Last post Sat, May 24 2008 6:08 AM by ShimasChild. 14 replies.
HI IVE NEVER DONE THIS SORT OFF THING BEFORE SO DONT REALLY KNOW HOW ITS GOING TO TURN OUT BUT HERE WE GO,BACK 5YRS AGO I WAS MAKING REGULAR VISITS TO MY DOCTORS SURGERY BECAUSE I WAS IN A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN BUT DIDNT NO WHAT WAS CAUSEING IT OR WHAT IT WAS I GOT SENT FOR A XRAY WHICH DIDNT SHOW MUCH EXCEPT SOMETHING VERY SLIGHT SOMETHING CALLED SPONDYLOSIS OF THE SPINE I NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE BUT I SURE KNEW HOW IT FELT WOULDNT WISH IT ONMY WORST ENEMY,I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY OUT THERE HAS HEARD OR EVEN GOT WHAT I HAVE AND COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU HAVE GOT IT WHAT SORT OF TREATMENT YOU HAVE HAD BECAUSE THE PAIN KILLERS IM ON ARE 100MG SLOW RELEASE TRAMADOL TWICE ADAY AND COCODAMOL 30MG CODIENE PHOSPHATE AND 500MG PARACETAMOL BUT EVEN THEM IM NEVER 100% PAIN FREE I WOULD GIVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO FIND A CURE SO I WOULD BE IN SO MUCH AGONISING PAIN.
I have back pain almost every day. My Dr says to take OTC Tylenol & put warm compresses on it. some days its not too bad,but most of the time it hurts like h**l .
Hi Coral
I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and myofacial pain syndrome. You might want to look it up and read about the symptoms. My spine pain is so painful I want my head to pop off. Sound familiar? I tried all kinds of anti-inflammatory medicines and painkillers. I was not happy with them. The anti-inflammatories gave me stomach cramps(pain ontop of pain) and the painkillers made me too spacey to raise my kids. I decided almost 15 years ago to go natural. Circulation is very important. I decided to consume as much greens(wheatgrass, spirulina etc..) as I could. I also take lots of fish oils. Wild salmon to be exact. Boswellin for pain(natural aspirin). Yummy pineapple for inflammation as well. I also wasn't able to take capsules anymore for my multivitamin so I went to liquid. Ice packs and a heating pad will also help greatly. First thing in the morning, I get up and do my stretches and then yoga. This, too helps BIG TIME. I learned to live with it and to keep smiling no matter what. When I need to stay still- I do. I had to learn a whole different way of life each day. My movements especially. I thought of a ballerina! Isometrics is a GREAT help as well. I wish you the best. I know how it feels and when you feel a cry coming on, let it out. Try not to bottle things up inside you-its #1 enemy. Try to slow down each day and enjoy every minute however you can. Peace and be HAPPY.
Hi Coral,
I'm trying to remember how many years ago I had an x-ray after much complaining and a continual "lumbar strain" diagnosis from doctors. Well got the first x-ray and it was reported I had Spondylosis, this was never shared with me and of course never explained. I read it myself on the radiologist's report. Anyhow I had big, bad pain from skull to tailbone for several years and I wonder today why in the world all those doctors threw me out the door with that "lumbar strain", here's a prescription deal and not once was the pain investigated. I finally got a doc a year and a half ago who listened, took me seriously and cared. Through extensive x-rays and mri's we now know I have degenerative disc disease(7 bulging), degenerative joint disease(spinal) and spinal stenosis. No wonder I was in such horrible pain. I also have FMS and nerve pain all over.
I was just wondering if you ever had an MRI of your spine. I take Neurontin(2100 mg), oxycodone(2 mgs day), Flexeril(before sleep) and Aleve(naproxen). I think I could have better pain relief but I am making it for now. Maybe you will never be 100% pain free. I have learned to live with it, for now. I don't like it but fighting it, I think caused more pain and mood problems too.
Take care,
Sherry
hello coral and lily, sorry to hear you are in so much pain. i agree with lily that great nutrition can't hurt but help. i hope that you find some pain relief. welcome to diaboom!
Hi, Coral!
While I don't have the same medical problem, I do have degenerative disc disease in multiple discs, so, like you, I have almost constant back and spine pain. I take Tramadol of the same dosage as you, and while it manages to keep the pain to a dull roar, the long periods of sitting are agony. When I had both legs, normal amunts of standing or walking also caused me difficulty. I've found that changing positions whenever I am able helps somewhat during the day (I get up and hop around with my walker, or just stand on the one leg for a short time), but there is still an almost constant level of pain. At night, laying flat on a firm bed with the hips slightly elevated on a pillow is probably the most comfortable position, but since we can't always just stop and lay flat when we need to, the back pain is always a problem when I'm up and about. And, someone else suggested hot compresses - I know that the moist heat helps mine from time to time. Still when the back spasms from the disease, it is agony, and the only thing that gives me even the slightest relief is muscle relaxants. I hope someone here has found something that works better than all of this for you. I know it's difficult to live with constant pain.
hugs from ducky
What is it with doctors NOT wanting to do the more difinitive tests to determine the extent of the damage? This is a very common theme I'm finding out, it wasn't just me. (I went to the ER back in 1988 after I bent over wrong and HEARD the disc rupture.... it took the doctors a YEAR to order a CT scan.... they just marked me as a drug-seeker.)
