Hi There Greenjeans, I guess I just missed you. Hope you're sleeping by now...

I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain (literally!) I am also undx, started having symptoms 8 years ago. I've been through several neuros, and have heard alot of the same crap ("your symptoms are from stress, maybe you're just more sensitive than others, blah, blah, blah".)

Well, in the past 2 years, I have begun really falling apart. I started feeling crappy during a family trip in April 2006 (overwhelming fatigue, backache, urinary urgency and frequency.) Within a few weeks, I had a large herniated disc in my lower back, plus numerous other strange sx (sudden, severe headaches, dizziness, tightness/heaviness in my chest, and intermitent squeezing feelings -spasms?- in my throat.)

I did PT, was able to avoid back surgery, and began feeling somewhat normal. Then, September 2007, I'm coughing alot from allergies, and, guess what? I have several herniated discs in my neck. I was on round-the-clock narcotics for about 3 weeks due to SEVERE pain in my left arm/hand. At this time, my left thumb became numb, and remains that way today. Oh, and all the other crazy symptoms decide to return in full force.

Again my neurosurgeon set me up for PT (including cervical traction), as well as a series of cervical epidural steroid injections. When my arm pain calms down, the neurosurgeon repeats my brain and cervical MRI due to the seemingly unrelated sx. I've developed. The MRI is the same as last time (a few scattered, nonspecific hyperintensities), but the cervical MRI comes back saying there are 2 lesions, 1 slightly enhancing.

Well, next I'm off to the MS specialist, who doesn't see any lesions on the films I brought. So, I have to have it done again (3rd time in 2 months.) This one comes back saying a cryptic: "There are likely scattered lesions throughout the cervical cord." But, the MS specialist isn't so sure, and doesn't want to start me on MS drugs if it's not definately MS. (I have to agree.)

To make a long story longer (and I think this is turning out to be a book!), I have been in pain 24/7 since September. I have been taking Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) for 3 months. It did take a week or so to feel it start working. I do not feel foggy or sleepy at all. It does NOT take away all the pain, but makes it somewhat more bearable. Now, for the bad news, I, did gained weight on it, like some others have. To be completely honest, this is really getting to me lately. My clothes don't fit me anymore....that is getting depressing.

Okay, (taking a deep breath...) what I'm getting around to is that, although the Gabapentin helps, I have often found myself awake all hours of the night due to pain. I spoke with the MS specialist about this, and I got a prescription for generic Ambien. I was a little confused at first because it's not like I'm not tired...it's just that pain keeps waking me up (and keeping me up.) Well, this little med has been a GODSEND. I don't take it every night because I'm concerned I'll become reliant on it (even though my PCP said it'd be fine even if I took it every night.

Now, of course, this won't help with daytime pain, but getting a full night's sleep makes everything a little better. Maybe you could request a prescription for a sleep aid such as this? Lots of people take them, and I'm quite sure your PCP would let you try it out. I have had no side effects at all from taking it. Also, it's not one of those meds that you have to take for a period of time before it's effective.

This won't solve your pain problem, but it might be a tool you could use to help with you pain management. I felt compelled to write all this because I sensed in you the same frustration and (for lack of a better word) hopelessness that I also suffer with. I will pray that you feel some relief from your pain.