Chronic Pain - 8 years after car accident

My sister has major pain and fatigue problems. Years ago our family was met with a car accident. Our van fishtailed and hit a barrier on the side of the road. Her body was slammed against the side causing fractures in her right humerus, right clavicle, and C5 vertebrae. She was in a halo for 2 months, and luckily was not paralyzed. However, much of the muscle on her upper right body suffered atrophy due to immobilization. She underwent physical therapy and pain management control. Still, she suffers a lot of pain to this day .

She has seen endless specialists, some of the best in Los Angeles, including neurologists, pain management specialists, psychiatrists, endrocrinologists, psychologists etc. She has tried yoga, acupuncture, massages, nerve blocks, and botox injections in the muscle. She even went to seek treatment in Ayurvedic Medicine, but there was no improvement. In the last couple of years she has developed major fatigue problems and ends up lying in bed for days on end. She has tried almost every major medication related to pain. She is currently on a couple anti-depressants, clonapin for anxiety, and ultracet for pain. She also suffers from migraines which exacerbate her physical pain in her neck, shoulder and arm. One doctor diagnosed her with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

She has worked random jobs for short periods of time, but she left most of them due to the increase in pain, which interfered with her performance. It has been 2 years since she last worked. Prior to the accident, she had just finished a 4 year degree in graphic design which involved hard work and late nights to finish projects. Now, she is far off from that level of productivity. Until a couple years ago, she was looking for jobs and but now she claims she is just too tired all the time, and feels pain and aching all over her body. The good news is that she has maintained good relationships with many of her friends. I noticed that she may stay in bed for a few days at a time, but will get ready and go out to meet up friends once or twice a week. When she’s out and about she’s actually very bubbly and animated. I ask her why she can’t be like that more often and she says that she saves up her energy and pushes herself with friends because that’s her only way to stay sane, but it takes a toll on her, and she feels super tired for days after.

My parents and I try to get her to exercise daily, like slow walking on the treadmill or elliptical. She says that her body aches too much to do that. The best I’ve been able to do is take her to the mall, where we usually walk around for a good amount of time. She started seeing a another pain specialist a couple months ago at a leading hospital and they have her on a new prescription pain medicine, OT, and biofeedback therapy. Four months have passed, but we have yet to see any results.

If anyone has any suggestions that we haven't considered, I would greatly appreciate the feedback.

-Bobby

Hi Bobby
I wanted to pop in and welcome you to our chronic pain forum. I am glad you found us but sorry to hear that your sister is suffering so much.
It seems that she has tried a little bit of everything in regards to treatments and medications. Myself i suffer with intractable headaches. It's been more than twelve years and I too have tried it all to no avail.
I'm not sure what else to suggest for her.
Do you think she would come and join us here? this is a great place to come for support. The members here are very understanding and caring. We all suffer from some sort of chronic pain or another. She could share her fears and concerns with us. Let her know that we would love to have her join us. But if not, that's ok and we welcome you to stay with us as well.

Take care
Suzane

Hello Bobby and welcome to HW. I too am sorry to hear about your sisters problems but the fact she has so much love and support of family and friends makes alot of difference. Far too many times we lose friends as we begin this journey of pain and cant do all the things we use to do. It seems she has alot going on and you said they started her on a new pain med but didnt say what that was. I certainly can agree that with tramadol she is grossly under-treated for those kinds of pain levels. Hoping she got something a bit better.

Also look as if like many of us she may be suffering from depression related to our losses in this life of pain and that too can make for being tired all of the time. We have a tendency to just get tired of it all,the pain,the treatments,the tests,the Drs,it can quick become overwhelming and bed looks like a nice place to be.

Also once we get into a state of non-activity it is really hard to get out of it. Is she eating properly? She may need some vitamins as well and these deficiencies from nutrition can also make you tired and lethargic. I went on B-12 only after I had been a CPer for several years and it helped me so much.

One other thing here is some of the meds themselves can and do drain many of us and alot of Drs are prescribing meds like ritalin,and drugs use to treat add/hd as they have the ability to perk us up out of the drug lethargy,there is one they use more so then the others and I am sorry it escapes me at the moment,memory deficit from encephalitis,so sorry I will take a look for it and get back to you with it.

Try to keep encouraging her to get up and move around more at least try to stay up out of bed she certainly doesnt need pressure sores from being dormant too long. Maybe if she has appointed you as the person who her Drs can discuss things with( part of the Hippa laws) or she will do this if you ask,you can then go with her to appointments or even talk to them on your own. Possibly she is not making the situation out to its extent to them,we down play alot in this life.

If not you maybe she has another family member or friend appointed and you could ask them to speak with her Drs along with her.

Hang in there and coming here helps all of us so like stated if you can get here to come and just read thats good enough. You are always welcome and we will all try to help anyway we can, this place is a light in the darkness for many of us and it is a great place to call home,the moderators and posters here are so caring and giving and have such a wonderful depth of understanding and knowledge and even if its just a kind word of support or a hug you will get it here. Sometimes its all anyone can do but worth so much.

Good luck to you and hoping you find some answers for your sister.