Lower back injury-long term medication help

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

Hi, i need some serious help. About two years ago I was pinned by a truck to my car while I was checking my air pressure. It tools a year and a half to find out that I had a annular tear and bulging in between L4 and L5 disks in my back. I had to quit being a CNA due to enormous amounts of pain. I got a lawyer and settled for some money to help....though u can't put an amount on being pain the rest of your life. Over the last 6 months the pain has gotten worse. I've had 3 injections and have tried the following drugs: gabapentin, lyrica, Cymbalta,  amnitripaline, and naproxen 500. Nome of these provide relief. The only thing that has helped is the hydrocodone 7.5/325 that I've been on since sep. of 09'. I moved and am now seeing a doctor on my school campus and am now up to taking them 2 at a time 4 to 5 times a day. That's a whopping 8 to 10 a day and it provides relief only if I don't go anywhere or move. If I work on the house or take care of my two kids then I have really bad pain and the meds are just no longer working. They say I'm too young for surgery and just want me to stay on meds yet the doctor I see now is nervous about having me on narcotics when that's the only thing that provides relief. Ive also had physical therapy but can't afford it anymore. My doctor doesn't want to write me a script for 10s but actually wants me to get off narcotics because of my age. I didn't "ask" to get hit by a truck at 21. I've tried to find another doctor here in town but they either want to put me on meds I've already taken that don't work or they don't treat patients that are on pain meds. I'm confused, depressed, I have constant anxiety about whether I'm gonna be okay because I have no long term plan.  I'm scared of the pain and about not being able to be a good mom because I can't do the things I used to without severe pain. I just need someone to listen to me and help me get some pain medication that is actually going to work for me. I'm tired of doctors throwing my age in my face. I even paid to have my liver enzymes tested to make sure that my liver and kidneys are okay with all these hydrocodones I'm taking. Can't they just switch me to something that I don't have a high tolerance to? Or something without Tylenol? Please help I feel like any day now I'm going to lose my mind!

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

So currently I have been experiencing worsening symptoms.  They have me on 60mg of oxycontin every 12 hours...so twice a day.  Once I got over the withdrawal symptoms of getting off hydrocodone the oxycontin is working great!!!  It's so much of a relief to not be constantly taking pills all day every 3 or 4 hours to just taking 1 in the morning and 1 at night with all day pain relief.  I don't feel like an addict now.  So back to the worsening symptoms though.....I am experiencing siatica which I have before but now it's different.  It goes from my butt down to my ankle.  I am also getting numbness and tingling in my toes, feet, and last two fingers all of which is on my left side.  If I sit wrong or in one position too long this occurs.  I don't really experience pain because of the meds they have now put me on...which has been a god send....but I know that something is really wrong with my back.  I see a chronic pain specialist for the first time tomorrow....I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping to get some insight on what might be causing the increased symptoms...I know he's going to recommend another MRI.  I am curious to see if it has gotten worse...maybe bulging or ruptured.  These are the only reasons I can think of for the sciatica, numbness, and tingling.  My worst fear is that if it is getting worse that at this rate I'll need surgery before I'm 30.  This is really scary for me.  I have two kids to raise on my own and I still have a ways to go before I am done with school.  I'm going to stay optimistic....excited....EXCITED! can't wait till tomorrow....finally hope to get some answers from this guy.  Hope everyone is doing well.

Amanda :D

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

So here's an update....I'm having nerve pain shoot down my lower back down into my thigh but real quick and then gone and all that's left is a dull ache.....until it does it again. It was so weird I've had sciatica before but not for a long time. All I did was turn wrong or get up or sit down wrong and then BAM scared the sh*t outta me.  I'm also having a dull and sharp throbbing pain that won't subside unless I take a LOT of pain meds.  

So called the doc and she had me come in the next day. I was taking 12 hydrocodone 7.5mg a day....sometimes more.  So because my liver and kidney enzymes were elevated she put me on oxycontin 30mg.  I took one an 1 1/2 hours ago and so far I feel a little pain relief but still don't want to get up and go to class in a little while.  Is it supposed to take FOREVER to build up and actually work or do I need a breakthrough pain med as well like you were saying?? I see the pain management doctor on tuesday.  I checked to see whats going on with my medical card buy the guy who was doing my case quit last week and my case is just sitting there.  They don't know who has it now!!! I called his supervisor and left a message but she hasn't called me back.  I really need this medical card especially after I saw how much the oxycontin was....for 14 of them they were 82.00 are you serious!!!!

