I hope I can Hang On

[Sea]

The underlying reasons for my pain has been mystifying doctors for over 20 years, alas. The pain that is upper most at this time is neck, spine back and hip pain. I am assuming this is a combination of suspected Ankylosing Spondylitis, and the results of two auto accidents, plus Fibromyalgia.

Your situation sounds similar to mine, a combination of spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis and degenerative discs which occasionally herniate plus the fibro.

 

[PatJ]

Is that like a Tens Unit?

PEMF uses pulses of an electromagnetic field so it's non-invasive. It can reduce inflammation and actually heal injuries by stimulating cell repair.

 

[belize44]

My GP prescribes my all my pain meds, including morphine, Vicodin, flexeril, lyrica, all on a daily basis. I chart all my meds. He loves charts and documentation! He tried to get me to cut back on morphine, but when I showed him how much sleep I was losing due to pain, and taking repeated doses of Vicodin at 1 a.m., 3 a.m., etc., he changed his mind about restricting morphine.

Maybe it would be helpful for you to keep a record that shows your intake of Aspirin and Tylenol, to show that you're taking way too much of it and it's not helping. It is especially important to show that you are taking it at 1 a.m., 3 a.m. 5 a.m. and that your pain is interfering with sleep. You can then say something like "40% of the time, pain interferes with sleep. Take a look at this chart." You can highlight the nights you were in pain.

Large amounts of Tylenol are harmful to your liver and kidneys. If anything, taking a narcotic will reduce the need for Tylenol and preserve your liver. I think the guidelines for maximum daily intake for Tylenol might be 2000mg/day but I would ask your doctor (any doctor) what the current guideline is.

This is very helpful, indeed! I think I will start charting pain incidents and what I had to take for it. I only wish I could find a GP who could be my "one stop" for everything! I have started with a new D.O but he is mainly going to be working with my thyroid and adrenal issues, and does not prescribe pain meds. Do you know of any templates for this kind of chart? If not, I will think of something.

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Do you know of any templates for this kind of chart? If not, I will think of something

I also use a code for what part of my body is hurting. I post a "B" right above the day of the month if my back caused me to take pain meds, an "N" for neck, etc. Some days have several initials. I think it's helpful to see the changes over time and the impact different medications have.

I noticed a decrease in lower back pain from osteoarthritis after I started taking Vital Nutrients BCQ, recommended by a naturopath. The trend was very clear from my chart.

 

[belize44]

Thanks, this is great!

 

[TigerLilea]

Large amounts of Tylenol are harmful to your liver and kidneys. If anything, taking a narcotic will reduce the need for Tylenol and preserve your liver. I think the guidelines for maximum daily intake for Tylenol might be 2000mg/day but I would ask your doctor (any doctor) what the current guideline is.

Yes, definitely be careful with Tylenol or any acetaminophen product. Overuse can lead to internal bleeding and death. I lost a family member a few years ago due to this.

 

[Paralee]

The sympathomimetic amine dextroamphetamine sulfate is something that can be effective at low-ish dose for chronic pain. There are other ADHD meds that have been used similarly too.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21835553
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26151991

@kangaSue .....what? That horrible weight loss drug (i.e. speed?) helps pain? I remember this now, when I used to start my period a diet pill would make the cramps go away. I'd forgotten all about it.

This is crazy, taking the opiods away because of "addictions" and not telling us a low dose of another "horrible" drug would help with pain and other possible problems.

 

[belize44]

I had finally gotten into the the new pain management place, and was sent for an MRI. There was a period of two weeks before being seen again, and the MRI was gone over with me by a PA. I did not actually see the doctor and this was puzzling, because I had chosen this clinic because of the high ratings the doctor had.

So according to the PA, I have some degenerative disc disease showing in the cervical spine but she actually says that the rest of my discs look healthy. I told her that not only my neck was in pain, but also my entire back. She said that they would inject steroids and things into my cervical spine but do nothing for my mid to lower back. She also offered Tramadol which I explained I could no longer tolerate because it made me vomit. So she prescribed Gabapentin. Which I also could not take but didn't recognize the name at the time or I would have told her so.

The appointment for the injections was set for the following week, and then the Friday before the week of the appointment, when the office called to confirm my appointment, it turned out that the co-pays beyond what my insurance would pay were going to be more than I could afford. So I canceled the appointment and rethought things.

One thing that I had misunderstood was that I thought this clinic was part of the hospital network. If they had been, the co-pays would have been covered through a program that I enrolled in which is only for doctors in the network. So I now had to search again for a pain management doctor in the network so that I wouldn't have co-pays.

