What the hell is going on!?

[WonderDerek]

My pain is getting worse and now I have constant headaches. My lower spine is hurting and that's a first. My arms are hurting and I feel sore. I HATE PAIN. Someone send me some morphine

[alan]

Morphine may not help. Then again, it might. Talk with your doctor, or you may have to go to a pain doc who isn't afraid of trying opiates.

[firesmurf]

just out of curiosity,Derek,what exactly happened(as far as actual injuries)to cause your particular hell?i am just wondering about the sudden occurance of new pain and the headaches.Hope things will mellow out for you soon(even just for 1 day?)It would be kinda nice to have a bit of a break in the action.i DO feel for ya,marcia

[WonderDerek]

just out of curiosity,Derek,what exactly happened(as far as actual injuries)to cause your particular hell?i am just wondering about the sudden occurance of new pain and the headaches.Hope things will mellow out for you soon(even just for 1 day?)It would be kinda nice to have a bit of a break in the action.i DO feel for ya,marciaWhat happened was a Chevy S-10 flipped onto my back as I was on the pavement. I had a broken left orbital bone, blew out left pupil, brain damage, brain swelling, brain bleeding, broke every rib and sternum, punctured lung, crushed T9 vertebrae, T10-11 pushed out of alignment, crushed cord at T10, and everything named hurts except the eye. The pain has, as of last week, has sky-rocketed. As every day goes by the pain gets worse. It's at the point right now where the Vicodin does not touch the pain unless 5-8 are taken at one time. I'm going to my doctor Wednesday and the problem with the brain is giving me headaches. Could not drinking enough water possibly be a cause of this because I don't drink enough because I have to get more external catheters so I drink as little as possible to get by. But this pain REALLY is unbearable at times. This sucks, first rehab, then aclamating to being home, then peeing on myself for weeks, now the pain being the worst thing. What next....

[bob clark]

If Vicodin or oxycodone doesn't work then you might have neuropatic pain. Opioids do NOTHING for neuropathic pain. Ask your doctor for a prescription of Neurontin (gabapentin) and see what happens. The doctor will start you out on 100mgs X 4 a day but you may need to go much higher.... but do it slowly. I'm on 1500mgs a day 3 x 300mgs and 600mgs at bedtime. I may need to go higher since the pain is creeping back.

The highest recommended dose per day is 3800mgs but some people go even higher than that. But start slow and see if it helps.

Good luck.

[WonderDerek]

If Vicodin or oxycodone doesn't work then you might have neuropatic pain. Opioids do NOTHING for neuropathic pain. Ask your doctor for a prescription of Neurontin (gabapentin) and see what happens. The doctor will start you out on 100mgs X 4 a day but you may need to go much higher.... but do it slowly. I'm on 1500mgs a day 3 x 300mgs and 600mgs at bedtime. I may need to go higher since the pain is creeping back.

The highest recommended dose per day is 3800mgs but some people go even higher than that. But start slow and see if it helps.

Good luck.I have a prescription for it and it doesn't help and I was on 1500mgs a day and it was still bad. I don't thinkn this is nerve pain because if I move my arms a certain way or turn a certain way it kills me. I hate this. Have you guys gotten any days or weeks when the pain just gets horrible? If so, does it eventually cool down?

[alan]

Mine is constantly horrible, and gets horribler. No cool down days or hours. But everyone is different - yours may cool down, especially if it isn't neuropathic pain, or if it comes from something treatable, like a pinched nerve.

[David Berg]

I have a prescription for it and it doesn't help and I was on 1500mgs a day and it was still bad. I don't thinkn this is nerve pain because if I move my arms a certain way or turn a certain way it kills me. I hate this. Have you guys gotten any days or weeks when the pain just gets horrible? If so, does it eventually cool down?
To be honest, I wouldn't expect 1500mg to do much of anything. And 3600mg is the highest recommended dose for pretty much any use EXCEPT pain. As I said before, for treatment of neuro pain it's pretty typical to have to go over 3600mg, sometimes much higher. Don't expect it to have an effect right away either. You usually have to go through a couple of weeks of the side-effects peaking before they mellow out a little, and that's the same time that the drug doesn't seem like it's helping either. Give it time, like several weeks at a decent dose (much higher than 1500mg) before you write it off. Oh yeah, in case you're on the generic, for some people they say when they switch from Neurontin to generic it's like they're just taking plain water, it didn't do anything at all. Some people are fine with the generic, but don't write off the drug if that's all you've tried.

