Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesfan
Hi Mat52
Hope you're doing okay - settling into your new home on the mainland?
I have to agree with you about doctors implying chronic pain to be psychosomatic. This seems to be becoming a more prevalent opinion. I just about 'spat the dummy' a few days ago when I read this article in the Health News Headlines:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread228049.html
This psychiatrist appears to be so ignorant and dismissive of the severity of some types of chronic pain that he assumes they can all be alleviated without the use of medication. Then again he may just be trying to sell his yoga book!
In some ways the switch to "it's all in your head" attitude may be an over reaction to the over prescription of narcotics (in the US at least). Again doctors trying to minimize work and shift the cause back onto the patient (all while still collecting a hefty fee  )
In regard to your face pain I heard something on the news today about studies being done using the hormone oxcytocin (in nasal spray form), to relieve some types of migraine headaches (on the trigeminal nerve). Found a link to the story:
http://practicalneurology.com/2013/0...-for-migraines
Apparently the company investigating this is planning on doing studies to treat TN as well (read bottom of article). Hope this might give you another option to discuss with your neurologist.
All the best - bluesfan |
Bluesfan thanks so much for this - very interested indeed. I started a thread myself after writing this comment. Being off island has its pluses - not least all the beautiful trees in their Autumn splendour.
I am no longer under a neurologist's care so am back to square one in this regard unfortunately. The last one describes my stroke like episodes as "functional neurological episodes" - which sounds like a fudge of a non-title to me! So your link is very interesting but I somehow doubt that this spray is going to help me much up here in Scotland. Even my new rheumatologist seems to be hedging but I haven't received his letter yet - 9 to 11 weeks typing backlog I'm told. This is the state of affairs our NHS is currently in so I agree entirely with you about economics being another reason for why they are so enthused now with relegating symptoms to "all in the mind".
Cheers, Mat