Pinched Nerve? Help on dealing with it??????

[countrygirl]

Happened Tues a week ago so now it's been nine days with no relief in sight. Finally got in to see my primary yesterday ( neurosurgeon moved way away from here) She got me to go for a mri today even though I CAN"T lay down flat. The pain is excruciating radiating from buttocks to ankle. The pain laying flat is in my calf and ankle area mostly. So we had to stop the mri. I just could not lay there.

I left the mri place and went straight to the docs office in tears. All she would suggest is increasing my pain meds, which do NOT help nerve pain at all, until she can get me into a neurosurgeon which who knows how long that's going to take and I"m at the end of my rope. I can not take anymore of this without losing my mind.

I've tried ice and heat pads, laying on the floor with my legs straight up. Haven't had any decent sleep in a week cause of the pain. Last night I slept at the kitchen table with my feet on the floor and my head on the table.

Does anyone have any suggestions on any kind of things I can do to get some relief? Anything??????

Forgot history: Two lower back surgeries, 1993 and 2000. Neck 2003. So been dealing with horrible back pain for years and this is the second time I have had this pinched nerve thing. Last time in 1997 and an orthopedic put me in traction and that helped, but I'm having trouble getting in to see anyone quickly and that's what I need, some help quickly.

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Last edited by countrygirl : Today at 07:16 PM. Reason: Left out history

[lobelsteve]

Head to Columbus.

Gary Dawson can knock the pain out.
He's a Pain Phys and is a good guy.

[countrygirl]

You are the third person that has recommended that place. But it's a long way from me. I'm down in the lower corner close to the FL line. I hear it is a fantastic place for back and neck surgeries though.

It may come to it that I have to get my son to drive me over there.

I posted this on spinal disorders and got some real good advice. Also heard from a neurosurgeons office this morning, my pm called for me. They still can't get me in until next Friday, another long long week. But they told me to rest, not walk around, which sounds strange since I thought you were supposed to try to stretch a pinched nerve??? Oh well.

They also recommended I increase my pain meds double.:mad: I"m already dizzy and sick feeling from them and have been trying to wean myself off of them.

I've been on ms contin 30 mg 4x a day and msir 4x a day as needed, xanax, ambien, and muscle relaxers. I weaned myself down in three months to two 15mg ms contin 2x a day and really do not want to go back up. But don't know what else to do at this point.

I've been on this stuff for six years now and think it's time to get off. It's caused polyps to grow in my colon because of the constipation and that scares me cause they were both pre cancerous polyps.

thanks for the tip on columbus. It may come to that.

[steph2323]

You are the third person that has recommended that place. But it's a long way from me. I'm down in the lower corner close to the FL line. I hear it is a fantastic place for back and neck surgeries though.

It may come to it that I have to get my son to drive me over there.

I posted this on spinal disorders and got some real good advice. Also heard from a neurosurgeons office this morning, my pm called for me. They still can't get me in until next Friday, another long long week. But they told me to rest, not walk around, which sounds strange since I thought you were supposed to try to stretch a pinched nerve??? Oh well.

They also recommended I increase my pain meds double.:mad: I"m already dizzy and sick feeling from them and have been trying to wean myself off of them.

I've been on ms contin 30 mg 4x a day and msir 4x a day as needed, xanax, ambien, and muscle relaxers. I weaned myself down in three months to two 15mg ms contin 2x a day and really do not want to go back up. But don't know what else to do at this point.

I've been on this stuff for six years now and think it's time to get off. It's caused polyps to grow in my colon because of the constipation and that scares me cause they were both pre cancerous polyps.

thanks for the tip on columbus. It may come to that.


You may need to go back up on the meds until you get to your appt,but can they give you a med for the sick feeling? I take Tygan which worked better than the phenerganor compazine that I tried before. I would not be able to take any pain meds if I didn't take one of these anti-emitics(sp?). Good luck

[Mark N]

Even though you have pain medication it would help for you to take an anti-inflammatory. Other than that I would recommend to have them put you out for the MRI because you need some pictures to see what is going on.

[suede]

Countrygirl,

I really feel for you as I am in a flare right now of S1 nerve pain and I am at the end of my rope as I have been living with this pain now for over 10 years.

I do have periods of time though where the pain is under control never gone but bearable and now is NOT one of those times.

I can relate so well as there is No way to get any relief, no way to move sit or lay down to relieve the pain.

I hope that you are able to get in soon to get some help, I have to tell you that I take cymbalta for the nerve pain and it is a big help.

However I have permanent damage to the S1 nerve and I hope for you that yours will be relieved soon and not have to deal with it for long.

Dr. Steve are you talking of Columbus Ohio because that is where my Pm Dr is anyway ???

Good luck countrygirl hope you get relief soon,
Linda

[countrygirl]

For some reason I couldn't post a reply and had to re register or something.

Any way thank you all for the good advice. I visited a chiropractor yesterday and he took xrays and I knew when he came back in afterwards it wasn't going to be good news.

My pelvic area is nine degrees lower on one side and that dad blasted L5 disc is compressed again There was a lot more he said but basically my spine is shot. Degenerative disc disease was diagnosed way back when all this was first going on years ago so I knew I would have trouble again, but who is ever ready for it?

The L5 has me confused though. That is one of the ones the neurosurgeon was supposedly to fix in the two surgeries. I don't know what makes them keep going bad?????

They did a lot of therapy on me yesterday. Cold ice pack on my lower back, a machine that pricked like needles but felt sooooo good and then a massage thing that every time it touched a certain spot I almost fell off the table. In all it was a two hour thing (setting up cause I still can't lay down), and I did get some relief.