It's also common to have to combine it with another drug(s), such as anti-depressants. Anti-depressants can sometimes help neuro pain, even though you don't think of them as pain drugs. When it comes to neuro pain you basically have to rethink everything you know about the treatment of pain. Anti-inflammatories don't do a thing and it's pretty uncommon for opiates to do have any effect, though occasionally stuff like oxycontin or fenytal can help out some, though sometimes with scary doses. Just remember that there's a difference between addiction and dependence. If you depend on a drug to deal with your pain, that doesn't automatically mean you're addicted.

If your current doc doesn't want to go above 1500mg on Neurontin, I highly recommend you find someone more experienced in treating neuropathic pain.

Fortunately for everyone but Alan, most people don't have as bad a time of it as he does at finding something that will at least tame the pain down some. When it comes to Alan you're looking at one of the worst bonafide cases of central pain around. I genuinely hope researchers can come up with an effective new treatment that will actually make a difference in the lives of people dealing with this horrible condition.

[WonderDerek]

When I am on 1500mg of Neuro my neuro pain isn't that bad and I take the generic. I am on an Anti-Depressent for nerve pain as well, have been since in the hospital. It's Cymbalta and also works for me. I don't think my pain is coming from nerves. It has recently, however, just gone way up. I have an appointment with my doctor this coming Wednesday and I'll bring up the pain as well as other things. Heat nor cold works for temporary relief, though. Someone take my back off please, that might help a bit.

[firesmurf]

Wow Derek,I really can see just why it 'hurts'.Just wondering about that low back pain,what does it feel like exactly.does it radiaite anywhere and just where is is located?i am really wondering about the lack of water and a possible kidney issue going on there.You just HAVE to drink alot of water during the course of the day to keep you well hydrated and to keep those kidneys well flushed from the meds.some can be pretty hard on the kidneys.at the very least a bit of bloodwork and an ultrasound should maybe done just to either rule in or out the kidneys as the possible culprit.From what you stated I know what a real pain it is with regard to having to cath,but it really IS very important to keep your body well hydrated and to keep the kidneys flushed out during the day.also,when taking any med,the usual reccomended water intake is normally a good size full glass of water.who knows,you may not be getting the meds out to all the places that need it,just because of a possible dehydration problem.

there are also many other types of anti siezure meds out there that may work much better than neurontin.I really had no effect from neurontin even at 3600 mgs,this was also when for the first time in over two years of using it,i started to get the nasty side effects.blurred vision was the first.thats when my pm switched me over to gabitril.it does work on the pain levels but it just makes me sooo tired I cannot function during the day on it.but yet when I took that neurontin all those years,it was like taking an aspirin or something.no affects at all.really strange considering they are pretty much the same med,but as you are probably already aware,everyone will react in their own individual way to any given med.

My next anti siezure med i will be starting this next month is that lyrica?I have heard good things about it so I am going to give it a shot.I am just a bit apprehensive now to actually try any new meds as i had the most godawful experience with the cymbalta last year when I tried it.it really increased what used to be a rather small type of an RLS component i had in my knee,to a really huge major issue where my spasms turned into these really snappy type of actual "kicks' all night long along with headaches and nausea.soo I am just a bit worried about any new med these days.but you DO have to be willing to at least do some trial runs with different meds and possibly even find that one that really appears to have a good affect on your pain levels.

i am willing to bet that given you actual injuries and the wonderful neuro issues that come along for the ride as secondary spinal cord injuries,that at least some of your pain is actually neuropathic in nature and some is actually a more structural/mechanical type of pain that would indeed respond to the right narcotic in the right doses.

i have a combo of those two types of pain so being on the anti siezure meds plus oxycontin really is a good combo for me.getting yourself onto a long acting med Vs the shorter acting ones would really help alot in holding down some of your flares.

