Aa
Wow. I'm NOT alone...
Ok, 13 years of PT, Chiro's, injections, massage MRI's bone scans,EMG's. To my avail, no diagnosis. Until last Jan. They found severe stenosis (narrowing of the spinal openings in your spine so all the nerves were being severely squeezed) 3 flat discs (C 4 - 7) and bone spurs in my neck and right shoulder. Had surgery in Feb. All the pain burning numbness down my right shoulder is gone, but right side of my neck and down my back (rhomboid) is constantly in pain. On a scale from 1 - 10, I have been at a constant 7 since I have been off the pain meds. I have a k1st not the size of a silver dollar just under my right shoulder blade. One month after my surgery I was walking my dog in our neighborhood. I had a rather large dog "tackle" me trying to get to my dog. Everything down the right side of my neck to my shoulder blade was in spazm for a couple of weeks. Another MRI...another damaged (bulging disc) between C3/4. Wonderful. I feel like a freaking hypochondriac. Yet, my pain management Dr. as well as my surgeon don't believe I am in pain. They think that since I had the major surgery everything should be fixed. I think my surgeon is just so damn in love with himself, that he can't admit that he actually failed. Been going to PT for 4 weeks now and no relief. In fact, they agree that I have something else wrong because of the spazms and scar tissue and new knots in my rhomboid. Ok, enough of the pity party. Yes I was an avid athlete growing up. A gymnast, starting setter on my "1st in state" volleyball team. Softball shortstop, etc. I am now paying for all of my over exertions from my youth. So now what do I do? I too have gained over 30 lbs in the last year and I am a very small female. I am so frustrated with no-one believing me that I am actually considering getting a lawyer to convince my Dr.s that I have been falsely accused of "wanting pain meds" for recreational purposes when in fact that is truly the only thing that keeps me from laying flat on my back. It's so degrading. It makes me feel guilty and ashamed to have pain because I am at the point where I would do almost anything for relief. At what point do I find an illegal drug dealer to help me live a normal life? I am so sick of people accusing you of being a drug addict because you just want a little relief...screw you people. You have NO idea what this level of constant non-stop pain does to a human being. What do I do? Does anyone have a good Dr. that you can recommend that will actually believe me? Thanks for letting me vent. P.S. I got up today, grabbed a spiritual book of daily aspirations as I do every day to help me get through it. Turned my head the wrong way and pulled my rhomboid muscle to the point where I can only take shallow breaths. If I take a deep breath, it takes my breath away! How ironic. Please help.
This discussion is related to Rhomboid muscle pain - 10 years with little relief.
This discussion is related to Rhomboid muscle pain - 10 years with little relief.
I thankfully haven't had to deal with surgeons professionally (although I had one talk my ears off for half an hour while I was shadowing in a hospital and he would not. stop. talking. even though I was clearly uncomfortable).
I had severe back pain (was around 7 or 8 for a while, then bouncing between 0-6 for a while after that) in the right thoracic area, near one of the rhomboids. They told me my problem is hypermobility, so they made me bulk up my shoulders in PT. I also take a tiny dose of flexeril nightly and have robaxin as a PRN. I'm mostly pain free at this point, and the parasthesias are mostly gone, but it still does hurt sometimes. I also have lidocaine patches, which help interrupt the pain cycle. I mostly use them when I need to do work with the right arm, which stresses the back, but they let me sleep when the pain was really bad at first. You should look into those too. You'll need white athletic tape to tape around the edges to make the damn things stick properly, though.
For me, the chronic pain triggered a severe depressive episode, and I got a diagnosis of bipolar II. The BP was definitely already there, but the depression was severe and I'm still clawing my way back up to some degree, and I'm no longer in constant pain. So I have at least a bit of an idea what your life has been like.
Which muscle relaxants are you on? Flexeril can be extremely sedating because it has an antihistamine effect as well as a muscle relaxant effect (think benedryl on steroids). Sleepiness generally wears off after a while. Just 5 mg of flexeril the first time I took it was enough to make me take a 4 hour nap after having slept 12 hours the night before. Robaxin hasn't made me tired at all, but I'm on a pretty small dose. Valium or any other benzos can make you really tired too.
Let me know how things go, and feel free to vent more if you need to.
I had severe back pain (was around 7 or 8 for a while, then bouncing between 0-6 for a while after that) in the right thoracic area, near one of the rhomboids. They told me my problem is hypermobility, so they made me bulk up my shoulders in PT. I also take a tiny dose of flexeril nightly and have robaxin as a PRN. I'm mostly pain free at this point, and the parasthesias are mostly gone, but it still does hurt sometimes. I also have lidocaine patches, which help interrupt the pain cycle. I mostly use them when I need to do work with the right arm, which stresses the back, but they let me sleep when the pain was really bad at first. You should look into those too. You'll need white athletic tape to tape around the edges to make the damn things stick properly, though.
For me, the chronic pain triggered a severe depressive episode, and I got a diagnosis of bipolar II. The BP was definitely already there, but the depression was severe and I'm still clawing my way back up to some degree, and I'm no longer in constant pain. So I have at least a bit of an idea what your life has been like.
