@carsalespapa

Welcome to Connect, salesman. It sounds as though you may have more than one thing going on. I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, with pins and needles from knees to toes, numbness in my feet, burning pain in my feet, and other things that might be related to neuropathy. Has your doctor sent you to specialists? What tests have been done, with what results?

There are many people in Mayo Connect who share your symptoms and experience. The more you tell us, the more people who might interact with you.

Jim

He had me on 3200 mg of ibuprofen a day for like 6 months, he's given me muscle relaxers, and played it off as if I am imagining the pain. He's not sent me to a specialist yet but after the MRI results today he said he would schedule me for physical therapy then to see a neurosurgeon. Sometimes my legs feel like jello. It feels I have a can opener in my spine during the day then after I get home I am exhausted from pain all day. I feel bad when I go to sleep (which is about 4:00 to 5:00 am and I feel worse when I get up.

I have no idea where to turn, I have to support my family.

@carsalespapa

I responded to your other post. All I can say is that I'd be looking for a new doctor.

Jim

Hi carsalespapa,
I have had chronic pain for over 10 years and I know the feeling of needing to work. I live alone and I am my sole source of support. Had I not had an excellent pain doctor who was willing to prescribe medication but who was very careful about it, I would not have been able to work as long as I have. I am turning 63 in a few weeks and so am very close to retirement now. If I were you I would check around with people you know or online in your area and find a pain doctor. These docs can help with injections, testing to really isolate the problem and finding the right medications that might at least get you some relief so that you can sleep. 3200 mg of ibuprofen seems like an awful lot and that stuff can really mess with your stomach after a while. I am no doctor but I have had a number of doctors tell me that. Not sure where you are located but do you have the ability to self refer to a pain specialist or do you have to get your doctor to refer you? Going to a neurologist may also be a good idea but I think you need to get some relief and that is why I say a good competent pain specialist is who I would try to see if I were you. Are you able to do this?

@carsalespapa, I too think you need to find another doctor before your current one causes you further problems. I had to stop taking ibuprofen because it gave me ulcers. I think it's horribly irresponsible for the doctor to have you taking that much ibuprofen! Of course I am not a medical professional. If you're able, find a good spinal surgeon or as suggested, a neurosurgeon. What did your MRI show as problems? I wouldn't start with PT until you have shown your MRI to a spinal specialist--surgeon or neurosurgeon. I don't think your doctor knows how to deal with your back issues.

I have had back problems with symptoms that sound similar to yours. My primary care doctor referred me to a spinal surgeon, who I then researched to find out his background and reputation through Google. I knew the first time I met him that he was an expert. He and his assistant showed me my MRI, and my xray and talked to me in great depth about the problems the images showed. He discussed the different treatments and options to treat my problems. Last December I had an outpatient surgery called a "laminectomy" where he shaved off a small portion of my L5-S1 disk in order to relieve the pressure on my spinal cord. I went home immediately after the surgery, and I have a 2 inch scar. I then waited until about 8 or 9 weeks before he had me start on PT. The acute pain on my left side was completely gone after the surgery. However, I still had deep pain on my right side lumbar, sciatic, leg, knee, calf and ankle.

The spine surgeon said I would need major surgery with rods and pins in order to repair the damage on my right side. He recommended that I try other more conservative therapies first. I had already been referred to a pain doctor prior to my surgery, so that doctor kept me on the pain medications for my right side pain. They helped, but I still had (and continue to have) pain that awakens me at night. I finished 3 months of PT, with no relief to my right side pain.

Then, I read on this site (Mayo Connect) about ART, Active Release Technique. I researched what it was, and looked for a practitioner in my area Yorba Linda, California, on Google. Google listed all the certifications of the professionals who were all chiropractors to my surprise. I then asked a friend of mine who is a masseuse if he could recommend a good ART professional, and he named the same doctor I had picked based on his training. I saw the ART doctor for 6 sessions of very deep muscle massage at the same time he was moving my leg. It was VERY painful, but it was working from the first session. It's 4 months later and I'm completely out of pain on my right side, except for some that continues to awaken me at about 3 a.m. I go in for 1 session a month now. I can't tell you what a relief it is not being in pain all the time. I can go up and down steps now and wal pretty long distances without tiring.

I hope you find good doctors to help you find relief. Dont start PT until you understand what is wrong and a doctor says you can do PT without causing more damage. Good luck, Gail B Ledesma

@carsalespapa and @gailb

I took 80mg of Ibuprofen 4x a day for many years, like around 25 years, until 7 years ago, when I had surgery for peptic ulcers. 25 years is probably too long to take that much Ibuprofen. I should add, to be up front, that for awhile I took a lot more than was prescribed when I went through a suicidal phase. Now, I'm not supposed to take any NSAIDS, but I do take some for arthritis. I had an endoscopy a month ago and have no signs of polyps or ulcers.

But, yes, NSAIDS can certainly cause gastric problems, so beware, Anthony.

Jim