I had terrible reaction with topamax! My best combination now is toradol with my usual pain medicine.

You can always change doctors, and take your agreement with you. In the USA you have a legal RIGHT to enough medicine so you can manage your pain and have a quality of life. Remind your doctor of that, and see what else can be figured out to help you. Make sure you like the next doctor before you leave this one. Good wishes!

I met my new dr and really like him a alot. He spent well over 1 hour just he and I talking over my concerns and my medical problems. He kept me on oxy 20 mg 3 x aday and added percacet 10 /325 mg 2 x a day for break thru pain. He also put me on neurontin at night but this makes me throw up so I had to quit taking it. He wants me to have injections in my neck {which I'm scared of} but will try. The only problem I'm having now is I really need one more percacet a day this one I would take at night. SO I guess when I go back I will discuss this with him.

Balmy,

I know you are afraid of injections...everyone is!

As my PM says, no one likes a needle going into their necks! BUT...they have been a godssend for me. And, no, I don't get them all the time as in pain management. What I mean is...if they work and they usually do for me, I have been able to keep the meds very low. Otherwise I would have been downing meds right and left. As an example I had facet joint injections at the C2/C3 last November...they are STILL working or at least calmed everything down. Also had facet injections done in the lumbar and then an RF...that lasted a year. I think I need another one. So, don't bypass the opportunity to have POTENTIAL relief. They are diagnostic as well as therapeutic. And sometimes the docs will give you Versed so you just won't care what they do OR you can take Valium or something similar. I used to hate these injections but I don't anymore. And make SURE the doc uses fluoroscopy (xray guidance). All I can really add is even though I might be a bit anxious I usually don't need anything because it is over with fairly quick and my PM uses a LOT of numbing medicine. Hang in there! Truly, they may help you a great deal. Oh, and one last thing. My PM is currently out of the country opening up another spine clinic but when he gets back...I am asking for facet injections in my thoracic (he wanted to do that anyway) and more for the lumbar. So, that just goes to show you they really help me otherwise I wouldn't be asking for them nor would he be recommending them. But know too...I do NOT get these every month they don't allow that because they don't want to be too aggressive with steroids. It is just that I have other levels that are going bad...mainly lumbar. Oh, and this doesn't mean that you won't need some BT meds but you MIGHT be able to go lower or not have to take so many. So, I think your doc is right on target with wanting to try injections.

Wow thank you so much for that info. Yes my dr will be giving me an iV with something to "make me not care" I sure hope it works! lol I just would prefer to be asleep. I wonder why they dont just put you to sleep like at a dentist office.

Balmygirl,

I am really glad you found another PM doc and that things are looking up for you. ITA with Kathi, the injections can be a total Godsend for some people. Just make sure your doc is very experienced in this area. Try to check out his credentials and find out how long he has been in practice and how long he has been performing these type procedures.

I have had the diagnostic injection for my lumbar facet joints but it did not work. It apparently was not the facet joints that was causing the pain. However, I have had epidural blocks for my c-spine area that worked well and gave me great relief. I've also had stellate ganglion blocks and radio frequency lesioning (RFL) for RSD in my left shoulder and left arm. These last two procedures are something they do through the front of your neck. They were NOT horrible procedures and I got great relief that lasted for several months at a time.

I would encourage you to at least try to give the injections a try, if you know for sure you have an experienced, well respected pain management doctor doing them. They could greatly help your pain and help reduce some of the pain medications you are currently having to take.

Speaking of pain meds, be sure to let your doctor know the Neurontin makes you sick and that you can not take it. Ask them to prescribe something different. IMO, you definitely need something to help treat the neuropathic pain and narcotics do not do much for this type pain.

Good luck and I hope things continue to improve for you.

Blessings,