Jeez.....sometimes it just seems like it's harder to get legal drugs than illegal drugs!  I mean do you know how many forums are out there with people asking how to snort or smoke op's or roxicodone and something about opana???  It's ridiculous and these are the kind of people that make it harder for CP patients to get pain relief.  All they REALLY want is to get high!!!  

Especially being young I know that I need to find some alternative methods for pain relief as well as pain meds but as all of you know that have chronic and acute pain.....when you're hurting so bad you can't sleep, concentrate, function, or even get up....you really don't care about all that you just want something IMMEDIATELY to take the pain away THEN you can worry about physical therapy and all that.  I'm confused.  Sometimes I just get so frustrated that I want to jump in the car and drive to Topeka and just buy whatever I can get my hands on to make me feel normal again.  Like I was before the car accident.  But I don't.  I know that buying illegal drugs won't help in the long run and I have two kids to take care of on my own and it would break my heart to get in trouble and have them taken away so I just keep taking the stuff that doctors give me and hope that when I see the pain management doctor on tuesday he'll know what he's talking about and hopefully I can get on something that will help me out.  

I also go to school full-time so I have to be able to concentrate on the lecture and not the pain I also can't be too "out of it" either.  I have a really high tolerance so usually I'm fine.  Ugh...I guess what I'm trying to say is what I WANT is a long acting pain med....like the oxy I'm on now....but I also want that safety and comfort of the short acting to know that when I'm hurting I can take something to make it go away that's all I want....just to make it go away for awhile.  I want to clean my house....I want to take my kids out to the movies or to ride bikes but I can't.  They don't have a dad around just me.  I NEED to be able to do these things for them.  And that's what the doctors don't understand.  I NEED to be a good mom because I'm all they've got! I want to enjoy things more and be able to get off this damn couch.

I'm supposed to get another MRI.  Let me explain.  What I haven't said on my previous posts is that I'm a victim of domestic violence.  Physical and emotional.  I've been out of that relationship for a little over two months now and am doing okay.  But when I was in that relationship earlier this year I got kicked in the back while I was bending over...I got shoved down on the stairs, the floor, and into a chair that fell over and then I landed on a little tv on the floor and then onto the floor.  I've gotten pushed and pulled and hit upside the head.  I don't like to talk about these things I just want to explain why my pain has probably gotten worse because of this.  So I told my doctor and she insisted I get another MRI.  I just want to get my medical card first.  It's really expensive.  So that's whats going on as of now.  I will keep you updated. I have to go now and drag my butt to class. ugh here we go!

[namnam46]

Hi Fedup_and_hopeless,

First, I want to welcome you to the PM (Pain Management) Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. We are all CP (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other with our own expertise and experiences that we have developed through our own CP Issues.

It breaks my heart to hear of such a young person, as yourself, having to live with this type of debilitating pain, especially when it occurs because of someone else's total incompetence!! I'm glad that you at least got some sort of compensation from the other driver but no amount of money will ever give you your health back and that's total tragedy because of the many years that you will have to suffer in the future.

I can't believe how long it took them to find the problem with your back.  They should have done all of those tests when you were in the hospital after the accident!!  I can't imagine the pain that you suffered having to wait for that diagnosis. :(

I, too, suffer from DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease). I've had my diagnosis for many years and it's considered to be severe.  In fact, that's what gave me the SSDI (Social Security Disability).  I've suffered from severe pain since I was, also, in my 20's.  At the age of 27 I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my left hip and needed a hip replacement back in 1973 but they had me put it off until as long as I could because the hip implants were knew then and it wouldn't have lasted longer than 5 to 10 years at that time.  I managed to wait until I was 35 years old and was walking with a cane and on Tylox and couldn't walk anymore before I did.  In turn, my putting it off caused sever damage to my back and that in turn caused the DDD.  It was all a vicious cycle.  Now, I have Severe DDD and there are still some mornings that, even with pain medication, I just can't do much because of the pain.  I'm now 65 years old so I do know what you will be up against as time goes by.

