Anyone know about pain relief?

[pantaloons]

I was hoping for some fresh ideas to ask the doctor about.

I have a bad back in the way of a couple of old breaks which have produced to much bone when healing and joined facet joints together and also on scans a black disc in my neck 4 leaking discs around the shoulder area and a black disc in the old brake area and another 2 spaces above.

I've been managing to live a fairly normal, but cautious life with my family by taking medication, and doing physio and pilates. However in the last few months the pain is getting to be really debilitating. I do normal stuff and do carry on, but end up in a heap crying by the end of the day unable to move with pain and spasms.

Anyway, enough of the pity party. I really wanted to ask if anyone had similar pain issues and had found any specific drugs helpful? I currently take Pregablin, Codeine, Naproxen and Nefopam. As well as drugs for epilepsy. If you have any ideas pleeeaaase share!

I have rheumatoid arthritis throughout my body (which is currently under control) but I've tried pretty much everything over the past 14yrs. I also picked up a nasty hip injury which has left me on crutches since the summer so I really understand how wearing longterm pain can be.
I have tried TENs (worked for a bit but I gradually got used to it and now it's useless), acupuncture (worked well for short term relief, which took the really bad edge off, but not long term relief)
For medication you need to speak to a dr, I have taken various combinations over the years (currently on RA meds + tramadol & etodolac) but you need to balance relief against the side effects and dangers of taking them. (mine are so toxic I can only take them with blood monitoring)
Have you ever been referred to a pain clic or pain management sessions (our hospital & arthritis care runs some as does the local disability centre)

I have tried acupuncture and TENS as well wonkylegs. I didn't find any relief really. I was taking Tramadol, but can no longer take it because of my epilepsy meds, I did find the side effects from them a bit blurgh though.

When the surgeon I was seeing realised surgery wasn't an option he referred me to pain management. They doubled my pregablin dose, and told me to do pilates and swimming. Then discharged me. TBH I was more than a little bit disappointed with his "you'll just have to live with it, it will get worse, you can come back with new symptoms, but we can't do anything about escalating pain" response.

DM says I should go back and ask for a second opinion, but I really can't see what they can do or even know who I should ask to see. It's just making life a bit difficult and is all such a pain in the arse as I can't drive again until April (fingers crossed). Hey ho.

I'm sorry you suffer with pain as well, but am glad you've got things on an even keel at the moment. Sorry for the moan and thanks for replying.

pantaloon u shud definitely go back to get a second opinion or at the v.least speak to ur G.P.

I have a slipped/damages disc in my back & have been immobile for the past 2 years... it took my rheumatologist 2 years to even diagnose low vit D. I've had physio, accupunture, electro accupunture, heat therapy, Tens machine, stretching of my back etc. only the accupunture gave me temp relief. the next thing they wanna try is hydrotherapy! first it was mechanical lower back pain, then sciatica & now they say I have chronic pain syndrome but that still doesn't mean anything to me... so my point is don't just take any answer fRom them they have a duty to work out the best medication for u that is the whole point of seeing pain management clinic!!!

medication wise I take tramadol, naproxen & vit D supplements plus asthma inhalers & meds. I get regular Vit injections aswell every 3 months.

I don't think they will work out what is causing my pains anytime soon so I have prepared myself for chronic pain for life time. but I will not let them discharge me until they have completely worked out what is going on with me!

sorry for going on a bit with my moan :)

PainForLife, I do know where you are coming from. It took me 2 1/2 years before I gave in and paid for a scan. The pain started when I was pregnant with dc3 and I was diagnosed with SPD, afterwards when it didn't go away and got much worse I was pushed from person to person with a different diagnosis at each place, but never even had an x ray (until I paid). They now blame the discs/brake combination for the different types of pain and say it's probably something degenerative. I'm not NHS bashing, it's just that I think a lot of people see a youngish (then 25 now 31) person with back pain and tend to shrug it off.

I think I will have to book a GP appointment as it's gone from painful, but livable to Mum offering to get me a wheelchair so we can go Christmas shopping! I think it's also hard as I do try and put a brave face on and do PTFA stuff and coffee mornings at school whilst full of meds then come home and can't stand to make a brew.

Bad backs tend to get a bit of a rough ride don't they? I think it's because everyone has had a pull or similar and assume when you say you have a bad back that it's the same. A chap at school told me to use a wheat pillow as he had twisted his and it worked wonders. I smiled and said "oh good idea" whilst thinking "hmm, if the 26 pills a day don't work, I'm not sure a wheat pillow will!"

A bit of a reciprocal moan for you there!