another rather concerning issue is the anount of actual tylenol that you are currently taking per day that would also have an effect on you liver and the kidneys.this is the really most important reason you need to be taking in much more water than you currently are.all that tylenol you are taking on a daily basis really would be a bit concerning(i DO have kidney disease with liver involvement and one of the biggies is my neph told me to take in as much ater as possible during the day).getting onto a long acting med like oxy or ms contin would at the very least get you off of any tylenol containing products,and thats a huge thing for any chronic pain type of patient.long term use of tyleol on a daily basis,even if you stay under or at the reccomended level of the max of 4000mgs can cause you some problems down the road.they have a different set of guidelines for chronic pain patients who are taking any tylenol containing meds as being at the max of 3000mgs per day.depending on just how much tylenol is in your particular form of hydro,the max dose you are currently taking is a bit high for you.

as far as the headaches and other "brain" issues.I really would obtain an MRI of your brain just to see what is actually going on up there.I was found to have an aneurysm sitting up against my brainstem this past nov and really didn't have many symptoms except of episodes of "spaceyness' that I just attributed to all of the crappy meds I am taking but these actually went away once my aneurysm was coiled.i did also have some reoccuring type of "twinge' headaches that would come and go.at the very least,taking a look at the brain would either rule it in or out as a possiblity of some sort of issue.quite honestly,you just don't have a flippin clue as to what in the hell is actually going on withing any body part til you actually look at it much more in depth.we as a family have been 'suprised" over the years by all kinds of lovely crap.it really IS amazing at the level of damage or a particular malfunctiong of a body system going on somewhere and you just don't have a freakin clue til you start looking for a source of symptoms,or even just by accident,like when my cavernoma was discovered when I obtained an MRI just to find out what disc was herniated inside my c spine.the cav just "happened" to show up within my cord.freaky really.had no clue it was even there despite the fact i was actually most likely born with it.

sorry this is soo long winded Derek but there are just some concerns here that really do need to be evaluated by your doc.if you are not actually seeing a PM doc at this point,i would very highly suggest you start seeing one just to be able to try the many different med and therpy types of options that no other type of doc can really offer you,they also have a much better understanding of neuro pain and the best ways to actually try and control it.

also getting your kidneys checked and also really increasing your daily water intake would really be the thing to do ehre with regards to the low back pain,espescially if it had a more sudden onset.it could be even a possible kidney infection,a little bloodwork and an US would tell you alot about just what may or may not be going on with your kidneys.also obtaining an MRI of your brain and the upper c spine as well wouldn't hurt as far as seeing if something else could be possibly triggering all of the more brain/head related symptoms.''just the kinetics involved with your particular type of accident and the force that was exerted upon the thorasic spine,would also tend to actually compress or "push" up the spine and down the spine upon the initial impact on your spine in most cases.this could conceivably "even push that upper c spine area kind of "up' a bit further than it was before the accident.even if it pushed up or down then that pressure was totally released,it could still have resulted in some sort of brain or c spine injury to the nerves/tissue there(just an FYI,but this does happen to children,alot only because the entire ribcage area can actually be compressed into the thorasic organs and then it just bounces right back/so it would 'appear" that no injury took place but meanwhile there are some really massive types of injuries going on within the liver and the spleen or lungs.there bones are just really incredibly pliable).this just really does need some further evaluation.you just really DO need to know the full extent of whats up within the body parts or areas I mentioned.these are just some higher risk "hot spots" for you in particular.

i just would make getting the kidneys checked out first as a real major priority.the lack of water combined with all that tylenol could possibly be causing some ongoing type of damage thats just cumulative or like i said,even a kidney infection(oooo trust me on that one)or even a kidney stone formation could be a possibility of creating that type of pain you described.it just needs evaluation.and of course a new thorough brain eval,with MRI.

also if they want to do an MRI or any other contrasted procedure,make darn sure they truely know if there is any sort of kidney damage first as the contrast can have some really bad effects on people with kidney disease.i now have to take a rather smelly(smells like sulpher?)before any contrasted procedure only because of my kidney disease.this stuff is called mucomyst,and it just binds really well to the contrast dye before it does damage to the kidneys and is just expelled right out in your urine non metabolized by the kidneys.i didn't even know this stuff actually existed til i just HAD to have the contrast for my angios and the coiling procedure of my aneurysm.wish I had known about this before having all that contrast used over the years with all my rad procedures.

sorry for the length of this derek but these are just some really rather crucial areas that really need evaluation.hope things will get better for you soon.please let us know how things are going for you and any news you should find out,K?take care,Marcia

[alan]

As I mentioned in Care, I saw an orthopedist today. My spine isn't crooked enough to warrant surgery (feels that way to me), and a shoulder specialist has to look at my shoulder blades.