I have an appointment for the last week in April. And when I made this appointment, the scheduler said that the doctor had asked her to tell me that he does not prescribe pain medicine on the first visit. Well fair enough. He also asked her to tell me that this visit is only to be for second opinion purposes. That I don't understand. I wasn't asking for a second opinion, only to have the injections. I couldn't help but fear that he was already hostile before I even got there. I have become so fragile from all of this that I am getting paranoid, Lol.

Anyway, that's my update.

 

[Paralee]

Sorry @belize44 . I don't know if I would want to go to a pain clinic. I've heard too many horror stories about the way patients are treated.

But then, I really don't know what all they do, so I can't say. I hope you get some help somewhere.

 

[belize44]

Well, I haven't got much of a choice but to go there. There is also another clinic that does Chiropractic, acupuncture, acupresure, Biofeedback and such. If they won't help me one way, perhaps they can another.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I have noticed that drs pretty much ignore inflammation. Where inflammation is involved, reducing it can reduce pain.

I have a herniated disc in my lower back. When it was very bad, I needed prescription pain medication. Now that it has stabilized, I am doing well with a health food store pain med that is also anti-inflammatory. I sometimes notice if I miss one dose.

It is Curamin by Terry Naturally. It contains curcumin, boswellia, DL-phenylalanine, and nattokinase. It might help you need less Rx med. This is just a guess on my part. I have never taken them together. You would need to ask your dr. if it was safe to take them together.

I have also been taking MSM for my allergies for years. It is a broad spectrum anti-inflammatory. Since I never forget to take it, I don't know how much difference it makes. I was taking it with hydrocodone, with my dr.'s permission.

 

[belize44]

I had forgotten about MSM! I think I need to add that back into my regimen, but will run that by my Natural doctor. He did give me something called T-relief, which is a homeopathic remedy. One of the reasons that I am seeking help from Western medicine is that most of the things I tried before didn't help much with pain. But @Little Bluestem: Thinking about the inflammatory aspects puts a different spin on it. If I can get inflammation down naturally it would probably make other things more manageable.

 

[PatJ]

If I can get inflammation down naturally it would probably make other things more manageable.

According to several studies rosehip is a useful anti-inflammatory.

 

[belize44]

That's interesting, @ PatJ. I drink rosehip tea a lot but i am not sure of the extent it might be reducing inflammation. However, I like the way it tastes, so I don't mind drinking it at all!

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and this has helped my pain a lot - I wouldn't go without it. It was recommended by a naturopath for inflammation:

https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Nutrients-Bromelain-Quercetin-Digestive/dp/B000IBF5I8?th=1

You can find better prices on eBay, around $65 for 240 capsules.

 

[belize44]

I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and this has helped my pain a lot - I wouldn't go without it. It was recommended by a naturopath for inflammation:

https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Nutrients-Bromelain-Quercetin-Digestive/dp/B000IBF5I8?th=1

You can find better prices on eBay, around $65 for 240 capsules.

Oh, this sounds awesome! And I found it for an even lower price on Vitacost. I will definitely be looking into this with my Natural doc, because I don't want to add anything to my regime without running it by him. I am so glad to see this many options to drugs, though - thank you!

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Oh, this sounds awesome! And I found it for an even lower price on Vitacost. I will definitely be looking into this with my Natural doc, because I don't want to add anything to my regime without running it by him. I am so glad to see this many options to drugs, though - thank you!

Be sure to compare the cost vs. how many capsules there are. On ebay, 240 capsules for $65 equals 27 cents per capsule. On vitacost, 60 capsules for $30 is 50 cents per capsule.

 

[belize44]

Good point! I will keep that in mind. Also, I usually start with the smaller amount of a new supplement in case I can't tolerate it.

 

[Paralee]

The sympathomimetic amine dextroamphetamine sulfate is something that can be effective at low-ish dose for chronic pain. There are other ADHD meds that have been used similarly too.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21835553
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26151991

@kangaSue , I just realized I might have read this and told my dr. about it thinking it was me researching and found it. Is this the same as Vyvanse? I told my doctor and he wrote me a script but it's $333.00 and my insurance co. has to approve it, I may not get it.

 

[kangaSue]

@kangaSue , I just realized I might have read this and told my dr. about it thinking it was me researching and found it. Is this the same as Vyvanse? I told my doctor and he wrote me a script but it's $333.00 and my insurance co. has to approve it, I may not get it.

It's similar and can work the same. It contains lizdexamfetamine which is converted to dextroamphetamine in the body but straight out generic dextroamphetamine should come at a much cheaper price I would have thought.