The chiro is sending me to an orthopedic guy next week because he said I needed medication to get the inflamation down. I still had some neurontin my pm doc prescibed so I started taking that again too. My drug plan won't pay for lyrica and I can't afford it, so neurontin it is. But the chiro said I need some anti inflamatory drugs to get the swelling down.

I remember an ortho prescribing all those anti inflamatories way back in 1998 when I got injured. Then a few years ago I started having severe stomach problems and the gastro doc said the anti inflamatories had eaten up my stomach lining, so what do I do now?? take them or not?

I still have the neurosurgeon appointment on Friday that my pm doc got for me before I saw the chiro so I guess I still need to go and see what he has to say about all this. I do not want any more surgery if I can help it though. I just don't think that's the answer.

I'll post again when I see the neuro and let you know what his advice is. Just keep praying for me to get some relief in this leg. I'm about ready to just cut if off, lol.

Lynda he is talking about Columbus, Ga. There is a great place there for back surgeries with fantastic results from the people I hear from that have gone there. I'm looking into the possibilities for me going there. But it is a long way for me to go so don't know yet.

Thank you to all of you for your advice and support

[Mark N]

CG, the type of surgery determines if the L5 keeps going bad. Until they do a fusion it always has the potential to get worse following surgery. I am glad to hear you found some treatment that feels good and I hope it eventual reduces your pain. Your chiro is right that an anti-inflamatory is needed if you have a lot of irritation in the area. You can find ones that are easier on your stomach most will have a coating to avoid that problem.

[Domzy]

Hi Everyone,

I agree with Mark, you do need an anti-inflmatory to get the swelling down. I take Mobic every day and it does help. I had to stop taking them 5 days before my ESI , and oh boy I was really sore.

I had an MRI because I couldnt lay flat because of the pain, They knocked me out. I woke up and it was done. Best MRI I ever had, lol.

I hope you are feeling well today.

Kathy*bunch

[lobelsteve]

Hi Everyone,

I agree with Mark, you do need an anti-inflmatory to get the swelling down. I take Mobic every day and it does help. I had to stop taking them 5 days before my ESI , and oh boy I was really sore.

I had an MRI because I couldnt lay flat because of the pain, They knocked me out. I woke up and it was done. Best MRI I ever had, lol.

I hope you are feeling well today.

Kathy*bunch

There is not a need to stop Mobic prior to an ESI. Your doc is behind the times.

[Nana4&cntn]

Steve, is it only the NSAID's that don't have to be stopped, or does it include other blood thinners like aggrenox?

Just curious,
Kathy

[lobelsteve]

Steve, is it only the NSAID's that don't have to be stopped, or does it include other blood thinners like aggrenox?

Just curious,
Kathy

There is no increased risk of epidural hematoma with NSAIDs or aspirin.

The risk is increased on coumadin, plavix, and ticlid. Also increased with heparin, lovenox, and other low mol weight heparins.

http://www.asra.com/consensus-statements/2.html

Exerpts:

# NSAIDs appear to represent no added significant risk for the development of spinal hematoma in patients having epidural or spinal anesthesia. The use of NSAIDs alone does not create a level of risk that will interfere with the performance of neuraxial blocks.

[Domzy]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for the information! I was sore for 5 days for nothing!

And no he's a newbie. Only in his early 30's.


Kathy :)

[countrygirl]

The neuro said I have another herniated disc if not more than one. By the time I got in to him yesterday my right foot was numb and tingling. So he want's a myleogram immediately. He ordered that instead of an mri because of me not being able to lay down and he said it would show him the problems better than with an mri.

So that's scheduled for twelve days from yesterday. Soonest they can do it and then the neuro said I would most likely HAVE to have surgery. Oh boy, my biggest fear. Do you think I should stop the therapy with the chiropractor? I forgot to ask the neuro about that.

Steve they gave me a two page list of drugs I can not take seven days and three days before the procedure. Included are many of the ones I am on now. Would you please go back to Dave T's post on ambien and read what I posted to you on my drugs I'm taking? I would appreciate your opinion.

[lobelsteve]

The neuro said I have another herniated disc if not more than one. By the time I got in to him yesterday my right foot was numb and tingling. So he want's a myleogram immediately. He ordered that instead of an mri because of me not being able to lay down and he said it would show him the problems better than with an mri.

So that's scheduled for twelve days from yesterday. Soonest they can do it and then the neuro said I would most likely HAVE to have surgery. Oh boy, my biggest fear. Do you think I should stop the therapy with the chiropractor? I forgot to ask the neuro about that.

Steve they gave me a two page list of drugs I can not take seven days and three days before the procedure. Included are many of the ones I am on now. Would you please go back to Dave T's post on ambien and read what I posted to you on my drugs I'm taking? I would appreciate your opinion.

It would be inappropriate for me to suggest what meds you can and cannot take based on another doc's guidelines.

But if you check out the link I provided, there are very few meds that matter at all as far as risk for epidural hematoma. Aspirin, motrin, mobic, celebrex, aleve, diclofenac, daypro, and all the othre drugs in the anti-inflammatory class do not increase bleeding risk.

[countrygirl]

I wasn't talking about the myleogram drugs list. I was talking about the ambien and benzos post by Dave T on ambien. I wanted to know your opinion on the mix and another question if you would be so kind as read it for me. I didn't want to make a new post since his was what I was interested in. It was the dangers of coming off some of them abruptly and the mix of the other drugs specifically. Thanks for all your help.