I feel that you definitely need to find a PM (Pain Management) Doctor that can help you.  The Nurse Practitioner won't be able to help you with anything other than what she is giving you.  Unfortunately, their hands are tied most of the time because of the DEA as they fear of losing their licenses.  I know it's not fair but that is the problem that you are facing.  Another problem with that is your age and that is terribly unfair but it's a real drawback.  Many Doctor's fear prescribing the larger doses because you are so young and will have no where to go after a few years and you have an entire lifetime ahead of you, another 50, 60 or 70 or more years.  This is why you need to get into a PM Doctor as soon as possible!!  They have many options as well as medication that can be very beneficial to you.

I have had the RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation) on my lumbar area that has taken away almost all of my pain caused by the severe DDD I have in that area.  Now, I'm still in severe pain caused by 3 bulging discs in my Thoracic Area and 2 bulging discs in my Cervical area but I'm on Pain Medication for those.  I see that you have tried some of the injections and they didn't give you much relief.  I had a similar experience with the epidurals.  I didn't get much, if any, relief from them either.  The RFA is the one thing that has given me enormous relief and hopefully you will be a candidate for that.  In case you haven't heard of it, that's where they "kill" the nerve that is causing you the pain.  It will eventually grow back but mine is still going strong after 16 months.  I've had it done on both sides of my lumbar area. :)  It sounds frightening but it really isn't.  

You need to be put on a long acting PM along with a PM for your BT (Break Through) pain. For that type of medication you will more than likely need a PM Doctor to prescribe those.  In some states a PCP can do that but in most states it will take a PM Doctor. Again, thanks to the wonderful DEA!!!  They have caused so much havoc with our Pain Management for all of us CP (Chronic Pain) suffers!!!!  :(  How long before you will have your insurance so that you can get to the PM clinic in Wichita?  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be long as you are suffering so much with the pain from your accident.

I know that you don't have your insurance as of yet and until then you will more than likely have to deal with what you can get.  Please don't put off trying other options such as the ice/heat pack that you purchased.  Everything is worth trying until you can get more help.  I know as I've been there.  I'm willing to try everything that my Doctor's offer to see if something else will work and I can take less of the medication that can harm my liver.  You need to be doing that too, especially as a single young Mom of 2 beautiful "little ones".  :)

I'm on the Fentanyl Patch, 87 mcg's and Percocet 10/325's for my BT pain, up to 3 a day. This helps me with the rest of my pain and I hope and pray that you will soon be able to get to a PM Doctor so they can be of some help to you also.

I'm sure that your condition is getting worse over time as that is usually what happens.  After all, it only makes sense that your condition would be worsening.  It would behoove you to get another MRI, if you haven't had one in the past year, to be able to show your Doctor or "nurse practitioner" what is happening with you back.  She needs to be aware of how much it is deteriorating as time passes.  Being a CNA, you know how much pressure your back gets with every step that you take.  Please don't put this off.  Even a few x-ray's of your back would be beneficial to your diagnosis.

Please know that I'm thinking of you and will be looking for your updates.  

Sending you good thoughts and wishes...........Sherry  :)

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

Thanks. You definitely have more damage than I do. I bought an ice/heat pack just haven't taken it out of the box....I'm pretty stubborn. I'd rather just take a pill and be on my way. I guess that comes from being a single parent of two little ones. Last night I just did 2 loads of laundry.....this morning my back hurt like hell. I don't understand it...if I do ANYTHING around the house im always in more pain the next day....it's like it's getting worse. How would you know if your back is getting worse or not without having to do another MRI? I don't know if it's really getting worse or if it's just that the pain meds aren't working anymore? I feel like just hiring a damn housekeeper but they're expensive.....I can't bend AT ALL so that throws out laundry...dishes...vacuuming...pretty much everything. Frustrated and tired of my house being a mess...it's depressing to sit there and look at it knowing how bad I want to clean it but that if I did I would pay for it.

[msisbs]

I am 28 now, have had herniated/ bulging disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc, etc for about 6 years, all the way back to being in Iraq. I went a while with the doctors saying nothing wrong. Then a while with conservative treatments, and up and up the drug ladder. Now I have a whole drawer of those meds you want and I could take a dozen of them and still need my cane to get to the bathroom. ill have a morphine pump implanted in October, but right now my best relief comes from plain motrin and ice massage.
Try coming off all those nerve blockers for a few days, let your body readjust and use copious amounts of ice.  

