pain clinic

I've been going to a pain clinic for about 9 months. I have degenerative disc, spinal stenosis, anterolisthesis at L4-L5, retrolethesis at L1-L2, osteoarthritis,

and am factor five leiden(a genetic blood clotting disorder), also have peripheral neuropathy which leaves me with about 30% of active nerves.  The point of this all are the pain meds I'm being given.  I started with hydrocodone 5/500, moved to 10/325 when the pain seemed stronger, now am taking percocet 7.25/325.  These still do not relieve my pain..but I'm being told to take them for another month(3 months now) and maybe they will put me at a tolerable level of pain. How do approach the nurse/practioner to get them  to understand I spend most days just short of crying cause I can't take it anymore. In anyone's estimation are there better or stronger meds that I can take.  I know everyone seems to back away from me because of the need to be on blood thinners...no surgery...no meds for the arthritis cause they all mess with the ability of  the warfarin(coumadin).  I am on disability, have a husband who's work burned to the ground about a year ago, is 60 like me and cannot seem to find new employment.  Medicare is the only thing keeping me together for the moment and I feel blessed that I'm receiving it. Mostly my life is oh well I'm alive and alot of resting because too much of anything wears me out and I pay for trying to walk or move too much. Physical Therapy made me cry and never seemed to help. Epidurals do not work for me, besides they never want to do them because of the warfarin.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hi there...

Sorry to hear that you found us because of pain issues....but hope you will stay and join our "family" here:) We are all pain patients like yourself just getting by day by day!

It sounds like a lot of your issues are nerve pain related and I don't see you mention an actual nerve pain medication. There is Neurontin, Lyrica, and Cymbalta. As well as people are now saying that Nucynta has given them some relief with the nerve pain as well. I don't see any of these on the list that interact with the Warfarin.

So if you aren't on anything like this, I would be asking the Dr. to try one of these as opiates are really not very effective for nerve pain.

I also have quite a lot of spine issues both cervical and lumbar and you can see by my signature my surgery list so far....My PM and Neurosurgeon are doing all they can to postpone any further surgeries as long as possible.

The other thing is trying to find something that you can do for exercise every day that you can handle. So possible aqua therapy/swimming would be best as it's low impact. Does your Neurosurgeon say that you should not walk at all for exercise? Or is it just a matter of pain....

If it's the latter, then hopefully getting you on a nerve pain med to help will at least get you to where you can do this at even 5 minute intervals....a few times a day. Same thing with gentle stretching throughout the day. There are stretchy bands that PT gives out that I use at home daily.

I'm sure as you know, lying or sitting all day will only cause more issues with our spine issues by putting pressure on the nerves as well as atrophy our muscles.

There is also a TENS unit which is helpful which I use at least a few times a week. I also do acupuncture and massage (ultrasound).

And then there are muscle relaxers like Flexeril, Robaxin, Skelaxin, Baclofen or Zanaflex. I also don't see them on the interaction list but you can always easily check with a Pharmacist.

The key is trying to use as many modalities as possible to help lessen our pain to a manageable level as there will never be that one med or one treatment to handle all the pain. I look at it as each thing takes the pain down a tiny notch to get me to a 5-7 each day on the pain scale.

What Dr. do you see at the pain clinic? Is it a Board Certified Pain Mgmt. Dr.?

The other thing that really helped me was seeing a counselor whom I worked with for 6 months after my divorce. We worked on finding ways to emotionally deal with living with chronic pain and still find joy in every day and just readujst my thinking of what I can still do instead of thinking of everything I can't do.

So...welcome to the boards, and you'll find that everyone here understand and empathizes with your situation...

Hopefully they'll increase the percocet or switch you to oxycodone and give you a higher dose that way.

Tramadol didn't work for me either, but there are lots of other meds, and I hope you can find one that works for you to get the pain down.

Try to hang in there till next month and see what happens. If you don't get the response you're looking for then, maybe its time to find a way to see someone other than this NP.