Chronic Back Pain - New to HealingWell

Hello All,

I am new here and I started to write a post about everything that I have been through in the past year and a half but I just stopped writing it all down after I realized that it was over 5 pages long when saved in Word. I don't know that this is an appropriate place for a post that long. Here I will try to make it a lot shorter in order to see if any of you have any comments or suggestions.

I hurt my back after dropping and catching a car battery right before it hit the ground. I felt something let go in my back when I caught the battery (they weigh approx. 35 pounds). After I did this, my back started to spasm (a seizure would probably better describe it) and I ended up in the ER. After, I went to a chiropractor and ended up in the ER again. I continued to see the chiropractor several times (about 20 in total before giving up) and then got a family doctor to help with my back pain. I saw my family doctor for quite a while trying to manage the pain and ended up seeing a doctor at a pain clinic as well. I had been seeing my normal doctor for over a year before being sent to the pain clinic.

about 10 weeks ago I had an epidural/spinal injection at the pain clinic to help with the pain. I had other injections at the clinic before this that had no effect other than to make me sore for 4 or 5 days. This epidural injection procedure did something to my back. I was virtually incapacitated after the procedure and have had an elevated level of back pain ever since. This has increased my pain level by at least an additional %50 overall and has introduced new symptoms including: more acute pain, pain when bending/arching my back and has made it impossible to get into a comfortable position (including lying down). I saw my regular doctor 3 times in the 4 weeks following the procedure letting him know that I was having a great deal of trouble with this procedure and I let him know that I was taking more of my pain medication than I normally did in order to function on a daily basis. He was not concerned and discussed physical therapy as a possible way to help with this. When I saw him the third time and told him I was out of my pain medication (as I had told him the first 2 visits in as many weeks I was taking more than prescribed), he asked me to leave his practice. I was a little confused.

He gave me one more month of my long acting pain medication and asked me to find another doctor. I waited to see my pain clinic doctor and explained the situation to her. She told me that she did not know what was wrong with me, could not do anything to help me, that no one would ever be able to help me, etc. She then told me I was a drug addict and that I needed to check into the local ER and tell them I was a "junkie" and that I needed drug rehab. This sent me into a depression that I would rather not get into. I was getting pretty desperate with the amount of pain I was in and ended up in the ER the next day. The ER doctors gave me a number to call in order to find a doctor of internal medicine that might be able to help me. I called all 4 doctors within 50 miles of my house that were covered under my insurance. There was only 1 that could get me in within a week, the others were up to 3 months out before being able to accept new patients.

The 1 doctor that was able to get me in, I believe, has saved my life. At least so far he seems to be very understanding and above all, seems to believe that I am in a great deal of pain as I have been on a daily basis for the last 18 months. This new doctor has given me some hope. He hasn't been able to find anything yet but he seems to have a lot of ideas that no one has tried yet. My new medication is helping a lot and I can at least lay down now without being in agony. I am in no way pain free but I have some hope that I can at least have some partial relief at some points during the day. This is more than I have been able to attain thus far.

I haven't wanted to list any specific medications or what exactly I have told the family doctor, pain clinic doctor, or ER doctors. I do not know how much information I should put on here. I do not want to help people that are looking for ways to get drugs from doctors when they have no legitimate reason for them. When I try to find information or look for other people having the same problems online, all I seem to find are people looking for ways to obtain or abuse drugs. Am I right in thinking this way? I am really looking for other people that can relate to what I have been going through and can give me serious suggestions on what might help me. Please let me know if you have any other questions or any information that could help me.

I know this is a long post already but believe me, my previous one was a LOT longer!


Thanks.

Skrape

Post Edited (skrape) : 2/23/2009 3:46:22 PM (GMT-7)

First of all - welcome to the Chronic Pain Forum. Many of us can relate to your pain situation. I have a neurodegenerative disease that causes real pain, spasms, as well and neuropathy. For the first several years, no one could diagnose what the problem was - as no physical test showed abnormalities. I was told it must be in my head (ha ha little did they know they were right-my brain was rotting away) and referred my to psychiatrists. Pain control was out of the question for awhile. Finally, I get a dx, tx, and referred to a PM specialist. Because my final diagnose involves a shortened life span the PM specialist was very aggressive with my pain medication. I followed his plan to the letter - no deviation. A sudden death in his immediate family caused him to take an unexpect leave of absence out the the country. The referring PM doc was horrified at the meds and doses I was on and said he could not write for certain ones (Actiq) because they were being used out of indication and at inappropriate doses. He would Rx everything else. This is at a major teaching institution. Choices he left me - detox ASAP. I was treated like an addict for following another PMS treatment plan. Certain narcotics can not we written by Internists and PCP's, a special license is necessary. As for an ER, no way would they ever write for high doses of Actiq without talking to your PM specialist. Since my original doctor would not be returning for 8 weeks, I had not choice but to detox. I was forced to talk with an Addictionologist. So I understand what it is like to have the rug pulled out from under you. My new PM specialist is great. He has a far better understanding with regard to treating pain and in the end the original PMS did me a favor by leaving. I can only hope that after the nightmare of it all is over, you will find a doctor with a good pain program for you. With regard to your back, keep searching for a specialist who can help. I went thru several before I found one willing to take the time to make a proper diagnosis. I highly recommend a teaching institution, even if you have to travel for a good evaluation. They are exposed to a wider variety of illnesses and injuries and have better diagnostic tests and skills. You are not alone in your travels. It is amazing how you can be labeled a drug seeker so quickly, even though you kept your doctor informed that you were using more medication then he had Rx'ed. He obviously did not have a issue with this the first two times you told him. Sometimes I think they forget to chart our conversations. If he had documented your medication variance then, when you ran short, this should not have been a surprise. I guess in hindsight, whenever the doctor is aware that more medication is needed, a new RX should have be written so that you are always using the amount on your current Rx. Again everything is easier in hindsight. The minute you take more pain meds than Rx'ed - you ran the risk of crossing a very delicate line in the doctor patient relationship. Without him documenting you conversation ---ouch. Welcome again and you are among friends.

Hi, Skrape,
I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open at the moment, but wanted to welcome you to the forum. I think you've found the kind of place you're looking for.

We're not doctors, but you'll find this is a great support group. One thing I wondered was why it took so long for you to get a referral for physical therapy. That's something that's normally done in the first couple of months, if a problelm doesn't improve.

Bluejet2 - also want to welcome you. I'm usually not this tired, and if I find I can't sleep a little later I may be back and type more!

Also - both of you please feel free to join in anywhere, including some of our fun threads which are designed to help us take virtual vacations!

Again, welcom,

PaLady