Muscle Spasms & Nerve ( Neuropathic ) Pain

[Guest guest]

I have been reading what everyone is taking for muscle spasms & nerve

pain.

I have been on Baclofen, Neurontin, Zanaflex, Flexeril, Robaxin,

Klonapin, plus Elavil, Soma, Gabitril and Truthfully NonE of them helped

the pain or the spasms in any way. None of them made me sleepy either

except Elavil, which knocked me into next week. I could not even

function on 50mg of Elavil, so I could not take it at all.

The other drugs did absolutely nothing for me....zip...nada....like

taking M & M's, and from being so inactive from sitting I have put on a

few lbs which is the worst thing you can do with a bad back as for every

10lbs you gain in your stomach, it puts 100lbs of pressure on your back.

The TENS Unit did not help & I do NOT want to get the MS pump as I fear

I would be on it for life.

The Neuropathic Pain I get is from the Adhesive Arachnoiditis and I go

to a Neurologist for my pain management & a Neurosurgeon when I needed

my laminectomys, and fusions. I developed Hypothyroidism from the

Iodine in the 7 myelograms I had. ( I just had my 8th myelogram on Oct

2nd along with a Ct Scan for my upcoming Revision Surgery.

None of the Pain Drs, Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, or Orthopedic Drs

ever told me about the Lidoderm Patches 5% THAT ARE THE ONLY THING THAT

WORK. The buzzing and burning I get from the Arach nerve damage I have

is the absolute worst pain in the world, when it used to get out of

hand not even MS Contin would help & I had to go to the ER for a shot.

I heard about the Lidoderm Patches from a Homeopathic Dr I was going to

for my thyroid problem. They are distributed by ENDO & when I told my

Arach Group how much they helped control it ( it does NOT take it away

but does make it manageable ) many friends wanted to try them but could

not aford them, so I wrote to ENDO & they gave me a Toll Free Number &

if your dr calls & says you need them they have a program where either

you get them for free or at a much reduced rate.. Comp pays for my back

meds so I never looked further into it. If anyone would like the

woman's name & phone number just e mail me & I will send it to you.

Right now I am in a real quandry as I was all set to have Dr Dennis

Crandall do my Revisiion Surgery but after reading what happened to my

friend that he did in Feb of 01.........Well now I do not know what to

do, I have only had 2 opinions, so I believe I am going to get

somemore opinions before I decide. It is just that I have been walking

around looking like a Whooping Crane since the end of 99 & now I cannot

do any walking at all without something to lean on, I am so tired of my

clothes not fitting, the pain, people staring at me, trying to find

who I pray is the right dr, I think I am going crazy at times, it is

all just getting to be too much & the more I read about other people's

experiences with the different drs..the more confused I am getting.

I have already had 4 Laminectomys & one Anterior/Posterior Fusion with

bone grafts & Harrington Rods in 85 ( I made him take the rods out in 88

) and after 3 months in a body cast I was no better, and a Posterior

Fusion in 90 that did not help me either. In Oct 96 I had my last Lami

at L3 as the 2 disks L3 & L2 above my fusion had herniated, but I would

not let him fix L2 as that meant a fusion as now in the late 90's if

they did more than one level they insisted on fusing you. ( not so in

the 80's )

I think I am going to need a brain repacement before I can pich a dr to

fix my spine.

Love,

Di ( RN BS ) Oh This was my reward for being a nurse. I herniated 2

disks at a Code & that is what started my 23 yr oddessy.