How to survive ongoing neck pain?

[daizy1965]

I had a 2 level cervical disc fusion and I suffer everyday with life altering pain but after reading comments on this site I know I'm Not Crazy!!! How do you explain to people with no back problems that a surgery that was supposed to help you has left you feeling hopeless and wondering if this is my new way of life.....I have 5 Grandchildren that I have to tell I can't hold you because it could cause me to suffer with a Migraine or I'm to tired to play because I can't sleep at night from all the pain. My surgeon didn't believe me that the pain is still ongoing I was starting to think I was Crazy but after reading these comments I can at least tell myself you aren't imagining the pain. I am a good hard working person that happened to get hurt working and after 3 years of torture from my employer finally Won my work comp case!!! I sadley worked there for 18 yrs but that means nothing when you get hurt...I pray they never have to go through this kind of endless pain. I still haven't found a good pain relief form I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions I am also allergic to Ibuproffen which limits me from taking anti inflammatories...Any suggestions would be Greatly appreciated!

[SLadylani]

I'm glad you have a pain management doctor, but I'm sorry they aren't completly listening. I've been out of work since October, but due to financial constraints, I simply have to go back. I'm a RN, so I'm not looking forward to that! Nothing with Tylenol in it worked for me. That's why I'm on styraight Oxycodone. Oxycodone ER is the goal next week. For some reason I find Tylenol takes away from the strength of the actual pain killers. And I'm glad our posts helped you! You do deserve to feel heard, and it's unfortunate that the medical community doesn't always here us. In my experience, doctors and health care providers are so focus on drug addiction today, they miss what's more important, pseudoaddiction, or people with actual pain. There is such a thing to tolerance for medications! And as a Hospice nurse, I do beleive it is possible to lead a painfree life, I think the key is just finding the right doctor who is willing to listen to you, and possibly who actually personally understands. I hope you stay on  this community, and keep us posted. And I want to tell you, please, never give up. Never take doctors answers that aren't acceptable as appropriate. Always keep trying. You're worth the trouble! And you are you're own advocate, so speak up and be firm! Doctors aren't better than you just because they have a degree! I've cussed a few doctors out in my time :) And there will come a day when you are completely pain free, I've experienced it. I almost felt high because it felt so abnormal. But it exhists. Good doctors do exhist. You just have to find them. Good luck, best wishes, and I trully hope you find relief soon! Take care!

Sara RN :)

[pitbull8]

hi.i have been a carbon copy of your feelings and beleifs,i had same fusion and surgeon somehow drilled into my main artery during the procedure,after being rushed to another hospital with surgeon and anethasist in the ambulance with me,i was put into coma,on awaking in intensive care i was told by pressing my artery i had an aneuerysm,i underwent another 3 hour op to coil the bulge,but i feel blessed that im still here 5 years on i hav 5 kids and 10 granchildren,i still battle with neck shoulder pain,but further surgery iv ruled out lol! ,i take 1500mg flaxseed oil daily,good quality multivitamin,and as for meds,1 5mg diazipam for muscle spasm,and 2 tramacet daily,that does me,i wont be put on strong meds,that is when you will loose your mind,no one has died from osteoarthritis,so pluck up and respect yourself for being tolerent with those around you ,who i know and you know,have no real idea what your going through,but you hit the right notes we hope they never do,goodluck,rainbows do appear?

[daizy1965]

Thank you for hearing me! I am not alone in this as sad as it is at least I have some comfort in knowing that this is a Real thing. I have had my days it was so hard trying to have hope for my doctors sake I thanked her for doing a Great job only to have this hopeless feeling inside knowing I was only making her feel good...I am actually seeing a pain management doctor who it seems is also controlled by the system sad but true I guess they have to please more people than me. He does have me on Kadian which is a time released morphine and Oxyodone/Tylenol this isn't doing it for me anymore so I will have to research the meds more Thanks for the suggestions. He seems to think that now my case is settled I will suddenly get better..I hate to burst his bubble but this is real and not fake. They also modified my permanent restrictions I can no longer look down which has taken me out of work. I begged my employer to move me and they just stared at me so finally my doctor had enough and changed them. I still suffer though I think the job they had me on may have caused more harm in just 1 1/2 yrs I already have a spur I'm thinking this may be causing some of my pain.. Well I just want to Thank anyone who hears me for taking the time it means more than you could know! And Good Luck in your journey to find Peace and a Painfree Life!

[SLadylani]

Goodness, you seem to be just like me. I'm a work comp case too but haven't spoken to a lawyer yet as I'm having trouble getting a low back MRI due to my insurance, and because doctors don't beleive I'm in pain, even though my xray shows I have a serious back and neck injury. I'm a nurse. What I've been told, and from I beleive from working with doctors as a nurse is they veiw patients as a illness that they treat and fix and then it's all done. If they had one they didn't fix it frustratess them, therefore they try to make it go away by either not beleiving them and dismissing them from there office, calling you a drug seeking, or thinking youre a psych case. Are you seeing a pain specialist? I finally got into one-it's self pay right now so my options are limited, but she's great. She beleives me. I'm also allergic to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs, so I cannot take anit-inflammatories. I am a Hospice nurse, so I worked witha lot of pain medications and know a lot about them. What are you on now? In my experience, usually none of the generall Vicodin or oxycodione worked for me or my patients, but miracle happened when we placed our patients on the Extended release version of pills. These you only have to take twice daily. I have my next appointment on the 18th, and since I have to start working again I'm going to ask for Oxycodone ER. Right now I'm in daily pain, aqnd the regular oxycodone only takes the edge off. Another miracle drug for our patients was MS Contin, but thats a little stronger. So if you don't have a pain specialist, I would ask your doctor about being referred to one, and if you do have a pain specialist, I would ask to try the Extended release version of a pill. And finally, I'm glad you discovered your pain is real, becausee what I have found is that if you are experiencing the pain, then the pain is real. Sometimes I just don't listen to doctors as I know often I am just a number to them and a problem they want to fix. That's why I had to find doctors that beleived me. Keep us posted, glad you found this site, and I trully hope you find relief soon! Best wishes

Sara RN