Chronic Back Pain for Years

Posted by jlfisher56 @jlfisher56, May 2, 2017

6 back surgeries (extensive cervical and lumbar fusions) with neurological complications. Left with chronic pain. Accident happened in Nursing career 1992 and worked with first fusions until 1999 (failed fusions). At my age, and as a former nurse educator, I never wanted to had to rely on medication/s for the severe pain. Having thoroughly exhausted exploring sites using non-pharmaceutical methods, using psychological methods, biofeedback, trying to accept my limitations, i.e., I still believe somewhere...out there...is hope. The strong medicine has caused gastroparesis, further complicating my health problems. They are too numerous to write and I will not focus on them. I am looking for "help" and guidance. If I can be of assistance to anyone throughout their trials, (perhaps similar to some of what I have gone through), I will.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @fighter "I'll try to see where it's available. What city are you nearest to in Oregon?" + (show)

I live in central Oregon, @fighter .

The only city is Bend. My neurologist sent a referral for a consult with a doctor at OHSU, which is in Portland.

I have a phone appointment with my pcp tomorrow, and my hope is that he'll take me seriously, and increase the dose of my morphine prescription. I know that his first words will be "opioids don't treat pain."

Jim

bustrbrwn22 | @bustrbrwn22 | Oct 20, 2020

@jimhd Oh Jim I am so sorry! Please keep us posted! We care about you.

ellens | @ellens | Oct 20, 2020

Hi, I am ellens. I injured my back two years ago and it still hurts. I've been through 2 rounds of PT. My provider (he's on my to fire list) doesn't seem interested and won't refer me to a back specialist. Now the pain is on the opposite side of the injury and I like to walk for exercise but it's kind of a trial with the pain.

Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @jimhd "I live in central Oregon, @fighter . The only city is Bend. My neurologist sent a..." + (show)

I would tell your doctor that you’re well aware that opioids don’t treat, diagnosis or cure pain. However, they can effectively relieve pain. Treatment is your responsibility but being that you refuse or are incapable of doing that I need these pain signals blocked so I can function and carry out the activities of daily living. As it is I don’t know what other choice I have. If you’re aware of other alternatives I’m open to hearing them. However I don’t repeatedly come here and pay you to listen to the same pompous, pretentious rhetoric.
Physicians aren’t Gods, they are no better than you and I. They aren’t entitled to more respect, the should show you and I equal respect. If other venders you employ and don’t repair whatever you hire them for do you still pay them?
Take care,
Joke

Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @jakedduck1 "I would tell your doctor that you’re well aware that opioids don’t treat, diagnosis or cure..." + (show)

@jakedduck1

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm going to write your words down so I can refer to them. In general, I've been pleased with him, except for the morphine issue. He's good to refer me to a specialist when it's appropriate. I've been seeing him for 14 years.

Jim

lioness | @lioness | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @ellens "Hi, I am ellens. I injured my back two years ago and it still hurts. I've..." + (show)

@ellens I know the pain your on with backs Is it just muscles or bone If it's muscle this is what I do I use my Tens unit for relieve do you have one ? This is what helps for me

wisco50 | @wisco50 | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @jimhd "I live in central Oregon, @fighter . The only city is Bend. My neurologist sent a..." + (show)

Good luck, Jim. Ask him what HE would do (that you have already tried and didn’t help) if it was him or a loved one. Write stuff down ahead of time to keep you on track!

Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @wisco50 "Good luck, Jim. Ask him what HE would do (that you have already tried and didn’t..." + (show)

@wisco50 @lorirenee1 @jesfactsmon @jakedduck1 @gingerw @faithwalker007

The pcp did increase my dose of mscontin from 15mg tid to 30mg bid, (from 45mg to 60mg total), and won't increase it any more until I meet with the pain specialist and have his approval to increase it.

These are some of the things he said:

"Opioids don't treat neuropathy pain."
"Opioids are prescribed for acute pain."
"Opioids become ineffective when used to treat chronic pain."
"Opioids can cause harm if used long term."
"Doctors don't like to manage chronic pain long term because they don't make money prescribing opioids."
"The money is in giving injections and doing procedures and doing implants."

Jim

Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Oct 20, 2020

In reply to @jimhd "@wisco50 @lorirenee1 @jesfactsmon @jakedduck1 @gingerw @faithwalker007 The pcp did increase my dose of mscontin from 15mg..." + (show)

@jimhd
"Opioids don't treat neuropathy pain."
I agree opioids weren’t designed to treat and don’t do a very good job of treating neuropathy pain however I was on the fentanyl patch and it did indeed he decrease my neuropathy pain.

"Opioids are prescribed for acute pain."
I don’t know what planet your doctor came from but many patients use them long term for Chronic pain.

"Opioids become ineffective when used to treat chronic pain." Sure opioids become ineffective u
In some people and opioids usually need to be increased over time because of that very reason but that’s no reason to not ever give them. When I took the fentanyl patch my doctor started at 100 micrograms and I changed it every three days. I asked her if we could go down to 75 Micrograms to see how it work so we tried 75 and then I asked her if we could try 50 µg so we did that it didn’t work at all well so we settled out
on 75 Micrograms but she was more than willing to increase it as necessary.

“Opioids can cause harm if used long term.”
What drug doesn’t? Anti-convulsant do, anti-depressants do, antipsychotics do and on and on

"Doctors don't like to manage chronic pain long term because they don't make money”
Well perhaps they don’t make as much money but they still make money especially when they have you coming back every 2 to 3 months.

"The money is in giving injections and doing procedures and doing implants." Yeah, work or not!

I hope you called him on each thing he said.

In my own personal opinion your doctor would’ve sounded much more intelligent if he would’ve kept his mouth shut and in my opinion Jim your doctor is a dope and I would leave him ASAP!!!

Just my two cents worth.
I hope you will be feeling better since the increase,
Take care Jim,
Jake