Which muscle relaxants are you on? Flexeril can be extremely sedating because it has an antihistamine effect as well as a muscle relaxant effect (think benedryl on steroids). Sleepiness generally wears off after a while. Just 5 mg of flexeril the first time I took it was enough to make me take a 4 hour nap after having slept 12 hours the night before. Robaxin hasn't made me tired at all, but I'm on a pretty small dose. Valium or any other benzos can make you really tired too.
Let me know how things go, and feel free to vent more if you need to.
Thanks Anonymouse88. Just got back from the PT. He did ultrasound and deep tissue massage. It helped. I just hope it helps longer than I think it's going too! It really did help though.
I agree 100% about the surgeon assessment. I have realized that from day 1. As far as your question about them getting the results from the most recent MRI? Yes they have, but the surgeon insists that it doesn't look like there is any impingement on the nerves or spinal chord. And the pain mgmt. Dr only listens to what he has to say. Basically they both try to "pass the buck" on the other Dr.'s involved.
Good news though... after today (since I arrive at my PT office in tears) He is going to send a report to both the surgeon and the PM Dr.'s. I have a follow up with the surgeon tomorrow and scheduled a Pain Mgmt. appt. on Wednesday. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I promise you that.
Yes I have muscle relaxants. I literally sleep anywhere from 18 - 20 hours a day from them. I have slept more in the last couple of weeks (since I finally got some) than when I was a newborn! How does one live like that?
I honestly have never asked for opiates since I have been to this PM Dr. (Other than right after my surgery they obviously and of course temporarily prescribed them.) I know what kind of suspicions that will cause. Unfortunately there are so many others out there that have abused them unnecessarily and completely messed up the whole system for those of us that just want to be "normal" again.
No, I have not tried gabapentin. I will definitely take your advise and ask about it. Thank you so much for your suggestions. The best part of your response was; and I quote: "surgeons tend to be predisposed to be assholes." It's just nice to finally converse with someone who understands the complete debilitation of the whole mind/body & soul that extended severe pain can bring to a human being.
I agree 100% about the surgeon assessment. I have realized that from day 1. As far as your question about them getting the results from the most recent MRI? Yes they have, but the surgeon insists that it doesn't look like there is any impingement on the nerves or spinal chord. And the pain mgmt. Dr only listens to what he has to say. Basically they both try to "pass the buck" on the other Dr.'s involved.
Good news though... after today (since I arrive at my PT office in tears) He is going to send a report to both the surgeon and the PM Dr.'s. I have a follow up with the surgeon tomorrow and scheduled a Pain Mgmt. appt. on Wednesday. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I promise you that.
Yes I have muscle relaxants. I literally sleep anywhere from 18 - 20 hours a day from them. I have slept more in the last couple of weeks (since I finally got some) than when I was a newborn! How does one live like that?
I honestly have never asked for opiates since I have been to this PM Dr. (Other than right after my surgery they obviously and of course temporarily prescribed them.) I know what kind of suspicions that will cause. Unfortunately there are so many others out there that have abused them unnecessarily and completely messed up the whole system for those of us that just want to be "normal" again.
No, I have not tried gabapentin. I will definitely take your advise and ask about it. Thank you so much for your suggestions. The best part of your response was; and I quote: "surgeons tend to be predisposed to be assholes." It's just nice to finally converse with someone who understands the complete debilitation of the whole mind/body & soul that extended severe pain can bring to a human being.
Get a different doctor, either in pain management or physical medicine and rehabilitation. Did they not get the result of the new MRI showing a new injury? Have they not gotten the reports from PT? Even within the same hospital they can have issues with this, so make sure everyone has all the right records.
That being said, surgeons tend to be predisposed to be assholes. Certain traits that help you be a good surgeon during surgery can translate into being bad with people. PM + R people are good for doing long term rehab and post surgery stuff. And they deal with people in a lot of pain.
Have you tried muscle relaxants? They might actually help more than opiates. Nerve pain might also be helped by anticonvulsants like gabapentin. Cortisol injections could also help with the pain. If you go in and ask about those instead of opiates and explain that you're in pain and are willing to try whatever, you might get a better response.
If you can't move and do anything with the latest muscle pull, it might be time for an ER trip. And don't ask for opiates--just ask for pain relief. They might give you muscle relaxants or a benzo like valium for short term relief. Valium can be used long term for some spasms, but benzos are habit forming and might also get you in trouble with a suspicious doctor.
That being said, surgeons tend to be predisposed to be assholes. Certain traits that help you be a good surgeon during surgery can translate into being bad with people. PM + R people are good for doing long term rehab and post surgery stuff. And they deal with people in a lot of pain.
Have you tried muscle relaxants? They might actually help more than opiates. Nerve pain might also be helped by anticonvulsants like gabapentin. Cortisol injections could also help with the pain. If you go in and ask about those instead of opiates and explain that you're in pain and are willing to try whatever, you might get a better response.
If you can't move and do anything with the latest muscle pull, it might be time for an ER trip. And don't ask for opiates--just ask for pain relief. They might give you muscle relaxants or a benzo like valium for short term relief. Valium can be used long term for some spasms, but benzos are habit forming and might also get you in trouble with a suspicious doctor.
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