Yestday I broke down and had to go back to my PCP because I was running out of vicodin and flexeril and there's no way i could visit my chiropractor or start PT with out an abudant supply. Well it was actually enlightening and helpful for a change.
She gave the the real results of my MRI (the subing dr told me "everything is normal"). She told me that the MRI of just the cervical vertebrae showed minor bulging at C4-5 through C6-7 and some desication with normal disc height. I was really annoyed by this because although, yes these can be normal finding in nonsymptomatic people. All of my pain correspond to the highlighted problems with my disks.She went ahead and ordered a full spinal MRI becauseit was the lower end of the cervical MRI that showecd problems and a lot of my complaints concern thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and I've developed an unrelenting numb patch on my butt.
I ended up breaking down and crying during the appt (the first time after 6 almost 7 months of daily pain mind you) and confessing that I didn't think it would ever go away. Intending to comfort me she says, "it won't go away in 1,2,3 or even 6 months, but it will go away". <Full disclosure, as my handle indicates, I'm a RN and I have treated more than my fair share of chronic pain patients, in particular ones that are labled as "addicts" and are being forced off their meds> I know what chronic pain is, how it is defined and how chronic pain patients are jerked around, generally patronized, and the difficulty it causes in their lives.
She told me she wanted me to try 3-4 months of PT and that I could quit the chiro if I wanted. She did give me more vicodin and flexeril. She started me on Neurontin for nerve pain. She wanted me to take 100mg morning and midday and 300mg at bedtime. Becuase I've used it more in my job that she does I'm opting to build up the doseage, because I can't being feeling dizzy and faint when I'm home alone with my daughter so I will be taking only 100mg at bedtime for the first week, 200mg the second week and if everything works well I'll take 300mg the thrid week. She also started me on Burpropion XL to hopefully stave off chronic pain depression.
I've only taken a couple of doses of the Neurontin, but I think it's working. Last night I had a massge to try and soften up my shoulders and back. about a half hour afterwards the back of right arm going around to the top of my forearm all the way down to my knuckles went almost completely numb and got really weak. I could barely lift 2-3lbs without feeling like I was going to drop it. I've NEVER experienced anything like that. It wasn't painful just disconcerting. about ahour after my arm went numb I took my first dose of neurontin and with an hour of that feeling came back. No such luck for the numb patch on my butt though :(
So now I'm on Flexeril 10mg PRN, Vicodin5/325 PRN, Bupropion XL 150mg each moring, and Neurontin 100mg morning and midday 300mg at bedtime. In addition to my normal vitamin supplements.