Quote:
Originally Posted by saraleeCRPS
For well over a year I have taken gabapentin first 300 and until 2weeks age 1200 mg 3 x day and I had a block in the front right under my collar bone with the last one causing excruciating pain all over my body and I had already had 6 from my lower spine all the way up to my neck with no relief from them either.. I went to see my PM Dr and they wanted me to try lyrica. Tapering me off the other I was feeling so much pain already I couldn't tell ya if it was good bad or indifferent. Yesterdays Dr visit she decreased gabapentin To 2 a day for 5 days and 1/2 for 5 days then stop. The lyrica 1 in the am and 3 at bedtime then increase to 150mg.. I know it has to get in my system but anyone know how long it takes. I am also on ms contin, percocet
, zoloft and zanax, the last 2 I've been on for over a year since I lost my oldest daughter in a car accident. According to the Dr 3 surgeries on my right foot and a hand injury plus chronic depression caused Mr RSD/CRPS to come settle in with me. The death of my child was bad enough.....and now this. It has been the absolute worst past year of my life. This pain is unbelievable not to mentioned my broken heart.. Entire right side and yep you got it it wasn't diagnosed until after 11 months. There's a special little window with this disease and if you don't catch it well I don't believe there's any going back. My stage of this I'm told is full blown and irreversible. The only thing not done to me is my last visit on Tuesday we dicussed a neurostimulator trial both in my neck then one later in my spine. Wow was my thoughts. This disease has taken over my life and not ONE DAY goes by that I'm not severe pain.....it gets really hard trying to cope with everything.
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Saralee...please don't give up hope. And don't let the doctors take it from you either. I can't tell you if going with a stimulator (SCS) is the right decision for you because you are the only one that can make that decision. It's not for me and that decision has been made based on the risks associated with it and the high percentage of failure rates in RSD/CRPS patients. But there ARE other options and don't let the doctors tell you different and make you feel like you have no other choice.
Please see this thread that CRPSjames posted for you and another new member:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread168953.html
And this one about tDCS:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread168953.html
There's also ketamine out there as an option that has put many patients into remission. I don't know as much about it because it was far too expensive a treatment for me where as tDCS is very inexpensive and I can treat myself at home with no side effects and it is not invasive at all.
I'm not knocking SCS, as there are some people who are very happy with theirs, but I just want you to know that it is not the ONLY option out there. So when you are making decisions about whether to go ahead with a risky procedure, you should have the information about the other treatment options available.
Don't lose hope. If you read the tDCS thread started by ballerina I think you will be inspired by her journey with tDCS and the difference it has made in her life. Things CAN get better and don't you listen to any doc that says they won't. A year ago my family doctor who had been my doctor my whole life told me that I was just going to have to learn to live with the fact that I was stuck in a wheelchair. I left the office that day and never went back. I found a GOOD doctor who didn't give up on me and I am now walking and hope to never see that stupid wheelchair again. Don't let yourself give up...you have to keep fighting for your future without pain.