I now take Methadone (20 mgs twice a day, sometimes three times a day) Zanaflex, (higher potency muscle relaxer, I've been through all the convential ones like Flexeril, Baclafen, ect) and some other pills for various other problems like high blood pressure, iron suppliments because I can't retain iron, yadda yadda... I like to say I "roll and rattle" when I'm out. Ah, I forgot the anti-depressant too. Thank the Lord for those.
What started out as an easy to fix ruptured disc is now full-blown DDD, incredible nerve pain, leg pain and cramps, I also ruptured two discs in my neck about seven years ago, had that plated.... now I even have to deal with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because I spent too much time typing, trying to have some kind of social life via the Internet!
Enough whining from me.... lol... I do pray for anyone and everyone who suffer from DDD and the unsympathetic doctors... especially those of the female gender. It seems they care less about our pain, and we often have families to care for. Hang in there.
Shimas
Hi Shimas, I'm Sandy. I had back surgery last Oct. I had Lumbar 3, 4 & 5 fused together and two new discs put in. I know your pain. I also have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. If I were you I would tell your Dr. that you want to see a neuroligist and or rhuemetoligist. Theres no way you have to just put up with the pain. Second oppinions are important. Take care now. Sandy
I have a spondylolisthesis in the lower lumbar which is slippage of the vertebrae. I also have a few other things amiss in the lumbar area including Baastrup's Disease called the kissing spine because there is no disk space left causing the vertebra to rub together along with the dreaded DDD.
One of my doctors told me... "You have what we call in the medical profession 'A BAD BACK"
I have tried many meds except I don't like the druggy feeling, and when they make my legs like rubber bouncing me off the walls. Other meds hurt my tummy so I take only the Tramadol 50 about every 3-4 hours a day. It never gets rid of the pain but brings enough relief so as to be able to manage. It does not help the arthritis when it rains though. I am pretty much immobile and cannot sit, stand, lay down, for more than a few minutes or even ride my scooter.
Ask if there are any exercises that could help, I tried exercises through a Physical Therapist but it didn't work only caused my spine to start to herniate and some symptoms of Cauda Equina which is not a good thing, ask anyone who has it.
But I hear the exercises are wonderful and work for a lot of people.
Hi coral and all the other back pain sufferers in this thread - thought I'd let you know, in case you haven't seen it, that there is an entire Back Pain Forum with some where around 24 threads in it.
That would be an excellent place to check out for more help and info. on suggestions to deal with back pain.
Best to all -
sandyfreytag: Hi Shimas, I'm Sandy. I had back surgery last Oct. I had Lumbar 3, 4 & 5 fused together and two new discs put in. I know your pain. I also have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. If I were you I would tell your Dr. that you want to see a neuroligist and or rhuemetoligist. Theres no way you have to just put up with the pain. Second oppinions are important. Take care now. Sandy
Hiya Sandy. Thanks honey, I've been dealing with this for twenty years. I had the first fusion in 1989, and had four subsiquent spinal surgieries since.... The last lower back one did me in. I've seen all the doctors I can... even a specialist in San Fransisco who put in the big hardware in 1995. I'm now on "pallitive" care... just trying to keep the pain under control. I blew out the L-5/S-1 and more of the lumbar spine originally (at least by the time they FINALLY did the CT scan a year after the accident) and was diagnoised with the DDD and arthritis in 1995. I had to go from a cane, to two, to a wheelchair for distances to a wheelchair full time within a few short years. I'd been diagnoised with depression back in 1980. It's just been one party after another with all kinds of medical peoples. ;-)
BrokenDoNotUse, can ya provide a link to the bad back forum for us computer illiterates? Thanks honey, I appreciate it.
Hi Coral, I can relate to your constant back pain, I have it 24/7, am on oxycodone, LA pain cream, some kind of inflamatory and nothing I use now or in the past has not worked. I am going in for my 5th back surgery (a frontal/back fusion) and I am praying that this will ease my pain.
I have also had 2 knee replacements with no success as well. Sometimes I wonder if we are just (doomed) to have to live with this constant pain before.
If I find something that works, you will be the first to know, may God bless you and help you seek a successful remedy for Non-stop pain.
Sincerely,
Wendy50ech
Hi Sandy, I am going to be going to UCSF for my fusion. Were you pleased with the hospital? Please let me know.
Thank you and God bless,
Wendy
PS I pray one day I or someone will be able to help us with this dibilitating pain.
HI CORAL, HOPE THINGS ARE WORKING OUT FOR YOU ! RAINEY
Wendy, I was at UCSF in 1995, that's when they put in the rods in my lower back. The staff and everyone was wonderful there. The doctor I had no longer practices there, but I've had tests and follow-ups there over the years and they are just great. I wish you loads of luck with the surgery.