Spoke with another pain doc. He's going to do some research on pain pumps and people in my (our) condition. So, I may wind up doing a test. There seems to be nothing else left to try (except a guillotine, but who'd want to keep my head?)

[teena]

Hmmmm..Your head is connected to your heart, Alan...that makes it a keeper!

Take care! Teena...

Hope you and Derek and everybody are having a better day today.

[GoBig]

Antidepressants Max them out Cymbalta, Effexor, Lexapro

Anti siezure Neurontin Zonegran ?

Other Meds

Talk with your PAIN DOC. Do not stop at the nerologist, orthopedist, dentist, or chiropractor. Find a PAIN DOC and some people to talk to. Tell your story so it doesnt happen to someone else if it takes the pain away for five minutes.

[firesmurf]

just curious Alan,have you ever tried one of those pain pumps before in the past?maybe this would be the big help you have been looking for.never thought of that.

teena's right,you don't want to seperate those two things they go extremely well together.good luck alan,will be thinking "good' thoughts for you.marcia

[WonderDerek]

Thanks, firesmurf. I read all of it :D . I know I should increase my water intake but peeing on myself is SO demeaning that I really would rather pain even though it's horrible. As for the kidneys, I've had them checked out and the urologist said they are in perfect condition. If the pain I'm having is indeed nerve pain it doesn't feel the same as the nerve pain in my stomach area or the sides. The pain in my back feels like it has more to do with muscles, bones, and a knife stabbing me in the back repetitively. The pain really isn't in my lower back anymore and has now moved to my upper back. It's on the spine again and I've had the g/f massage it and she has found some spots that are tight and these spots make me want to scream, literally. She has also found 4 screws in my back. If she puts her fingers on four spots that are equally spaced apart and she barely moves her fingers it fieels like something is DIGGING out of my skin. I also experience the "spaceyness." I couldn't put my finger on the word to describe it but that's a very nicely picked out word. It's like I become so light-headed that I can't move and pass out but am still awake and seeing everything as well as hearing everything. It usually last for just a few seconds. The most it's ever lasted for was maybe 10ish and that was one of the first ones that has happened. I have had an MRI done when I was at the hospital when I kind of fell out of the bed while getting changed(:o ) and they said there wasn't anything 'new' that they needed to treat. Said everything was healing or something, don't really remember. I'm going to my PCP Wednesday and plan on having him refer me to someone to do a MRI and I'm going to have him do some x-rays on my back to check and see if anything happened with the screws coming out :( . I don't have a pain doctor or neurologist, all I have is my PCP(who is an EXCELLENT doctor and friend), urologist, and my rehab doctor. Do chiropractors help out any? What exactly do they do? I am currently on Vicodin and Skelaxin for the pain and that doesn't do squat unless I take 10 Vicodins and 8 Skelaxins and I of course know this isn't an exaclty safe way to just DULL the pain. I could probably take 20 and still have some bad pain although I'd be to smashed to stay up long enough to tell.

And my spine could have been pushed up or downwards?! *insert amazed/depressed face* Another thing is EVERY SINGLE DAY I have a new pain that I get and it sticks with me. The pain when I got out of the hospital wasn't extremely bad but holy christ is it bad now. It used to be every now and then I would get a tolerable pain. Now I ALWAYS(24/7) have pain, sometimes tolerable and some not, what could cause it to get worse? If anything, I have probably become less active because in the hospital I was VERY active because of boredom and now I just finished therapy and have a computer I can use so I'm never really bored anymore so I don't do much. But with me not doing much I get another side effect, I don't eat NEARLY as much as I did when I was in the hospital and you know how small those meals are. Could not eating enough cause some pain as well? Thanks for the info, guys!

