Chronic Pain

[wonderdov]

25yr old male in Severe DAILY Pain for 5+ years at back of neck, daily headaches, pain in shoulders and shoulder blades. I only go to work and come home and lay down as the pain is so severe by the end of the day. I have missed a lot of work in the last 6 months due to pain/headaches. I recently detoxed myself off lortab 5/500 4xdy and duragesic 50mcg. I need help soon before the pain gets any worse. It is no more severe without the narcs than it was with them actually, and I am at least able to think clearer this week. I am in desparate need of answers as to what this pain is from and how can I resolve it. I have been to neourologists, spine specialists, had emg that was negative and been put on life-ending drugs to get me to leave them all alone. I look so forward to hearing your opinion and so need to get better so I can enjoy my 2 years old daughter and our child on the way. My poor wife has been through hell with me being sick all the time (5 years!) and it makes for a pretty boring life for her...I am in too much pain most of the time to think of doing anything. I do not drink alchohol nor do any drugs other than what is prescribed. My parents are very supportive, mentally and financially and I just want us to all get the answers for me to feel better!
Yes, I detoxed myself with the help of my family...something is very wrong and keeping me doped up has caused my employer to lay me off until I get this resolved...without hard drugs like duragesic. I just want to get better and they keep saying there is nothing wrong when I can FEEL and SEE (my ears turn red/purple by end of the day) that something is wrong...the MRI's show problems in the area I am feeling the pain...PLEASE BE ABLE TO HELP ME. On top of it all, I have no insurance and all these things have to be done with upfront payment...I need a better answer so I can do the things that are going to get the answers we need to fix it. No one will insure me and my current job is temporary as this illness has caused me to have a terrible absent problem...I am a good husband, love to work and love my family and I am NOT a slacker...I am in PAIN!

MRIs Done:
05/2004 Normal

10/2005 Showed Prominent fat pad of the soft tissues, Mild Spondylosis and 2mm disc bulges at the c3-4, c5-6, c6-7 (posterior)-no evidence of spinal stenosis or encroachments

08/07/2007 There is straightening of the normal cervical lordosis without significant listthesis. Vertebral body heights are maintained. There is eveidence of disc degeneration from c3 through c7. At c2-c3, no central canal or foraminal stenosis. At c3-c4, no cord compression or forminal stenosis. At c5-c6, mild diffuse disc bulge effaces the anterior CSF space but does not compress the cord. Right uncovertabral process hypertrophy causes mild right formaminal stenosis. No left foraminal narrowing. At c6-c7, centraldisc osteophyte complex effaces the anterior CSF space but does not compress the cord. Bilateral uncovertebral process hypertrophy causes only minimal foraminal narrowing. At C7-T1, no cord compression or forminal stenosis.
Impression: Minimal disc degeneration without cord compression

WE ARE BEING TOLD THESE ARE NORMAL RESULTS FOR A MAN OF 25 YEARS OLD! THEY ARE NOW SENDING ME TO A RHEUMATOLOGIST TO BE EVALUATED FOR ARTHRITIS RELATED DISORDERS. WE DO NOT FEEL THAT THESE TESTS ARE NORMAL AND THEY DO NOT SAY THEY ARE NORMAL BY THE RADIOLOGIST ACCOUNTS...
WHAT DO THESE TESTS REALLY MEAN AND WHAT DANGERS CAN I CAUSE MYSELF IN ACTIVITY BASED ON THESE RESULTS?

CURRENT MEDICATIONS:
Dicloflenac 1 twice daily
Phenergan PRN every 6 hours
Cymbalta 60mg once daily
Multi-Vitamin 1daily
B-6 1daily
Magnesium 250mg 1daily
Potassium 99mg 1daily
Magnesium and Potassium 250mg ea tabs 1daily
L-Tyrosine 1000mg daily (this one will be stopped in a few weeks...it is part of the withdrawal therapy)

[dblue]

Wonderdov, I don't have any advice but just want to tell you you are in my prayers. I am glad you will be seeing a rheumatologist. Maybe the rheumatologist will have some answers. Bless you.

