should do or any other medical attention that may be out there I can seek. Neurologist I have seen, MRI done along with xrays.
mooselake47
Sponsor
zoey1
08-06-2007, 08:24 PM
A few suggestions, have you seen a rhumatologist yet for RA in the spine?
Has your doc referred you to get any physical therapy and or stretches for helping manage the back issues?
Have you added anything to your diet that may help with side effects of the meds? Such as activa (yougart) great for digestion and upset stomach....
What about yoga, meditation?
Small doses of oldie stand by amitriplene may help with sleep/and pain and anxiety issues, which come from chronic pain.
Have you tried any formal therapy yet? Sometimes talking therapy can help get use to dealing with the stressors of chronic pain.
There are lots of good information of handling pain on this board as well as the back pain board and spinal cord injury board that can go into lots of details of what next, and or day to day living with chronic pain.
Welcome aboard and I hope you find some tools /tricks here that can help aid you in your quest.
Has your doc referred you to get any physical therapy and or stretches for helping manage the back issues?
Have you added anything to your diet that may help with side effects of the meds? Such as activa (yougart) great for digestion and upset stomach....
What about yoga, meditation?
Small doses of oldie stand by amitriplene may help with sleep/and pain and anxiety issues, which come from chronic pain.
Have you tried any formal therapy yet? Sometimes talking therapy can help get use to dealing with the stressors of chronic pain.
There are lots of good information of handling pain on this board as well as the back pain board and spinal cord injury board that can go into lots of details of what next, and or day to day living with chronic pain.
Welcome aboard and I hope you find some tools /tricks here that can help aid you in your quest.
mudbone
08-06-2007, 09:38 PM
Moose I have a question, Since you work in the mines is it considered a DFWP, in ther words are you subject to taking urine test for illiegal drugs? I am just curious of the outcome with the prescriptions you must provide them with. Its a big concern with me at my workplace. Thanks for your input.
Shoreline
08-07-2007, 01:39 AM
Hi Moose, I know things are very different as far as healthcare systems. In the Us yiou could see a new surgeon every month and get a different opinion from every DOC. There is alot more out there beside medication but the patient has to actually do the work like learn and practice biofeedback, self hypnosis, guided imagary, chiropractice may help, acupuncture, having a TENS unit, using TINS, getting nerve blocks, trigger point injections but most important for lower back is keeping your core strong as far as stabalizing your spine. If you see a dip coming and you know you truck is going to bounce and toss you around a bit, you learn to tighten your abs and eventually it becomes natural.
I could name at least 50 different techniques I've learned over the last 15 years, but if there isn't a doc in the area that uses those techniques or can teach you what to do, it's not of much use. I don't consider anything I tried a waste of time, some thngs helped, some didn't, some I use pieces of what they tought. Some , like excercising when in pain, I thought was totally absurd when I was first told this, have become part of my daily life.
When I reach the point where I simply couldn't hurt more I get on an elyptical trainer for 20 minutes. I have to tighten my core to do it, which corects my posture, puts me back in a neutral spine position and releases endorphins and distracts me from the pain that wouldn't allow me to sit for more than 10 minutes without getting up to look for somewhere more comfortable. I think there are alot of folks in this position and it's just a matter of trial and error. I would imagine you have a little less to choose from, but it may be worth doing some traveling and actually spending a few weeks in a PM clinic and learning about things other than medication so you have something to do other than take another pill when you have a bad day. When your talking about dealing with this for another 30+ years, 3 weeks at a PM clinic learning anything that might help as far as PM is worth while.
My bottom line is if it helps, it's worth doing. Staying active is certainly better than hurting just as much and being depressed about spending you days on the couch with a heating pad. I feel like if my only option is more medication which means more side efects or brain fog, I've turned over my life and responsabilty for what I make of each day over to a doc and the drugs. Everyone will reach a point where the meds themself can become more disabling than the problem we take them for if we don't recognize the limits meds have and look for an alternative.
Good luck, Dave
I could name at least 50 different techniques I've learned over the last 15 years, but if there isn't a doc in the area that uses those techniques or can teach you what to do, it's not of much use. I don't consider anything I tried a waste of time, some thngs helped, some didn't, some I use pieces of what they tought. Some , like excercising when in pain, I thought was totally absurd when I was first told this, have become part of my daily life.
When I reach the point where I simply couldn't hurt more I get on an elyptical trainer for 20 minutes. I have to tighten my core to do it, which corects my posture, puts me back in a neutral spine position and releases endorphins and distracts me from the pain that wouldn't allow me to sit for more than 10 minutes without getting up to look for somewhere more comfortable. I think there are alot of folks in this position and it's just a matter of trial and error. I would imagine you have a little less to choose from, but it may be worth doing some traveling and actually spending a few weeks in a PM clinic and learning about things other than medication so you have something to do other than take another pill when you have a bad day. When your talking about dealing with this for another 30+ years, 3 weeks at a PM clinic learning anything that might help as far as PM is worth while.
My bottom line is if it helps, it's worth doing. Staying active is certainly better than hurting just as much and being depressed about spending you days on the couch with a heating pad. I feel like if my only option is more medication which means more side efects or brain fog, I've turned over my life and responsabilty for what I make of each day over to a doc and the drugs. Everyone will reach a point where the meds themself can become more disabling than the problem we take them for if we don't recognize the limits meds have and look for an alternative.
Good luck, Dave
pattihabs
08-07-2007, 09:56 AM
hey moose, i would suggest am pain management doc. they are the best at helping with pain, not surgury. i have seen all kinds of docs and the pm is the best to deal with the pain. good luck, patti
mindmltn
08-09-2007, 06:53 PM
I agree with the pain management suggestions.
If you are not in one already you need to get a referral to a pain management specialist.
They will start you on a physical therapy regiment to see if that helps as well as other treatments.
I also think the Rheumatology or Arthritis testing is important.
I just found out that I have Ankylosing spondylitis which is a form of rheumatoid arthritis that affects the spine.
If I didn’t tell me Doctor top test me for the gene that 99% of people that have sponylitis have I would never have been diagnosed and if left untreated it makes your spine worse.
I am on some of the newest anti-inflammatory meds and they are helping a lot and I don’t get the brain fog with them.
I am close to tapering off of the other pain meds because of this.
I hope that something helps you soon.
I know what it is like to dread going to work everyday and not getting sleep to be at your best at work so keep pushing the doctor to test everything they can so you can get a better treatment than what you are currently getting.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
Joey.
If you are not in one already you need to get a referral to a pain management specialist.
They will start you on a physical therapy regiment to see if that helps as well as other treatments.
I also think the Rheumatology or Arthritis testing is important.
I just found out that I have Ankylosing spondylitis which is a form of rheumatoid arthritis that affects the spine.
If I didn’t tell me Doctor top test me for the gene that 99% of people that have sponylitis have I would never have been diagnosed and if left untreated it makes your spine worse.
I am on some of the newest anti-inflammatory meds and they are helping a lot and I don’t get the brain fog with them.
I am close to tapering off of the other pain meds because of this.
I hope that something helps you soon.
I know what it is like to dread going to work everyday and not getting sleep to be at your best at work so keep pushing the doctor to test everything they can so you can get a better treatment than what you are currently getting.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
Joey.