[alan]

I've never had a pump, but I did have a spinal cord stimulator.

[WonderDerek]

I've never had a pump, but I did have a spinal cord stimulator.I didn't know they had pumps for pain. Heh, learn something new every day! What's a spinal cord stimulator and how does it work?

[firesmurf]

yea i can certainly understand why you don't want to have to drink more water,and don't blame you at all.you just have to be very aware of the dehydration possibilities and that any meds you take,should all be taken with alot of water unless specified otherwise.the lessor of the two evils thing rearing its ugly head.

I am assuming what your GF found with regard to those 'spots' in your back,are whats called trigger points,I ahve them everywhere all the time in my upper back just from the irritation inside of my c spine area.it is always rather inflammed which in turn will cause the muscles to tighten up and spasm from time to time.this in itself,tho it doesn't "sound' major,can cause some really incredible types of pain.this 'could explain the way you actually described that pain.it will feel more on the structural/mechanical side and in the muscles that are involved.

i wonder if you would possibly benefit from some sort of deep massage therepy.the really stupid thing about trying to get your ins to cover it,is if you are not making any actual 'progress" while using it,they will usually tell you that since you are not actually showing a definitive type of improvement that they can actually rate or see(regardless whether or not it works wonderfully for deep back pain and muscles)they will discontinue it.they did that to me after six weeks out of rehab.tho it worked soo well at getting these half a softball sized lumps of muscle and tissue down on both sides of my upper back incision,they said it was not actual 'progress' in their eyes so we are discontinuing it.god that sucked,this was the only thing i looked forward to twice a week.it hurt like hell when she started the massage but wow what a relief after.but no go with the ins co.I have sice heard that this is pretty standard treatment when it comes to PT and the ins co of other folks too.

I now use a tennis ball inside a tube sock and place it between my upper back and the wall and will just roll it around over those nasty areas.when i hit one of those trigger points?i will kind of push the ball 'into' it and then kind of wiggle it a bit and try and push and hold it for about 30-sec to about a minute,you can(when this works really well)actually feel that little tight glob actually let go and relax.this is really the best thing i have tried for these since I was "removed" from PT by my ins co.but it really does help,alot.if you cannot push into the wall yourself,just have your girlfriend do this for you.the harder she can push onto those TPs the better.this does really help to loosen things up some.believe me I it didn't work so well for me,I wouldn't even bother reccomending it to you.just a suggestion.

your actual pain symptoms really do sound reather odd.it would really be a great idea like you said to get this area x rayed and see what those screws are doing and if any other structural issues may be contributing to it.

i was just wondering about that "spaceyness?is this only when you get up from like sitting or lying down/thats the impression I got from what you posted.if so,have you ever tried doing your BPs right before you get ready to get up and then right after you change that position?if your BPs tend to actually go way down upon rising from a seated position,it is probably orthostatic hypotension.I have this too or did before really bad.it was mostly within the first few months of my surgery.every time I tried to get up,after the mandated four days flat post op?my bps would be totally within almost the norm range(tho I have always been more on the hyop than hyper side)but just sitting up or going from sitting to try and stand,geez,my systolic would totally just bottom out on me and i would have to sit down again.it had at one time gone from 120 down to 88 upon just going from a seated to standing position.It took quite a while before things started to get better with that.i was told that this was being caused by the sympathetic nervous sysytem damage.

It is highly possible when considering the mechanics of your injury and the accient that you could also have a certain level of sns damage as the sns chain actually runs down the outside of both sides of your spinal column so it would be a possibility given what was actually injured in your body.i have found and continue to find all kinds of different issues and secondary syndromes that are possible to be triggered or created inside the body once just that sns has suffered any sort of actual damage.that and the other tract damage well,it makes for an interesting and sometimes rather hellish type of day,you know?But i would definitely check out your BPs if possible.and definitely let your doc know about those 'episodes'.

you really do need a good re eval on your back side at this point.it is also possible that something has actually changed in there or something else shifted,you know?an MRI really wouldn't hurt you either if the x rays do not produce enough info.things DO change in the cord after any sort of direct impact either by accident or scalpel.you just need to look at all possibilitys here.please let us all know how things go at that appt.take care Derek,Marcia

[alan]

I didn't know they had pumps for pain. Heh, learn something new every day! What's a spinal cord stimulator and how does it work?

