Chronic pain - Let's talk

With epidurals, I think, it's just luck, hopefully hitting the right area. I've had fusions and epidurals. Fusions made it worse and the epidurals did nothing (I guess that's good--they could have done what the surgery did). I went to mayo and they are suggesting nervous spinal stimulator, which sounds like a good option.

I wonder why they were painful. I have never had a painful epidural. Is a<br />
spinal and a epidural the same thing I guess not. Were they really worth<br />
it. You said you wanted them when in pain right. Did they work for a while.<br />

I've had over 35 epidural and facet injections all to no avail, and I'm not<br />
eligible to try nerve root blocks because of all the hardware. Thanks for<br />
your response.<br />
<br />

What is nerve spine stimulator and how does it work?

What is nerve spine stimulator and how does it work?

it’s a spinal chord stimulator SCS - outpatient surgery attaches 2 leads to the disk causing pain - in my case L4 & L5 - leads are attached to a stimulator about the size of a quarter that is implanted in your flank. There is a remote that is programmed to stimulate the area causing pain. The stimulation blocks the message that there is pain that goes to the brain ! It’s a miracle and has helped me considerably. go to Boston Scientific for lots more information.

My name is Elin and I have SCD with anemia caused by SCD and Chrones disease. I am on lots of pain meds, immunosuppressants, and have had 6 strokes. My hematologist is recommending I get a stricturoplasty for my chrones and a bone marrow transplant for the anemia. What are these and what is the risk factor involved?

Hello, I was also taking the same medications for both of the same diseases & others. My doctor prescribed me 1800 MG of Gabapentin, which I thought was ridiculous. I also take Tramadol, 200MG, which only takes some of my pain away. I first started having problems after being rear-ended by a truck in 2008. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Since then, I was side-impacted by a Ford super-duty truck, then rear-ended while I was parked 10 months later. I also have SLE/Lupus, Sjogrens, Cervical/Lumbar Herniated discs, Pinched nerve/w no reflex in my right arm, DDD, Carpal Tunnel Chronic Pain Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel, Chronic Tendonitis since my accident in wrist/forearm/elbow. Cervical torn ligaments in both accidents, completely torn ligament in the left ankle, my legs swell to the point that I can't walk, Small Fiber Neuropathy, Peripheral Neuropathy, Dry Eye Syndrome, Sciatica. My neck area started swelling after the 2nd accident, and my doctor thought I had tumors. He thought I had a Clavicular fossa mass. I had an ultrasound done, Myositis. Lumps form on my chest since my second accident. No one could tell me what they were! They are muscle spasms. When I turn my neck just a little bit, my clavicular area swells into huge mountains. My neck started getting stuck. Tendons started protruding from my neck during spasms. When my Trapezius and Latissimus Dorsi spasms, I have trouble breathing. I have more problems than I can remember & it's not because I don't take care of myself, it's because of car accidents. The only good thing is, that both drivers admitted fault & their insurance paid to have my car fixed. I get Botox injections every 3 months since my second accident. My pain management doctor doesn't care. I take Tizanidine muscle relaxer, which gives me minimal relief. I literally fall out of bed every day because I'm in so much pain & so fatigued. I also have Hyperparathyroidism. The spasms had my pulse up to 121, my BP elevated, which is bad for my organs, and constant inflammation in my body from the Lupus. I always turned down medication, but I'm 52, in pain 24 hours a day & I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm still in disbelief of all the extra problems that I have since the accidents, especially the last one. My claustrophobia has gotten worse to the point that, I felt like I was shrinking during an MRI & I panicked, My head started getting smaller. I drive my disabled daughter to school 23 miles away. I just look straight ahead & pray. I wear compression sleeves from the swelling of my wrists/forearms, which was caused by banging my arms on the steering wheel, then literally falling onto the steering wheel in the 2nd accident. I'm just frustrated, tired, in pain, scared & disappointed. I'm sorry you are in pain!

@jvivian Sorry for your situation Pain is very difficult and when mine is at its worst I can not do anything.<br />
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You can check with right to die groups, but first you need to write to your elected officials to tell them what is happening. This could help U as well as all the rest of us. <br />
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In the news I have already read of many deaths due to the new policy of no opioids. These were from people cut off by official sources who went on the black market and got bad pain medicine that killed them. <br />
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The best thing is to go to another town or state and seek help. Also talk to pain doctor about hospice or the use of another non narcotic drug used to help additics come off opioids. This can also help with pain I am told. Called methadone or something else can’t think of the name right now.<br />
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One person I talked to told me it helped her with her pain, but her doctors did not tell her about it right away because they did not make as much money from it.<br />
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If all else fails there are end of life groups on the internet. Most do not want this, but it may become the real way if they do not do something about the pain.<br />
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One article on Oregon law say that many who are eligible get the end of life pills then never use them. Just knowing they are there and they can take them immediately if the pain get to bad helps them get through until nature (God) take them naturally.<br />
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I can give you more info if you can contact me on my web site, but the controller here will not let me put it on here. If allowed I can give you information on end of life and I will try to find the name of medicine this other person told me that helped her. Good Luck. 19lin<br />
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