Botox Injectins? - Pain Management Message Board

Cecelia99 · 08-05-2008, 09:46 AM

Has anybody ever had botox injection? I ask because I live with chronic muscle pain 17 years now. A good day is 5-7 pain level, last couple of weeks has been 8-10. I have taken all sorts of pain meds and REMOVED is destroying my kidney and liver now. No doc knows what is wrong and now I have been told to try botox injections. Any success anyone? I get sooo depressed, angry frustrated with the docs. Seems like nobody cares.
Cecelia99 feeling helpless

rayefaye · 08-05-2008, 10:00 AM

Hi Ceicelia, I suffer from a condition called Cervical Dystonia which are severe and uncontrollable muscles spasms of the neck. I've had Botox injections before and they did nothing for me. I now have problems with the spasms speading down into my back. I take Soma 350 mg 4 x a day to help keep them under control but then there's days that they don't even help. The only other thing that I have tried that helps are what they call Sedrol Medrol shots which are made up of Prednisone and something else. When they get so bad and stay that way for days, I go to the ER and get a shot of this. There are some people that do have success with Botox injections so maybe you should give it a try. You won't really know into you try them because people do react different and no 2 people react the same way to different medications.

Cecelia99 · 08-05-2008, 10:39 AM

Rayefaye,
What kind of doc / tests did your diagnosis? I NEED to find out what is wrong with me. I have taken Vicodin 750 6-8 pills a day sometimes even more, Soma 350mg 6 or so a day, I have taken percaset, BAD headaches with that, now I am on Norco. NOTHING takes the pain away.
HURTING BAD ALL THE TIME. Just feel like crawling in a cave. Can't sleep but a few hours at a time.

cmpgirl · 08-05-2008, 11:33 AM

Cecelia,

I'm sorry you are going through so much pain. As we all know, it can cause anxiety, depression and all other sorts of issues, on top of the pain itself.

I am very concerned about REMOVED the amount of Soma you are taking each day. I have taken Soma for 8 years and I am still on the same 350mg 3x/day dose because it is the max allowed safely by the manufacturer. My doc supplements the Soma with a secondary muscle relaxer, such as flexaril or zanaflex, because the Soma is the one that works best for me, but over time, tolerance can become an issue. Soma is also a bit different from all other MR's because it has addictive properties.

All of the opiate/opioid meds you have mentioned are short acting (SA) medications. Have you ever discussed a long-acting (LA)med such as Oxycontin, MSContin, Fentanyl patches, etc. with your doc. When pain is chronic, LA meds are usually a much better way of keeping a consistant blood plasma level in your system, so that you don't have the constant ups and downs of chasing your pain all day. Then a SA med, such as vicodin and norco are prescribed in smaller doses a day for any breakthrough pain. Your muscle relaxer would probably be more effective at the correct dosage as well.

I am really concerned about the amount of Soma you are taking. I hope you can find a doc who is more knowledgeable about pain management. I see a physiatrist. This is an MD who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. They are specially trained to diagnose and treat pain. Maybe you could check in your area and see if there are any listed. They would probably be under the heading of Pain Management.

Please take care and I wish you the very best of luck. CMP/MM