Check out the Medtronics site, medtronics.com. It explains things much better than I can.

[WonderDerek]

firesmurf,

I know I'm not drinking enough and I know the consequences of not drinking enough but when, like this morning, you wake up in a puddle of your own urine...... I don't care. Something about peeing on myself just pisses me off and makes me feel insignificant.

As for the massage, I had one when I was in rehab and like you said, it hurt at first but when she was done it was unbelievable that the pain had subsided. When my g/f starts to massage me, it really makes me want to cry. A deep tissue massage would help and what other kinds of massages would help me? I'm also considering acupuncture because I've read and heard that it can help out quite a bit.

Wednesday I'm going to one of my doctors and he's going to check me out and probably refer me to a massage therapist, chiropractor, and somebody for the 'spaceyness' which happens when I'm rolling around in my chair, never from transferring or sitting up. He's going to do the x-ray and tell me if he sees anything out of the ordinary. I'm going to get a re-eval on my back in about 2 weeks or so. What is "sns damage"?

I'm going to get my BP checked when I go wednesday.

As for the trigger points you talked about, why the hell are they there? I have MANY of them. The worst is my paralyzation line. Around the bottom of my belly button is where I can draw a line where my sensation starts and stops and if I or someone else just touches that line it SUCKS. The other trigger points are on my upper back and lower back. If you touch them, you risk getting punched in the jaw :mad: . My pain makes me go like:zombie: all the time and kind of disrupts my daily life. I would be much more active if the pain was gone.

[RehabRhino]

Derek.........why don't you just wear a condom cath at night? I hate them but it's better than pissing yourself and not drinking is just daft.........you're asking for a UTI for a start and it could even contribute to your 'spaceyness'

[Hunker]

I like a massage on my back better than Valium.

[WonderDerek]

Derek.........why don't you just wear a condom cath at night? I hate them but it's better than pissing yourself and not drinking is just daft.........you're asking for a UTI for a start and it could even contribute to your 'spaceyness'I do wear condom caths but they are to small. I have the medium and larges and they both work for maybe 2 urinations and then they'll pop off. I have to order the intermediate tomorrow and then it'll take a little while to get here so I have to pee on myself everyday :( .I'm on Nitrofurantin(sp?) which is an antibiotic for UTI's. It's been helping against the UTI's so bleh. The company I get my condom caths and inter caths said they've never heard of the intermediate size. So I have to go to another company to get it. Physical pain on top of emotional pain

Hunter, I like Valium MUCH better than a massage :)

[Hunker]

I do wear condom caths but they are to small. I have the medium and larges and they both work for maybe 2 urinations and then they'll pop off. I have to order the intermediate tomorrow and then it'll take a little while to get here so I have to pee on myself everyday :( .I'm on Nitrofurantin(sp?) which is an antibiotic for UTI's. It's been helping against the UTI's so bleh. The company I get my condom caths and inter caths said they've never heard of the intermediate size. So I have to go to another company to get it. Physical pain on top of emotional pain

Hunter, I like Valium MUCH better than a massage :)
I take 40mg v's easy so I add wine to increase for pain yet a massage takes it all away. UTI prevent? I never heard of such a medicine?

[WonderDerek]

I take 40mg v's easy so I add wine to increase for pain yet a massage takes it all away. UTI prevent? I never heard of such a medicine?Lol, it's not a prevention. I just say that :)

[David Berg]

Derek, avoiding fluids is a bad idea. You can throw your whole system out of balance. Your electrolytes can go wonky, plus once you start restricting fluids, it's common to start eating less and not get enough nutrients. I've seen people do this before and it's always led to bad results. I understand it's a hassle, but find a way to deal with it so you don't feel like you have to restrict your intake. You're definitely not doing yourself any favors and you're liable to cause problems you haven't even considered.

