anyone with lower back pain and nerve pain similar to me get better or got any encouragement?

Question

i'm 28 you wouldn't know it by looking at me i look in good shape i use to bodybuild for years. But i'm in a great deal of pain I've had a IDET and 2 spinal fusions one failed and screws came out & got caught on my nerve. I have structual scoliosis 20 degree & my right side of my back buldges. I also have nerve pain in my right leg and foot sometimes to point i can't walk. Been under treatment for 9 years and seem to always be going down hill. Dr's always prescribing meds recently on methadone ,oxycodone and something new called lyrica. I think i've been on every med out there at least it feels like it. Anyone with similar problems and have gotten better or worse or whatever or had some treatment that works please let me know. I have six kids and I sometimes think doctors think money grows on trees for co-pays and prescriptions it really does put a financial bind on things. I would never commit suicide but i can understand why some people with chronic pain do its unbearble

Answer 1

JS,
I'm somewhat familiar with your situation as I'm pretty much in the same boat. I'm 54 and have degenerative disk disease (DDD) with 11 herniated and/or bulging disks in my upper and lower back. It sounds like you might have the same thing along with the scoliosis. Have you had an MRI of your upper back? It's not a big deal knowing it, since there's no cure or treatment for DDD, in fact they're not sure what causes it. The bottom line with DDD is there's nothing they can do but treat the pain. Injuries to the spinal cord or the nerves that attach to the spinal cord do not heal themselves nor will they "reroute" themselves as other nerves in your body sometimes can. With spinal nerve damage, once it happens, you've got it forever.

I've got a damaged nerve on the left side of the T3/T4 disk that's been causing me constant pain for over 3 years now. I was coughing, of all things, and blew the disk out, which crushed or dented the nerve. I've been in constant, terrible pain ever since. Every hour, every day, it hasn't let up, not even for a second. There's no "comfortable position," no way to ease that "ice pick in the back" pain I have. It just "is" and it takes over every aspect of your life. Sometimes I do something, move a certain way, and bingo, the pain shoots up near the top of the scale. Sometimes it goes back to "normal" (around a 3 or 4 on the pain scale) after a few minutes and sometimes it stays up there around an 8 or 9 for two or three days. Sometimes I can do some particular thing without making it worse and then I do the same thing a week later and I'm back in the jackpot. It seems there's no reason or rhyme to it.

I've had 5 Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI), which unfortunately did nothing but give me diabetes, one more thing I have to deal with. Ok, I should say that the docs think the ESI *did* work, in that it caused the disk to shrink just as it was supposed to, but unfortunately the physical damage to the nerve was already done and that's what is causing the chronic pain.

I'm taking some pretty strong pain killers, morphine and codeine (can you spell "addict"?), plus I've just started Lyrica. I tried Neurontin a couple of years ago but it didn't help. I'm hoping the Lyrica will help this time and maybe I can get off the morphine, which, for one thing doesn't work all that well but also it has some bad side effects. Mine aren't as bad as some I've talked to, but they're bad enough. Yes, I know it could be worse and while I have a great deal of sympathy for others that are worse off than me, hearing about the plight of someone else doesn't make me feel any better.

I'm also taking some stuff called Zanaflex (generic name: Tizanidine) which, while it has some side effects, really helped when I started getting extremely sharp, radiating pains that went from the damaged nerve at the T3/T4 site, down the back of my left arm and up the back of my neck. The Zanaflex stopped the pain right away and it's one of the best meds I've ever taken when it comes to doing what it's supposed to. I stopped taking it for a day and the pains came back, so I know it's working. Zanaflex is a muscle relaxer and apparently the pain in my arm and neck were the result of muscle spasms generated by the nerve damage in my back.

The biggest problem I have with it is that it knocks me out cold! I've talked to others that have had different, intolerable, side effects, so it's not going to work for everyone. I'm supposed to take 4mg three times a day but instead I take two of them (8mg) before I go to bed. It has a dual effect of stopping the pain plus it's a fantastic sleep aid - but you better not change your mind about sleeping after you take it!

One of the best things about it is that it keeps me from having those damn narcotic induced, paranoid, pre-sleep dreams. They're called hypnagogic (or hypngogic) dreams or hallucinations and they seem very real. The first time it happened it almost scared me to death! When I have them now it's not so bad, since I know what they are... but that first time, whew! Very gory, bloody, someone-out-to-chop-you-up type dreams. They can definitely rattle your cage!

Anyway, it might be worth it for you to try the Zanaflex for the pain in your legs, if you haven't tried it before. Your leg pains sound similar to the pains I had in my arm and neck. If you have damage to the spinal cord or nerves in your lower back, it can affects the hips, legs and feet.

