Hello, my name is Eric, I am new here, so I apologize if I made a new post when there is an existing one regarding this somewhere else. A little about me, I have very painful CRPS in my right foot, ankle and making its way up my leg, and spend on average 21/22 hours a day, in bed with my foot and leg elevated. I also have a herniated L4, L5, and the worst one being my L5S1, of which I recently had a failed microdiscectomy surgery on. Of which they can all be painful, but the L5S1 is pressing on my spinal nerve, and also causing me Sciatica. I have 2 Dr's saying a fusion is up next, and 2 saying don't do it until I absolutely have to. Which is what I'm doing because since I'm now back in bed all day since the Hydromorphone was taken away, what's the point in getting a major spinal fusion, when ill still be lying in bed with this CRPS.

I wanted to see what type of medications have worked for anyone, and are you finding that your meds are being reduced or taken away?

I really feel like The Chronic Pain Patient is the one paying the price for the Governments war on Dr's and scrips. The DEA finally admitted there numbers were WAY off. they had to. how could they be right when opioid scripts are down over 40% since 2015, while opiate deaths continue to climb at an even higher rate since just 2016. So, as it was said all along, 99.99% of opiate deaths came from Heroin and Chinese Fentanyl, flooding thru the southern border. Legislation got Dr's in line in 2015. Enough on that, I could go on forever.

I personally have been run thru the gauntlet the last 30 months. Except for opiates. Nothing helped, and them my PCP was concerned about my mental state me being a chronic pain patients after 2 years of finding absolutely no relief. No meds, no injections, no PT, nothing. So she had me try Hydromorphone, which gave me apiece of my life back. Of which due to all the new 2017 legislation, my PCP is scared to prescribe Pain meds and is phasing it out of her practice. So I am back to square one.

It didn't make my pain go away, but it allowed me out of that 4 walled prison, and spend time with my wife and kids. Even went to a movie for the first time in over 2 years. And took my wife to dinner a few times. I wasn't groggy, or goofy. I was fine. I was ALMOST me again. I have a high tolerance for every medication I take and she only gave low dose. but it worked. I was devastated when she took it away.


So what has worked with anyone hear? What meds are you guy on?


My next big decision is the fact they have decided to trey an SCS, of which will cost me over $6000 just for the device out of pocket. Its the only one my insurance will cover, but my Dr is fighting it stating it wont work for lower extremities as well as there device. But that one will cost $13,000 up front out of pocket. But, my Insurance is insistent on having me try the first one. If we know its not gonna work, why do it? I cant afford it anyway. So its now crossed off the list. The other idea was the Pain Pump (the hockey puck) My out of pocket for that is closer to $800-$1000. Which is doable. And I've read there very effective for some people.


Anyone have the pain pump? Or experience with it??


I thank you in advance for your reply's. And look forward to reading your responses. If you read all of this, thank you for your time!