[WonderDerek]

Derek, avoiding fluids is a bad idea. You can throw your whole system out of balance. Your electrolytes can go wonky, plus once you start restricting fluids, it's common to start eating less and not get enough nutrients. I've seen people do this before and it's always led to bad results. I understand it's a hassle, but find a way to deal with it so you don't feel like you have to restrict your intake. You're definitely not doing yourself any favors and you're liable to cause problems you haven't even considered.I woke up this morning feeling really awkward and have started drinking water again. I am constantly light-headed :( , especially when I blink but I'm trying to drink alot of water starting today. I feel EXTREMELY weird :(

[David Berg]

Glad to hear it. Hope it helps! :thumb:

[WonderDerek]

Glad to hear it. Hope it helps! :thumb:I do too because this SUCKS. I'm having the spaceyness more often

[David Berg]

Have you started any new meds in the past few weeks?

[WonderDerek]

No, I've lowered the dosages of Gabapentin, no more Baclofen, less pain meds, got back on Nexium after a few days of being off it but that was maybe a week ago, and I quit taking Cymbalta which has caused a lot more depression to deal with, taking Coumadin, uhhhhh and I think that's it.

[WonderDerek]

Finally went to the doctor today and he told me that it is a bad idea, like you all have said, to stop my water intake. I had my oxygen checked in my blood and it was okay, my blood pressure was fine, I had bloodwork taken to check the thinnes of my blood and to check the hydration, and I had x-rays taken on my back...That hurt like hell but there are no bad signs from the x-ray. The only thing that puzzles me is that the rod on the right side is kind of tilted, at the top, towards the left one. It doesn't look like it was supposed to be like that but I don't know. As for the trigger points, they have a few spots where they have these "bridges" connecting the screws and they stick out quite a bit. My doctor just barely touched one and it hurt like hell. It looks very odd. I'm going to try to get pcture copies of my x-rays and surgery if possible and I'll post them on here.

I set up an appointment with my rehab doctor because she knows more about what happened and the hardware situation in my back. I'm also going to ask her for a referral for the KAFOs braces so I could do the standing thing to maybe help m pain and hopefully walk.

My doctor also said that the reason I could be having more pain now then a week ago. He said pain is one of the first things felt when the nerves start to regenerate. I'm also coming out of spinal shock finally! Just need my spinal cord to deswell.

The spaceyness is being caused by the lack of hydration and so is the lack of hunger.

I've been referred to a Pain Management doctor so that's taken care of.

I never knew healing was so painful :zombie: :mad:

[mike bauer]

Lyrica, Cymbalta, Avinza, Morphine Sulfate. I still have pain but this combo does seem to be putting a slight dent in it?????

[WonderDerek]

Lyrica, Cymbalta, Avinza, Morphine Sulfate. I still have pain but this combo does seem to be putting a slight dent in it?????Cymbalta doesn't do squat for me, NOTHING. Only thing that would work would be for me to have a prescription of morphine injections. That might work :confused:

[David Berg]

Cymbalta doesn't do squat for me, NOTHING. Only thing that would work would be for me to have a prescription of morphine injections. That might work :confused:
Unfortunately, there's no guarantee of that. Opiates just don't do much if anything for neuropathic pain. I had a post-op situation with complications a few years ago where even for non-neuro pain, hourly injections of morphine only did the job partway. The last 20 minutes of each hour were absolutely miserable.

[WonderDerek]

Unfortunately, there's no guarantee of that. Opiates just don't do much if anything for neuropathic pain. I had a post-op situation with complications a few years ago where even for non-neuro pain, hourly injections of morphine only did the job partway. The last 20 minutes of each hour were absolutely miserable.Dude, that sucks... I couldn't imagine that.

Is it true that when nerves start to heal/regenerate that they hurt?

[David Berg]

Dude, that sucks... I couldn't imagine that.

Is it true that when nerves start to heal/regenerate that they hurt?
Yeah, and my surgery was just a gall bladder and minor hernia procedure. Should have been routine, but the internal stitches ripped out after laying in bed for 2 days. I was not thrilled, there's no reason that should have happened and I'm still convinced they simply weren't done right the first time. Instead, the doc got paid for an extra surgery to fix the problem.

I'm not the best qualified to answer your question, but I do believe that from what I've heard from others that it is possible, at least for the sensory nerves. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll ever make a correct connection.

