Originally Posted by KathyUK

Another update...

I have a neurosurgery appointment through for the end of this month, I am so relieved. My back has been pretty bad and I have been very guarded in my movement because of that, obviously. However, life caught me off guard when I slipped on a magazine someone left lying about and jarred it badly two days ago. So pain is pretty bad at the minute and I found myself digging out an old bottle of Oramorph which had a drizzle left. The GP had taken me off that because apparently it stops the buprenorphine working but I have had conflicting advice there from the hospital. Either way it worked and I can't get more. I had some nefopam left from my last visit to Casualty, so have been using that as I know it's safe for me, but it has a very strong effect on my head and not so great on the pain. The GP would be unlikely to continue that, so I am stuck as he is reluctant to give me any "topup" medication at all. God knows what I will do when it runs out. I hope my back improves at least until my appointment.

I have weaned myself off the Pregabalin as I have gained a dress size since I started it, and that's not a compromise I'm willing to make for a medication that only gives very limited help (and then only very mildly on my nerve symptoms, not my "mechanical" pain). I am already a big girl and I don't want anything stopping me getting surgery if they say I need it, so it's not worth it. So now I am only on the buprenorphine patch, and paracetamol if I bother with it as it doesn't give me any relief despite what the GP says about the "pain relief ladder".

I started smoking again very briefly through a very bad night of pain but have stopped again. Again, I don't want the docs having any reason not to operate if I need it.

I could really use some advice on weight loss. The GP says that the pain clinic have instructed him that I am not allowed to exercise (other than manageable day to day activity), and I am not allowed physio. I wondered if I could get away with swimming as I'd like to lose a fair bit of weight before I see them at the end of the month. I have been eating healthily (far more so than before the Pregabalin) and yet have still gained weight on it, so I am hoping a combination of healthy eating and swimming will get some weight off quick? I have previously used Reductil for weight loss under the GP, many years ago, and I have wondered whether that would be safe with my meds, I would have to go through the GP anyway so will ask him too. I can't use the fat binder types (Xenecal etc) as I have IBS.

Hope everyone else is doing well, thanks again for reading xx