I'd really like to be able to offer you some positive encouragement but I suspect you should prepare yourself for a life-long, never-ending battle. That's what it is for me and I'm at the point where I've resigned myself to fighting with someone about something related to this for the remainder of my life.

I've been on disability since the end of 2003, both from a private company and Social Security Disability. Between the changes in my life style, the docs, social security, my disability company, the money problems and the insurance companies, it seems there's a 500 pound gorilla on my back, wanting something - right NOW! - that I either can’t provide, don't know anything about or have to get from someone else. In that respect, it's pretty daunting and often overwhelming.

Add in the pain and side effects.... man, it can drive you right up a wall. In that respect, it sounds like we're in the same boat and it's got more than a couple of little leaks in the hull!

I know how it goes. You can't do any of the things you used to, you have to constantly protect yourself from aggravating a previous injury or causing a new one... sometimes it's those little things, picking up one of the kids, reaching for something in a cupboard or, in my case, from a simple cough! It's like something has taken over your entire life.

Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is put up with it and deal with it the best you can. You might feel like a ping-pong ball at times - or a punching bag - but there's not a thing you can do about it. A supportive family is some of the best medicine you can have. Even though I get in some pretty bitchy moods when the pain is bad, I work very hard at keeping it out of my relationships with others, especially my long-suffering wife.... I'll admit, it doesn't always work but she's been really tolerant when I’m having one of "those" days. She's been my brightest light in this whole thing and I'm not sure what I'd do without her.

Keep checking the web for advancements and treatments, since you simply can not depend on anyone else to stay on top of things for you. Plus, this is a good place to vent your frustrations, so make use of it. There are a lot of folks out there that have the same problems and a lot of times they can offer advice on how to deal with some specific thing.

Speaking of which, have you looked into spinal decompression? Here in the St. Louis area there's a company that does a procedure called "Vax-D" but there are several places around the country with different names. Essentially, they put you on the rack... tie you down and stretch your lower spine out a bit. It's not a cure and it's not permanent, but it helps a lot of people. If you haven't done so, you should check it out.

But the truth is, you're pretty much on your own. I hate to say it that way, but that's the reality of it. Like you, I wouldn't ever take my own life but I certainly understand those who have. The pain can be intolerable. And while it's completely insane, I understand those who go into offices and shoot the place up. Like suicide, it's not a reasonable solution but for those who aren't strong enough to endure the constant pain and abuse from seemingly uncaring agencies and companies, it may seem the only way to deal with it, no matter how wrong it is. If you ever find yourself at that point, it's time to get some professional help, even if it seems to be opening another can of (hostile!) worms. Anything else is just not a solution.

Beyond that.... well, there's just you. You have a responsibility to do what you can for yourself and your family. The thing is, people like us often have to do it through a fog of pain and frustration. It's a reality test and sometimes it sucks. All you can do is try and concentrate on the good things you have and the things you're still able to do. Enjoy every second you're not in the fog and do the best you can to work through the fog, even when it seems like it's hanging on you like a cold wet blanket. There's always a bit of rope left, you have to keep reaching for it, no matter how difficult and painful it is sometimes.
It's what we do.
Take care and hang in there!
Cheers,
cc

Answer 2

My husband is in a similiar place as you. He's 38 and in great shape but has had two back surgeries over the last 8 years. He lives in constant pain as a result of very little disc material left. I don't know what the answer is to finding relief but some options that have been shared with us are: deep tissue massage, accupuncture, and DRX disc decompression. We haven't tried these yet due to my husband's busy schedule, but as things continue to get worse for him I'm sure he'll be looking into these options. I feel your pain as it has been a long road for my husband as well. His first back injury was at 16 when he broke his back and then at 30 he had his first ruptured disc and back surgery. It's all been managed through pain meds, which he hates. My encouragement to you is to never give up and keep looking for new therapies, procedures, and keep asking questions. The best encouragement I can offer is that I will be praying for your situation because it resonates with ours. I'll be praying for your healing, but mostly that God would continue to sustain you and give you the strength to endure. God Bless

Answer 3

I have had a similar time with injury's from a accident in 85. Finely the Doctors decided to place a Medtronic pain drug pump . It has made all the difference in the world.

Answer 4

Have you tried yoga? The lower part of my spinal cord is twisted and I have a pinched nerve in my lower neck and shoulders that radiates down to my fingers. I recently discovered that yoga eases the tension and reduces the pain. I hope this can help you.

Answer 5

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