Another Update....

Hey everyone, it's me again!

Just a bit of an update, and I hope everyone is feeling decently today.

Basically, I had a new MRI and it showed that my L1-2 disc is still herniated and inpinging the root nerve there. So now I have to contact my surgeon again and see if he's thinking of doing a discetomy. Either way, still feel like crap. :(

I have a pain doctor appointment on the 6th of August. I have been on this Tramadol crap for about a year now, and constantly tell them how ineffective it has been for me. I am so limited by my pain. I've gained over 30lbs since before this all happened. I'd rather take my chance with a different medication, even if it is considered to be riskier. If the pain doctor acts weird, then I am going to talk to my PCP about a referral to another nearby pain clinic that a friend has reccomended to me.

I may also ask about some pyshical therapy, if not for the main 'nerve' pain stuff (the herniated disc/severe pain) then at least for the chronic pain I get from my scoliosis which is mostly muscular.

It's been hard lately not to get too depressed about things, because of how trapped I feel here at home. I'm really hoping to be approved for disability by the end of the year, so that I can maybe be more independent so that I don't need to rely on my father's income for everything.

But yeah, I hope everyone is doing alright. :)

 

   Good morning Mister! ...I'm in agreement with Chartreux here....but make sure you give it one last good shot, as it is not easy to switch PM's at times.

      Thanks for the update, and I hope you have success on your next appointment.

 *´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`    SE

I've been on Tramadol for a few weeks and I agree it's not worth much. Occasionally I feel that it helps, but most of the time it feels like a waste. And I'm taking another SSRI, so I have to be cautious with it for fear of serotonin syndrome.

I hope you are able to find an improvement.

Wow, thanks everyone. I really appreciate the support. It has been a long time since this started, and I just want at least some relief. It's affected my live so much, so I feel like the least that I can do for myself is find a medication or treatment that at least makes everyday life slightly more...well, livable! I think my age is the major factor here, due to me being 'so young', which I've stated before. But I've had this same level of pain for so long, and I have a good history of using medications properly, even ones that have some high abuse rates like Xanax and Klonopin. So yeah, I just think I need to try a different medication. I'll explain to the PM doc how I still have that herniated disc, and see if he thinks a different med would help with that pain.

countrydad said...
I've been on Tramadol for a few weeks and I agree it's not worth much. Occasionally I feel that it helps, but most of the time it feels like a waste. And I'm taking another SSRI, so I have to be cautious with it for fear of serotonin syndrome.

I hope you are able to find an improvement.

Sorry that you haven't had much luck with Tramadol either. I'm in the same boat as you are. I'm on two SSRIs actually, and even though I have mentioned serotonin syndrome and what not to my PM and other doctors, they act like I should be perfectly fine. Still, it seems contradictory to be taking this Tramadol due to it being "safer" than "regular narcotics", all the while it can trigger awful interactions with the other psychiatric meds I am on. I really fail to see the logic in it.

--

Thanks again everyone. I'll be sure to post when I see my PM. I did talk to the neurosurgeon, and I have an appointment to see him next week to go over all my symptoms again and see if he thinks surgery or any other treatment would be of help.

Snowbunny21 said...
Thanks for the update...Sorry to hear about the results of the MRI...

Did the Dr. still not have you start the Lyrica? Back in June he mentioned this and I just don't get why he isn't prescribing this since you seem to have a lot of nerve pain.

Tramadol and other type of opiates really don't work well for nerve pain...

And I wrote this last time...but if the Dr. is suggested a discetomy...you need to get a 2nd (definitely) and maybe even 3rd opinion from a Board Certified Neurosurgeon before doing the surgery.

I know for me...I will not have another surgery unless there is possible paralysis if not done...

But if most of your pain is nerve pain...then the discectomy can be beneficial to take the pressure of the nerve. I am blessed that most of my nerve pain is gone since the last surgery.

Whatever you decide...we are here to support you!

Thanks. :)

He didn't try me on Lyrica yet. He said he was only going to start that if I had no herniation, aka he felt that it was primarily a nerve problem without any continual irritation/impingement. Now whether he thinks that the L1-2 herniation is consistent with my symptoms may determine whether or not he wants to do a discectomy or try the Lyrica. It could be that maybe he thinks that the L1-2 wouldn't cause all/the severity of pain that I have, and I could sill have the nerve problem. Guess I won't know until I talk to him. I still don't see the harm in just taking the Lyrica though, to at least try it.

The surgeon even told me that opiates don't help much for nerve pain, and he didn't think that cymbalta would be appropriate either (my PM had tried me on that once). So I would have liked if he had just prescribed the Lyrica to try at least.

I'm glad your pain has decreased, and I hope it continues for good! :)