I understand the age issues, eventually you will find a doc that does too. I hope you find some relief, I'm limping to the freezer for some ice now
:)

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

I'm fed up with doctors. I'm sick of the bouncing around...refer you here....refer you there....pay for this and pay for that.  How about this....I've jumped through all your hoops and paid all of you money. I want what I want and you're going to give it to me because that's what works. No more lectures and no more pain. Drug addicts can walk down any street in America and find someone to sell them their drugs.  I go to umpteen doctors and physical therapists, have injections that cost thousands and I can't get relief for my legitimate pain???!!! What in the hell is wrong with this world. I'm tired of doctors beatin around the bush just to suck your bank account dry and you don't get what you need. No wonder so many people in this world are on disability and depressed. If the healthcare system was actually functional maybe people could concentrate on their lives and how to improve the lives of others.  I guess instead we just have to figure out how to get off the couch or out of bed in the morning and why we should even keep trying to live a normal life. Every doctor I call says one or more of the following: you have to be referred here, you have to insurance, you have to wait up to a year to be seen here, we don't handle chronic pain patients, we don't write prescriptions for pain meds here,  we don't manage pain meds, we don't take self pay patients, or we don't take new patients. Why dont they just come out and say it....we want your money and if your not rich or haven't been referred by someone we know your screwed! The doctor I have now is a nurse practitioner and says she's not "comfortable" prescribing pain meds higher than hydrocodone 7.5 because she isn't on the board of pain management doctors and she doesnt understand how the pain medicine hierarchy goes and doesn't specialize in back injuries.  Well I'm not "comfortable" either so where does that leave us doc??? Ugh.....I'm so frustrated with our governments health system I could move to Canada!!! Oh...and apparently surgery isn't an option until pills don't work anymore or the disk herniates. So I guess I'm just going to have to be in pain then until that day comes?

[therapyqueen800]

I know how it feels to be sick of medications and not results. Have you tried any electrotherapy? It really helped me with back pain, but I don't have the medical history that you do. Definitely look into it!

[atonicat]

I know exactly what you're going through. I'm only 28 and have constantly had to deal with the too young talk. I have arthritis and get to hear all the time how I'm too young for arthritis. I'm currently dealing with all the conservative methods of pain treatment because no doctor will operate on someone my age unless they loss the function of their legs/bowels/bladder. It ***** knowing that they will only fix the problem when it gets to that point.

[Fedup_and_hopeless24]

Yes I do have a MRI, actually two, showing this and also have degenerative disk disease.  I go to the doctor at my school because I have not gotten insurance yet....it's pending...I just moved here so I had a doctor from where I used to live that was prescribing 10/325 but the doctor where I live now is actually a "nurse practitioner" and is "uncomfortable" prescribing narcotics because of the DEA blah blah blah and obviously missed the class in medical school about long-term narcotics and tolerance. I'm going tomorrow morning and am hopeful that she will switch me to something new. I've been reading a lot of posts and I wonder if percocet would work well.  That way it still leaves room for me to step up on the laser of pain meds for the years to come. As soon as I get my insurance I plan to visit a pain management clinic in witchita and hopefully I'll find a real doctor....one who knows what they're doing. I VERY much look forward to getting a massage as I have not yet got one. I know that would really help me relax some of the muscles that are tensed up as well. Thanks for your input. If anyone else has any ideas please feel free to give me your opinion.

[marzbarz999]

I feel your pain (no pun intended) as I too suffered a severe back injury at a young age.  I was 23 when 2 of my discs in the lumbar spine were herniated, causing sciatica and a whole bunch of other problems.  First of all, have you had an MRI showing the issues in your back?  I know they can be expensive but without one how can you be sure that you have a bulging disc?  I have seen many doctors who have refused to prescribe me pain medication due to my age... It's very difficult and unfair that doctors seem to be "ageist" when it comes to treating chronic pain, so I definitely understand that.  I recently just found a doctor who specializes in chronic pain management, and he has put me on a regimented pain management plan, including physical therapy, massage and medication.  He has been the only one who I've seen who is willing to treat my pain using a variety of techniques, including medication.  If you haven't been to a doctor who specializes in this, that should be your first step.  Also if you have an MRI definitely bring that with you.  Another thing to mention is that if you do visit one of these doctors, please be 100% honest with the amount of medication you have been taking.  Perhaps he will be able to put you on the hydrocodone 10/325 so you won't be taking so much tylenol in a day.  Good luck and feel free to message me if you have any other questions.