[WonderDerek]

Yeah, and my surgery was just a gall bladder and minor hernia procedure. Should have been routine, but the internal stitches ripped out after laying in bed for 2 days. I was not thrilled, there's no reason that should have happened and I'm still convinced they simply weren't done right the first time. Instead, the doc got paid for an extra surgery to fix the problem.

I'm not the best qualified to answer your question, but I do believe that from what I've heard from others that it is possible, at least for the sensory nerves. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll ever make a correct connection.Bummer, bro. I'da been extremely pissed off at that. I'da given everyone alot of hell :zombie: and wouldn't have paid the doctor for the second one.

If I regain sesnsory because of the pain then bring on the pain. I'm loneyly without my sensations. I'm not really expecting anything to make reconnections unless another miracle happens. It'd be cool though

[eagle18]

Sorry to hear of your increase in pain. First of all let me say that opiods do help with neuropathic pain. Maybe not in some people but in some they do, especially when they are combined with tylenol, such as in my case. I too have been experiencing an increase in pain as of late, and regrettably have had to take more pain meds. There are alot of pain meds available. Some will work for you some won't. You are different than anyone else, so keep looking for the combination that works for you. Good luck and I hope that you find relief. It may also help to put in a direct message to Dr. Young or one of the nurses.

[firesmurf]

Glad to see you have at least some things in gear and working on getting some answers but mostly,i am THRILLED that you are drinking more water Derek,really.this is a vital thing to keep putting into your body,for many many reasons.most body system functions rely very heavily on water,just plain old water,and when there is not enough,it just throws everything out of whack,even your heart rates and rhythems.

i will be willing to bet that after just even a couple of days with a much increased raise in your daily water intake,that you will actually even just 'feel" much better with more real energy.dehydration just totally throws everything out of its normal function,including the brain and the depressive affects it can have.

hopefully going to this new PM will provide you with better options for your pain control too.please continue to keep us all posted.Marcia

[WonderDerek]

Thanks, guys!

Glad to see you have at least some things in gear and working on getting some answers but mostly,i am THRILLED that you are drinking more water Derek,really.this is a vital thing to keep putting into your body,for many many reasons.most body system functions rely very heavily on water,just plain old water,and when there is not enough,it just throws everything out of whack,even your heart rates and rhythems.

i will be willing to bet that after just even a couple of days with a much increased raise in your daily water intake,that you will actually even just 'feel" much better with more real energy.dehydration just totally throws everything out of its normal function,including the brain and the depressive affects it can have.

hopefully going to this new PM will provide you with better options for your pain control too.please continue to keep us all posted.MarciaI didn't know that dehydration could cause depression :confused: . That might explain why I have become MUCH more depressed lately.

As for the water, I never knew it could cause so much pain until now. I just ouldn't take, like this morning, waking up basically bathing in my own urine. I had to go take a shower at 5am and I was very exhausted so I almost fell numerous times but now that I have the right equipment it shouldn't be a prroblem anymore. Can dehydration cause heartburn? I had a WICKED time with heartburn last night.

I'll be going to the PM sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.

[riyasa]

Derek This Is Riyasa I Am So Sorry Hear About Your Pain . Please Note That I Cannot Advice Yo Uin Any Way But I Will Pray For You. Take Care

With Lots Of Love Riyasa

[David Berg]

Yup, dehydration can cause heartburn, such as dyspepsia. Like I said the other day, restricting fluids can cause all sorts of problems you wouldn't typically anticipate. My mother started restricting fluids because she was worried about a little possible incontinence and she started having fainting episodes, falling and getting injured, and losing weight she couldn't afford to lose because her appetite diminished. She's started eating and drinking a little better (and she's older so she doesn't bounce back as fast), but her general health is considerably more fragile that it used to be and I'm not all that confident she'll completely recover 100%. Oh yeah, when you're drinking remember that some stuff can act as a diuretic, like caffeine and alcohol, making you need more water.

There's some good general info about dehydration here: http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C5223.html

[WonderDerek]

Thanks

I am pretty much of a big alcohol drinker so I knew about the dehydration effect with that. I had close-to-fainting episodes ALL day for some time but haven't had one yet today. I'm doing better but back still feels like a person is trying to come out of it.