Oh God, the pain!!!

[SirJeffry]

Since October I have been having unusual and progressive pains.  They started in the neck, throat and upper back/chest (between the shoulder blades radiating through the sternum)  right foot, wrist, buttock and groin.  I also have had serious skin sensitivity to touch in my hands and feet.  The character is like combined intense burning, stabbing and aching pains.  Regarding the chest pain, cardiac etiology was thoroughly ruled out as was GI and a Chest X-ray was normal.  
These pains progressed and by late January effected not only my neck, upper back and chest but my entire right side from the top of my pelvis to my toes, throughout the right posterior shoulder to my finger tips and in my groin.  There was also a tingling sensation like pins and needles.  The pain got so intense that I repeatedly got sick to my stomach from it and couldn't sleep much because of it.  I also developed a significant limp.  The doctor I had ordered a CBC with differential and metabolic panel plus sedimentation rate and rheumatoid factor; the only irregularities were a BUN = 21 and a slightly elevated blood sugar = 180.  

Since then, I lost my job and thus my insurance and anything further at this point will have to be paid for in cash.  I am bewildered by all of this. Now the pain is unbearable and nothing seems to help.  It hurts all the time and is worse in the night and frequently wakes me up from sleep.  Right now it feels like I'm being strangled, have a tight band constricting my chest, have a dozen daggers stuck in my right leg, foot and groin my entire right lower extremity has been scalded and there is also a burning, tingling sensation in my left ankle too.

My only significant medical history is a bad accident that happened ten years ago which caused a concussion, herniated disks at C4-5 and L2-3 with progressive spinal stenosis in my neck.  I take Relafen alone for pain and it is no longer effective.  It has been more than five years since my last MRI's.  

*** I really think it is neuropathic pain, but is it more likely due to my neck, could I be an undiagnosed diabetic or could something entirely different be going on?  

*** What kind of doctor should I see?

*** If I need surgery to relieve cervical spinal cord compression how can I get this done in the US without insurance?  

I am frustrated beyond words and am in as much anguish about not being able to answer these questions as from the pain!  I don't want to live like this and am afraid that if I wait too long the damage might be permanant and I might end up crippled and suffering for the rest of my life.  I would greatly appreciate any answers that anyone in the know might offer.  Thanks so much.

[Waterfallzzz]

I would take a trip to your General Practioner and ask them to do a Fibromyalgia test on you.  All it is; is pressing on all your pressure points, they then can determine if it is positive, then and there.  At least; then you can begin the long trek of seeing if anything can help to alleviate some of the pain.  A lot of people get Fibromyalgia from spinal injuries, I did.

[ggreg]

Sounds to me like your cervical spine and lumbar spine problems are coming back with a vengeance.  Since you are broke and no insurance, you can go as a walk-in to see a physician at the county health department for little or no cost and be seen the same day.  I think he can order plane black & white X-rays for you and perhaps give you stronger medicines, but since the government is reluctant to prescribe opiates, he can give you the gaba drugs (Lyrica is expensive, Neurontin is cheap).  Or you can go to whomever is prescribing the drug you are on now, maybe ask him for the X-rays, and definitely ask for a stronger medicine in the opiate family.

I know exactly how bad your pain is, I have thoracic and lumbar pain from twisting and old fractures, and even with Lyrica and Codeine, some things are hard for me to do, but at least I get thru the day SO much easier with the medicines.  When I have the money and courage, I reckon I'll let them do an MRI and get surgery.  But until then, I can make it with what I've got.  So, I think you could do the same as me.  By the way, I take both opiates and gaba drugs, each helps in their own way the pain I've got.