Cerebral palsy and pain medication - Cerebral Palsy Message Board

jeslookn · 12-06-2007, 07:44 PM

I was born with cerebral palsy. It affects the right side of my body. It is considered mild. I had two operations so I could walk with a slight limp. On Saturday Nov. 24 I say a 50 inch projection TV on the sidewalls and my nephew and I decided to to go get it. We got it to the back of the van and tilted it. I knew at once that it was very heavy. I then got into the van while my nephew was on the outside and when I lifted the the TV so we could get it the rest of the way my back hurt. I immediately put it down and we switched places. While I was getting out of the van I noticed that the groin muscle on my bad leg was hurting, but my back felt fine. We got the TV the rest of the way into the van.

Withing hours, the pain spread to my entire thigh area from the knee to my hip. That night I went to the emergency room and saw a nurse practitioner. she said I pinched a nerve and prescribe Lortab 7.5/500. She gave me one to take home and a prescription for 12 more. When I got home to took the lortab and it didn't help one bit. The next day I filled the prescription and took 2 every 4 hours and they did nothing to help the pain. At that time I couldn't lie down on my bed with my legs straight or on my stomach. I went to the emergency room again Sunday night around 2:00 am. This time I saw a doctor and she prescribed dilaudid (spelling). I though OH BOY because I had overheard my sister telling someone how she had been given that injection and her pain went from a 10 to a 0 in seconds. When the nurse gave me the injection she told me it worked fast and told me to get into bed quickly. I It did nothing for my pain, but knocked me out. She also gave me a prescription for Flexeril and it did nothing to relax my muscles or ease my pain. I tried 800 mg of Motrin and that did nothing to ease the pain.

I finally got to see my doctor and he said that those drugs work in the brain and because the wiring from my brain to my leg is scrambled, that is why the pain meds didn't work. He said "Lets not work on the brain and work on the muscles." He prescribed neurontin. I have been taking it for a week and there is not change. My leg is healing on it's own naturally, but I am still in much pain.

Has anyone else heard about pain medication not working on people that have cerebral palsy in a particular part of their body like me? I have never heard about it.

Thanks for any responses,

shawnmlb · 12-31-2007, 12:18 AM

Hey, I have cp and yea sometimes medication does not work sometimes it just taken the pain and grining other times its taken the sleepin drugs and let the pain wear off

apddopey · 01-11-2008, 09:14 AM

Wow, it's great to hear your story(not that it's great you hurt yourself). My son had surgery in March of 07 and it took 2 1/2 very long days to get his pain under control, and even then I don't think it was under control I just think he was drugged. He does take Baclofin 4x daily for the muscle spasms. It seems to relax the muscle some and he doesn't complain of pain, or act like he's hurting. Maybe a muscle relaxer like that would work to take on a daily basis so your pain is under control and it also may help with any simple injuries because you would be a little looser? I don't know just trying to help a little. I hope you feel better.

Jennifer