[wisdom]

i read your letter i am so sorry that u are going through this episode of pain i am going through problems of vertigo, dizziness cant nobody help and doesnt know what the hek they are talking about. i dont know your faith of any kind but all i can say is have faith, if you want , you can study reiki which is healing yourself and others, using your energy can help sooth the problem or you can study reflexology of the body to find the pressure points of your pain and massage it out. we can heal ourselves mentally and spirtually, we dont know why we are going throught these things but only the universe knows so try to get selfhelp for the soul ,trust me it helps.if u dont mind is ok for me to pray for u?

[wonderdov]

Prayers ALWAYS welcome! We will pray for you also!

[sheilamac]

I know it has been a while since you posted your story. I just found this site and joined because I have had the same chronic pain in my neck,shoulders and shoulder blades. My doctor put me through hell, trying to figure out what was wrong. She couldn't find anything. She finally sent me to an OB. First thing he did was an MRI on my cervical area (Neck area). He said that I have a buldging disc in my neck and also Cervical Disc Disease. I am also on Vicodin which is the same as your Lortab. And Flexeril for the muscle spasms. I take it 3 times a day. He is going to start me on Trigger Point Injections on the 31st of this month. Each one will be followed by physical therapy and deep tissue massage therapy. I hope you are doing well and that they have helped your problem since you posted!

[Micky2689]

I know how frustrated you are & feel the pain you are in! On February 27th, I fell on ice in the parking lot where I work, and went down on my hands and knees. Ever since then I have had severe pain in my neck, Left shoulder & shoulder blades, severe headaches, shooting pains from my neck down almost to my waist, my left hip, across my lower back, & shooting pains down the front of my left leg. I'm receiving worker's Comp, and they are paying for my back, but refuse to pay for anything on my neck or shoulders because of the way the original doctor wrote up the WC report. That's a long story that just gets me upset to talk about! I'm on Flexerill(3x/day), Ibuprofen 800 (3x/day), & Darvocet as needed, had 2 cortisone shots in my shoulder, had 6 months of Physical therapy, (WC paid for my back, I paid for the rest), had 3 Facet Block injections on my back, and was scheduled for an epidural on my back, but WC wouldn't pay until I had an IME, who said I was capable of returning to work! I am an Assistant Teacher in a Preschool & was working with 4 and 5 year olds, and I love my job! However, I am unable to raise my left arm above shoulder height, or to move it quickly. I cannot turn my head in either direction without causing pain to shoot down my neck into my shoulders, usually resulting in a headache. I can't bend over the very small tables that preschoolers sit at, and am unable to lift more than 10 to 15 pounds without causing pain through out my body! Becasue of this, and the length of time I've been off work, I 'm now in danger of losing my job. I am seeing a surgeon this Thursday for a second opinion, but that is for my back. No one seems very interested in my neck problems! I am a grandmother of 7, greatgrandmother of 1, with a new grandson due 9/24, and it breaks my heart not to be able to pick up the little ones - or to get back to work with "my" kids! I finally had to get a lawyer involved - not for more money, but to get the WC rewritten to include my neck and shoulder, because I just can't afford to pay for all the meds, therapy and tests. I also have Epilepsy asthma, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia & depression, so I see doctors and take meds for all of that!
Well, I've rambled on long enough - keep your chin up & keep your faith strong! They say that if God brings you to it, God will bring you through it & I pray every day that this will be the day He brings me through it! I'll pray the same for all of you too!

Micky

[ekimzus]

I am going through several similar pain issues. Have you seen a Neurologist? Have they ruled out Neurofibromatosis? This can cause all of the pain issues you stated, because it is tumors attached to the nerve roots at the spine.

I don't know if a doctor would look for it without a reason, because only one in 3,500 has it.

Good Luck

Mike