Hi Phil, I was like you, I so thought the SCS would see me reducing and finally eliminating medications. Instead I found myself in a situation where my dosage was increased threefold to amounts I felt very unhappy with and uncomfortable. I have severe side effects and have been hospitalised many many times due to complications from oxy. I have had all the discussions with the PM, NS and GP about what I should be taking and I will not take the higher dose long term, I'm just going to have to suck it up. Bowel blockages are excruciating, I have been hospitalised over half a dozen times, had perforations twice, peritonitis twice and some 14 inches taken from the bowel, I'm just not prepared to subject myself to that little merry go round yet again. I take a sachet of movicol each day with the 20mg oxy and Panamax, when I was on 80mg plus I reached 4 sachets and was struggling to manage between rabbit droppings and overflow. Don't you just love that on NT wind and bowel movements are a source of many a conversation. I'm wondering how long it will be before I can work my butt to turn out tunes..... And yes, it sure does get old dealing with docs who no longer care about patients and just there instead for the $$$. Fortunately my NS and GP are not one of those, but I've had more than my fair share over the years..
I'm in QLD for a week visiting my brother, the flight was only 4.5 hours but we had weather delays and my back is giving me a long drawn out wail. Blah days become more and more often with back pain eh!